If you’ve been looking for the best tea for anti aging, and want to know more about the health benefits of tea, you’re in the right place. Learn which teas to choose, how best to prepare them, and some helpful tips for tea-drinking, too!
You’ve likely heard of all the benefits of drinking a cup of tea, but did you know that it helps our body fight off free radicals? Studies have shown that there is a correlation between free radicals and aging.
As an avid coffee drinker (and self admitted coffee snob), my knowledge of tea and it’s benefits has greatly increased with the research done for this post. Tea is pretty awesome, my friend.
White tea has the highest level of polyphenols which have antioxidant properties that can help keep your skin looking young. Learn more about which teas can help us look and feel our best as women in midlife.
We’ll take a deeper look at which teas are most effective because of their anti aging properties, as well as some other teas that can help us feel our best as we go through our day.
Please note that this post is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to offer any type of medical advice or treatment suggestions for illness or ongoing conditions. Talk with your health care provider if you’re uncertain how drinking the teas described here will affect your system.
If you click on a link and then make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
Which Teas Help with Anti Aging?
Tea drinking has been around for thousands of years. In all of its various forms, tea has potent antioxidants that have anti-aging influences and help our bodies fight off free radicals. Those free radicals cause a host of different ailments, from inflammation to heart disease to cancer.
Some teas are rich in anti inflammatory properties and can help improve the look of our skin as well as our overall health.
White,and black tea are products of the same plant but go through differing processing levels. White tea is the least processed of all the variations and yields a delicate flavor profile and the highest levels of polyphenols, which have antioxidant properties.
Does Tea Reverse Aging?
While tea will not reverse aging, studies have shown that there is a definite link between free radicals and the aging process. By reducing your intake of free radicals and drinking tea daily, you can help yourself look younger.
There are a number of teas that provide some anti aging benefits. Some of them may be very familiar to you and others, not so much. Take a look and see which varieties of tea you want to add to your healthy daily routine.
Let’s dive deeper into the world of tea, and learn more about the best tea for anti aging, as well as for our overall health.
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is made from the Camellia sinensis plant which is related to green and black teas.
It’s known as an excellent base ingredient in herbal blends, providing taste with a slightly sweet aftertaste.
The longer oolong tea is fermented, the more caffeine it loses. Oolong can be brewed from a lighter or darker color depending on how long it’s fermented.
It has been known as an aid for those who have trouble sleeping, as oolong contains high levels of L-theanine which helps relax the body and mind.
Drinking oolong tea on a daily basis aids in the detoxification of the body, which can help with digestion, weight loss, and even diabetes prevention.
Black Tea
Black tea leaves are withered, rolled, and fully oxidized. This is the most popular type of tea in the world! Black teas have full flavor profiles with high caffeine content, which increases blood flow to tighten skin.
Black tea can also act as an anti-inflammatory agent with it’s natural chemical properties. Try adding a dash to your skin care routine or using it as an exfoliator.
Black tea contains a wealth of antioxidants and phytochemicals that can help protect against heart disease, cancer, bone density, and healthy skin and hair.
Black tea is helpful for digestion, oral health, and the immune system
Rooibos Tea
Rooibos tea, also known as ‘red tea’ comes from the South African redbush plant. It’s not actually a tea because it doesn’t come from the Camellia sinensis plant like black, green and white teas do. There is no caffeine in rooibos tea, so if that is important to you, take note!
Instead the rooibos plant is harvested for its needle-shaped leaves, which are then fermented. Rooibos can be steeped just like a black or green tea and has a pleasant flavor similar to sweet woodruff with a malty aftertaste.
Rooibos is beneficial for digestion, oral health, the immune system, heart disease risk prevention and cancer defense.
Rooibos holds high levels of antioxidants which can help reduce free radicals in the body and slow the appearance of fine lines. The best way to enjoy the benefits of this is to apply rooibos tea topically.
Want to know more? Learn how to incorporate rooibos tea into your natural beauty routine, like a DIY face mask, body scrub, hair rinse, and more: different ways to use rooibos in your beauty routine
Rooibos tea can be beneficial for reducing dementia symptoms, stimulating the immune system, aiding in weight loss, and providing healthy skin.
White Tea
White tea is the least processed of all varieties and has the highest levels of polyphenols, which have antioxidant properties.
These compounds are good for our bodies because they help fight free radicals. Free radicals are found in pollution, food, and the natural environment.
White tea may help to with inflammatory diseases, such as ulcers, colitis, arthritis, and eczema. According to research, it may improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, protect the heart, strengthen bones and connective tissue, and aid in cancer prevention.
Green Tea
Green tea has been used as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent for centuries. Green tea can be used as an exfoliator and even as a hair rinse to boost color retention and shine. It is also a milder form of caffeine, so it’s beneficial for those who can’t tolerate coffee or black tea.
Green Tea contains a powerful antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. This compound helps protect the body from free radical damage and help lower blood pressure. Green tea is also known to aid in weight loss.
Green tea can be used on hair and skin as a natural cleanser with anti-inflammatory properties.
Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus tea is a flowering plant that has been used for thousands of years to help reduce blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health.
Hibiscus tea, which is known for its fragrant tart flavor and vivid crimson color, may be served hot and makes a lovely summer beverage.
Studies have shown that drinking Hibiscus tea helps to eliminate free radicals from the body, prevent the effects of aging, and protect against heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and cancer.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is a popular beverage that can help to calm the body and reduce stress. It also reduces inflammation, aids in digestion, eases menstrual cramps, helps to treat anxiety, allergies, insomnia, and depression.
The antioxidant properties in chamomile tea provide benefits to our skin and hair by acting as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Research has shown that drinking chamomile tea can improve blood pressure, strengthen bones and connective tissue, and help with cancer prevention.
Are your eyes feeling tired? Try a couple of chamomile teabags to help ease the redness and inflammation
Here’s how to do it:
- Brew a cup of chamomile tea using two or three tea bags and let it steep for about five minutes
- Remove the teabag(s) from your cup, squeeze out the excess liquid, and chill the teabags in the fridge for about 15 minutes or so.
- You want them to be warm to the touch.
- Apply the tea bags to your closed eyes, then rest and relax for 15 to 30 minutes.
You can also:
- apply gentle pressure to your eyes while the tea bags are on them
- massage the area around your eyes
- add slices of cool cucumber to the top of the tea bags if you’re using cooled tea bags
Jasmine Tea
Jasmine tea is made from the fragrant white flowers of the jasmine plant. Jasmine tea not only smells wonderful, it also has health benefits. It can help to lower cholesterol, ease stress and anxiety, relieve respiratory ailments, aid in weight loss, fight infections, and reduce inflammation.
The powerful antioxidants found in jasmine tea can help with the inflammation that is associated with aging.
Jasmine tea also has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, which can help to keep our skin healthy by reducing acne and other skin blemishes as well as respiratory problems like bronchitis.
Bamboo Tea
According to studies bamboo leaf tea “possesses many pharmacological effects, including hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities; it is useful in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.”
Bamboo leaf tea can help to reduce free radicals from the body that may lead to acne and other skin blemishes. It also has Vitamin B6 which is great for skin health.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea is used extensively for digestive ailments like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps, and can also help to ease the discomfort of headaches and migraines by calming a nervous stomach.
Peppermint tea made from dried peppermint leaves contains essential oils that have anti-bacterial properties that can reduce inflammation in the respiratory system.
By encouraging cell turnover, peppermint tea can aid with hair loss as well as hormonal issues.
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea made from dried ginger root has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties that can help reduce inflammation in the body.
Ginger tea also is known to have antimicrobial properties, which makes it effective in treating acne, respiratory problems like bronchitis and coughs, and stomach aches.
It is also good for digestive health and can help to reduce gas.
Ginger tea is also widely known to increase circulation, which helps with digestion and the appearance of skin.
Tips for Getting the Most Anti Aging Benefits from Drinking Tea
1. Learn how to brew a fresh cup of tea
When it comes to brewing tea, quality is important. Purchase a tea infuser or a device that releases the leaves from a tea bag so you can steep your tea to perfection and enjoy the full flavor profile of each type.
Here are some simple instructions for brewing a fresh cup of tea:
- Before you brew your tea, check to see what the optimum water temperature is for that particular tea.
- Warm up your teapot by filling it up halfway with the heated water, swirl it a bit, then discard the water.
- Add the tea to the teapot, then add the heated water.
- Cover the teapot and set a timer for brewing your particular tea. This can be different for each variety of tea, so check the recommended time for steeping. Usually it will be 5 minutes or less.
- Strain the tea solids and enjoy your cup of tea!
Do you need a teapot? A tea kettle? The folks at TeaBloom offer some of the most beautiful selections, as well as their unique flowering tea:
If you are new to the world of tea drinking, or even if you’re a seasoned pro, check out the varieties of loose tea that TeaBloom offers. Always organic, Kosher certified.
2. Avoid drinking tea that is piping hot
Here’s why it’s better to let your tea cool a little before drinking it.
Most teas contain catechins, which are antioxidants that help to fight free radicals and keep our skin looking young. However, studies show that the catechins can break down when they’re exposed to heat for a prolonged time.
Letting your tea cool for one or two minutes before you drink it will allow the best possible amount of catechins into your body.
3. Use loose leaf tea rather than teabags
Tea leaves are fresher and contain more nutrients, since they’re younger plants the antioxidant properties are the strongest in them.
Teabags can often be made with older leaves that contain fewer antioxidants, resulting in a lower quality of tea.
Choose high quality, loose tea and steep it fresh!
4. Add a few drops of lemon juice to your tea
Adding lemon juice to your tea can help enhance the detoxifying effects of drinking tea, especially with black and oolong teas.
The acids in the lemon juice can activate enzymes in the tea leaves which release a type of polyphenols called catechins. These polyphenols can help to speed up the metabolism, which may even help with weight loss.
5. Drink multiple teas
The time of day can help you decide which tea is most beneficial, and it’s okay to drink a variety of teas.
Morning:
Green tea is a great choice. It will help stimulate digestion as well as bowel flow, and give you energy to start the day. The caffeine level is lower, too, so if you’re watching your intake, it’s a good thing.
Mid Morning:
Prepare your body for good digestion at lunch by drinking green, licorice, dandelion, or ginger tea. Or, add some freshly grated ginger to any of these teas.
After Lunch:
To aid in digestion and minimize bloating, try cinnamon tea. It helps with digestion as well as balance blood sugar levels.
Mid Afternoon:
Reach for the peppermint tea in the afternoon. It’s also known as the ‘scholar’s herb’ because it provides a quick boost of blood circulation to the brain, helping you to stay focused.
Before Bed:
Sleep better at night with a cup of chamomile, lemon balm, or passion flower tea before retiring. If you tend to be anxious and overthink things, especially during the night, add some lavender to your tea.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about the best tea for anti aging, consider drinking one or two cups a day to help keep your skin looking younger as well as benefit from the other healthy properties found in many varieties of tea.
As an avid coffee drinker, I’ve learned so much about the benefits of drinking tea, I’m going to make a concerted effort to bring tea into my life regularly. And I’m going to do it right, brewing my own leaves with the proper equipment.
How about you? Will you make tea drinking a part of your healthy lifestyle?
Like this post? Share it!
Additional resources used in the creation of this post:
Fabulous post Candi…very detailed and informative. I am certainly going to try these. I am also a coffee lover but I need to drink less so your tea suggestions are great.
I’m with you, Amanda, and want to give tea a higher priority in my day. There are so many benefits!
It’s a very nice and informative blog. Lemon tea is a simple, refreshing, and yummy beverage that you can easily make in your home. Based on your tastes, it is possible to make lemon tea with fresh oranges simply or simply by mixing lemon along with other ingredients. In the context of lemon tea advantages, Astringent, diuretic, detoxifying properties are complete in lemon tea that help to remove dead skin cells and keep your skin healthy and luminous. The alkaline effect of lemon tea destroys all the bacteria that cause acne, pimples, eczema, and skin-related diseases, promoting your skin health.
Hi Debjani, thanks for sharing your thoughts about lemon tea. 🙂