Best Healthy Tea for Winter

With winter just around the corner, there’s nothing better to replenish the body and soul like a good cup of tea. As the weather gets colder and the countdown to Christmas begins, the need to take care of ourselves becomes even more important.

Tea is here to save the day

Being outside in cold weather, spending our time in crowded places, and being around other people who may be suffering from colds and flus is never a good thing for the immune system… but luckily, tea is here to save the day.

Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, and with good reason. Filled with antioxidants, amino acids, and vitamins, there’s nothing better to help us stay healthy in the winter. There are many different types of teas, each with its own properties and benefits, and we’re here to help you choose the best winter tea for you.

Darjeeling: Good for Fighting Inflammation

Darjeeling is a type of black tea that grows in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India. It is known as the ‘Champagne of tea’ due to the fact that only tea grown in this region can be called Darjeeling, as the resulting brew is usually a rich golden or bronze colour and has a light, floral aroma.

Best enjoyed as a morning tea or in the mid-afternoon, Darjeeling usually has around 50mg of caffeine – that’s just 15mg less than a Nespresso. A great way to boost the system in the morning, helping to give you the energy to go outside and into the cold.

Darjeeling is typically sweeter than other forms of black tea, making it great to drink alongside savoury foods. If you’re looking for a pick-me-up brunch or a cooked English breakfast, Darjeeling is the perfect pairing.

Darjeeling leaves contain a polyphenol (a compound that is found in plants) that helps to fight inflammation and long-term chronic disease. This is because they help to protect the body’s tissues against oxidative stress, making it a great tea to drink alongside that bitter winter weather.

Winter often comes hand-in-hand with low, bright sun and snow, both of which can cause UV damage. Luckily, the polyphenols in black tea have shown promise in protecting the body against the damage caused by ultraviolet rays – although suncream is still recommended.

Sencha: Full of Vitamin C

Sencha is the most popular type of tea in Japan, loved for its fresh, green colour and taste. Japanese green tea differs from Chinese green tea as it is steamed rather than pan-fired, preserving those vegetal, grassy flavours.

Sencha is a great tea to consume throughout the whole day. It has lower levels of caffeine than black tea, and as such, can provide a nice energy boost without keeping you up at night. Best served hot, sencha can also be a wonderful ingredient in iced tea.

Sencha is especially great for the winter as it is rich in vitamin C, which helps to support immune function and healing of the body. Perfect for when bacteria are in the air and we all start to feel a bit rundown, this light, and grassy green tea can be a wonderful companion.

Along with that, the vitamin C in sencha is essential to keeping the skin looking radiant, as it aids in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and acne, and hydrates the skin to help keep it looking youthful. Most of us are prone to dry skin in the winter due to the dryness of the air, so sencha can be a great alternative to layers of oils and creams.

rooibos in tea tin box

Rooibos: A Caffeine-Free Pick-Me-Up

Rooibos is a classic herbal tea, with its name translating to ‘red bush’ in Afrikaans. It is renowned for its sweet, nutty flavour, and the rich, woody aromas that come from a warm, freshly-brewed cup.

One of the best things about rooibos is that it is entirely caffeine free, due to the fact that it is made from the aspalathus linearis shrub in South Africa. Technically not even a type of tea as it doesn’t come from the Camellia Sinensis plant – in fact, rooibos is considered a ‘tisane’

For those who want to reduce their intake of caffeine whilst still enjoying a delicious cup of comfort, rooibos is the perfect option. Due to its sweetness, it is also great to hit that sweet spot when craving sugar.

Along with that, rooibos is especially beneficial for heart health as it inhibits the angiotensin-converting enzyme, a compound that increases blood pressure. This means that cholesterol levels are kept in check, risk of cardiovascular disease is lowered, and those with diabetes can drink it to help keep their blood sugar levels under control.

Enjoy

Now that you are thoroughly excited for the winter and the delicious tea it promises, why not check out our tea subscription boxes? We have boxes dedicated to just black tea, green tea, and herbal tea, along with a wonderful Surprise Me box.

Go on, it’s almost Christmas – treat yourself.

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