Looking for a beverage to boost your brain this semester? Try tea! Did you know that tea reinforces your immune system, improves your overall health, and even keeps cancer at bay? It gets better: Tea can help stimulate and soothe your mind, so you’re more focused during study time. And because it contains the amino acid L-theanine, the boost you get from tea won’t make you “crash” or feel jittery like other caffeinated beverages might. While all teas have health- and brain-boosting benefits, here are eight tea options that might prove especially useful during your next study session:
1. Matcha
One of the highest-caffeinated teas out there, matcha’s reputation for improving your overall quality of life makes it a popular choice. It’s also a college student’s best friend. Why? Because research shows that consuming matcha before a task can improve memorization, concentration, and reaction time. Drinking matcha can help you feel more awake, alert, and focused — and boost your overall brain functions.
2. Peppermint
Nothing says tension headache like an hour-long study session — and that’s where peppermint tea can bring relief! Peppermint is a natural muscle relaxant that also fights fatigue. The result? Your brain feels calm but alert, which enhances your concentration and ability to tackle projects like research papers and group work.
3. Spearmint
Like peppermint, spearmint tea includes a boatload of mental and physical health benefits. Specifically, some studies link spearmint to memory and retention. Because mint leaves contain menthol, sipping spearmint tea naturally relaxes the body — because it signals your brain to reduce stressful nerve activity.
4. Black Tea
Black tea is among the highest-caffeinated types, improving your energy and focus without sending you into a post-caffeine crash. Drink black tea, and you can expect better information recall, more flexible thinking, greater self-awareness, and overall enhanced cognitive performance. In one study, participants who drank black tea surpassed their water-drinking counterparts in a series of mental tasks. Best of all, black tea comes in dozens of flavors, whether you like the smokey campfire taste of Lapsang Souchong, the spicy sizzle of Masala Chai, or the refined bergamot essence of an Earl Grey.
5. Lemongrass
The mere scent of lemongrass can help reduce anxiety. Sipping it in a hot tea may produce a soothing effect on your mind and body. As a bonus, lemongrass tea boosts your immune system, too, making you less prone to general sicknesses (caused by stress or otherwise).
6. Ginger
An ancient tea, ginger has a long history of boosting brain power — enhancing your ability to focus and supercharging your energy levels. Study sessions aside, a cup of ginger tea can help fight inflammation, digestive issues, and nausea…and even boost your heart health!
7. Green Tea
The health benefits of green tea can’t be overstated — from fighting cancer, to burning off fat. Green tea makes a perfect study companion because of its unique combination of caffeine and L-theanine, which produces a state of simultaneous concentration and tranquility. It’s also high in EGCG, correlated with improved retention and learning. Like Black tea, Green tea comes in dozens of flavors, from alluring Jasmine to earthy Hojicha.
8. Pu-erh
The longer it’s aged, the better it tastes! Pu-erh is technically a Black tea, but its unique earthy flavor underscored by lingering sweetness, sets it apart. Health benefits of Pu-erh include detoxing your digestive system, reinforcing your nervous system, and, of course, boosting your brain power. Some studies of Pu-erh tea show a positive impact on brain-related conditions, such as epilepsy! And, like most teas, Pu-erh can help take the edge off your nerves so that you can focus on your study session with a cool head.
Ready To Tackle Your Next Study Session?
Visit your campus’s available Food Services to order the perfect hot tea. Then, take advantage of all your studying assistance resources, like the Academic Success Center.
Don’t forget: If your study session involves researching which career may be right for you (or you’re looking for information about a career or industry), you can contact the Career Center on your campus. In-person, phone, and TEAMs meeting options get you the help you need in whatever way works best. We look forward to helping you succeed this semester.
Now, go enjoy that tea!
- “Where Winners are Made” — Interview with EFSC’s Grand Debate Victor - November 6, 2024
- Learning on Vacation: EFSC Students on the Study Abroad Experience - October 30, 2024
- What’s Your Organizational Style? - October 23, 2024
