Did you know that the British consider tea a solution to every problem in life?
They reach out for a cup of tea at every instance- headaches, stress, nerves, depression, even sleeplessness. Tea has been an integral part of Chinese culture too. There is a whole elaborate custom surrounding tea drinking in this country. In both these cultures, tea is an effective remedy to treat headaches.
Headaches can be quite debilitating. The nagging pain can be troublesome especially when you have a full day of work ahead of you. Headaches are of many types with the most common types being
- Dehydration headaches
- Tension headaches
- Migraines
Tea for headaches is a popular workable remedy providing you temporary relief till the medications can kick in.
Painkillers are a good option to deal with different kinds of headaches. But when you do not want to depend on medications, or when the pain is bearable and you want some home remedies to help you achieve relief, teas can be really comforting.
How does tea help with Headaches and Migraines?
- The caffeine content in tea has a role in calming the nerves and reducing stress.
- Caffeine can amplify the effect of painkillers, thereby increasing their efficiency in reducing headaches.
- A 2015 Nature reviews neurology research article proves that antioxidants play a major role in curing and preventing headaches, especially migraines. Different teas such as green tea, ginger tea, and different kinds of herbal teas are rich in antioxidants.
- Herbal teas also calm you down and help you achieve a relaxed state of mind, precisely what you need when struggling with tension headaches.
- Tea is an excellent source of hydration. Teas such as green tea and matcha tea are rich in antioxidants as well as minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and manganese. They help you hydrate and restore your body balance.
- Dehydration headaches are the most commonly occurring types of headaches. This is why you feel a surge of relief after your first sip of water, herbal tea, or any electrolyte drink when suffering from dehydration headaches.
But, what about black tea? Is black tea good for headaches? Yes, it is. The caffeine content, antioxidants, and flavonoids have anti-inflammatory properties and provide relief from aches and pains, especially headaches.
5 Best Teas for Headaches and Migraines:
Headaches can be a debilitating problem, but finding relief is possible through a variety of methods, including tea. But with so many options, it can be tough to determine the best tea for headaches. Let us take a look at the 5 best herbal headache teas and how each of them helps you combat the various types of headaches.
1. Ginger tea
Ginger, your regular kitchen ingredient, has a surprising list of medicinal properties, one of them being headache relief. Certain compounds present in ginger inhibit the production and synthesis of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins can cause pain and inflammation as a part of certain biological processes. By inhibiting the functioning of prostaglandins, ginger can prevent throbbing headaches and related symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
So, the next time you have a migraine headache, reach for a cup of ginger tea along with your usual medications.
For preparing ginger tea for headaches, place a few slices of fresh ginger and a couple of cups of water in a pan, bring it to boil, and gently simmer for about 10 minutes. Add a sweetener of your choice and have it hot or cold.
2. Lavender tea
Lavender is an extremely popular essential oil and is used to obtain relief from a variety of conditions such as headaches, stress, anxiety, and depression. Many people apply a few drops of lavender oil to their pillows to help them sleep well.
The power of lavender essential oils transfers to lavender teas too. Sip a cup of this aromatic concoction and you can feel yourself relaxing and all the stress melting away. Sipping lavender tea for migraines is a common practice and has time and again proven to be beneficial.
Lavender tea is sourced from the lavender buds. To make this tea, you can either place a tea bag or lavender buds in a cup of hot water, allow to steep, and then sip slowly, either warm or cold.
3. Yogi tea
Yogi is a popular brand that sells some of the best herbal headache teas. One of the best migraine tea blends from this company is called the Relaxed Mind tea. This tea is a blend of various traditional and ayurvedic herbs that help your body cope with stress. It helps you calm down and relaxes you completely. As a result, this tea provides relief from tension headaches and migraine headaches as well.
The honey lavender stress is another excellent blend and provides relief from stress and headaches and calms you down.
4. Rooibos tea
Rooibos tea has a significant place in South African culture as a health beverage. Devoid of caffeine and rich in antioxidants, this tea is an excellent alternative to black and green teas. Today many people across the world are enjoying the benefits of rooibos tea for headaches.
It is rich in a host of electrolytes, especially magnesium, which is known to be extremely beneficial for headaches, in particular, migraine headaches. Consequently, rooibos tea is counted among the excellent migraine tea blends that provide relief from headaches and related symptoms of nausea and vomiting.
Magnesium also calms your nervous system, thus helping you avoid headaches related to stress. The rich electrolyte content in this tea makes it beneficial for dehydration headaches too. Contrary to a popular notion, tea is excellent for hydration. Drinking rooibos tea can be very good for those suffering from chronic headache conditions, especially migraines.
5. Peppermint tea
Another popular herbal headache tea, peppermint tea is lauded for its various medicinal, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and analgesic properties. Consequently, it helps relieve all kinds of headaches. Menthol, the derivative from peppermint has calming and stress-relieving properties.
As a result, drinking peppermint tea for headaches will help you relieve stress and reduce tension headaches.
Many of us experience stabbing headaches at night, just as we are going to bed. Stress causes these headaches. Sipping on peppermint is an excellent remedy for these headaches. The calming properties also help you sleep well.
To prepare this tea, bring a couple of cups of water to a boil. Turn off the heat. Tear and throw 4-5 leaves of peppermint into the water, allow it to seep. Have it hot or cold after adding any natural sweetener of your choice.
So there you have it!! Our list of the best herbal headache teas.
Takeaways
Teas are an excellent source of relief from headaches and migraines. When choosing a tea for headaches, you can pick one from the list above depending on your symptoms, the type of relief you need, and your taste preferences.
If you’re looking for a tea to help with your headaches, consider these top options. Peppermint tea is a classic choice, as it has both analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger tea is another great option, as it has been shown to help relieve headaches, as well as other types of pain. Green tea is also a good choice, as it contains compounds that have been shown to help relieve headaches and migraines.
You can pick ginger tea, rooibos tea, and lavender tea for migraines. Yogi sells some of the best migraine tea blends. You can choose between lavender tea and peppermint tea for tension headaches.
These teas, on their own, can help reduce headaches. They also can be had in conjunction with painkillers to improve the effectiveness of the medications.
So, the next time you experience headaches, don’t forget to reach for a cup of green tea or herbal tea!!
