When is the Right Time to Drink Tea?
We want our readers to enjoy tea, which is why we’re here to tell you there are better times during the day to drink it than others.
You read that right. Despite being a tea shop, we’re not going to recommend that you administer tea through an IV drip at all hours (and we wouldn’t know how to set that up, anyway). You can’t enjoy tea, with all its flavor and health benefits, if you have it at the wrong times. And if you don’t enjoy it, then we’d never get to see you!
In this article, we’ll explain when you should consider drinking tea throughout the day and what benefits you could gain from doing so. We’ll also offer some advice on what to avoid, so you can have the most out of the experience.
Ready? Let’s get started.
Drinking Tea in the Morning
Let’s start where you start: first thing in the morning.
You might struggle to get out of bed, or you might be a morning person who springs into action as soon as they feel the sun hit their face. (In which case, we still love you, but we also hate you just a little bit.)
Perhaps you’ve thought about drinking tea as part of your morning routine, either because you don’t like coffee or you’re interested in trying new things. When, during the morning, should you brew your tea?
According to Teasenz, you should wait 20 minutes after eating before drinking a cup of tea. There are two main health benefits here. First, tea can help you digest the food you just ate for breakfast. Second, you’ll get an additional boost of caffeine to help you feel more energetic.
That said, timing is key.
In his wonderful book When, Daniel Pink warns against drinking coffee first thing in the morning because you won’t get the full benefits from the caffeine:
“The moment we awaken, our bodies begin producing cortisol, a stress hormone that kick-starts our groggy souls. But it turns out that caffeine interferes with the production of cortisol—so starting the day immediately with a cup of coffee barely boosts our wakefulness.”
Pink recommends waiting for an hour to 90 minutes before drinking coffee. At that point, your cortisol production will have peaked, and the caffeine you drink will give you a greater energy boost than what you would have otherwise received. Since many types of tea also contain caffeine, we believe Pink’s advice applies to our customers, too.
Drinking Tea in the Evening
We’ve now covered tea consumption in the morning. What should we be aware of when it comes to drinking tea in the afternoon and evening?
You know what it’s like to work after lunch. Your food is settling, and you could use a nap. But some unfortunate souls decided to schedule multiple meetings during the afternoon, and you need all the help you can get.
According to Denongtea, you should consider drinking tea around 3:00 p.m. This will help improve your immune system and reduce the likelihood of getting a cold. (That’s not the same as saying you’ll never get sick if you drink tea. Let’s just be clear about this.)
The caffeine from the tea can also help you give you a boost as you’re feeling lethargic. Daniel Pink recommends drinking caffeine right before a quick nap so you can give the caffeine time enough time to do its work. When you wake back up, you’ll get the benefits of both the quick round of sleep and the beverage.
As for evening, a cup of tea can be very relaxing and help put you at ease before you go to sleep. Be sure to brew herbal tea so you don’t drink caffeine before you go to bed, otherwise you won’t get that calming benefit you’re looking for.
Make the Most of Your Day
Tea can be great for various parts of your day, and we hope we’ve given you enough information to understand the best time to drink it. Feel free to browse our website or come into our store to learn more!