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The pounding, throbbing, pain of a persistent headache is just about the worst. Can tea help alleviate the irritating symptoms of headaches? It turns out it can! Provided you use the right type, of course! Who knows, it might just end up being your next favorite blend. Here’s some of the best tea for headaches to keep in your pantry!
See also: One of your biggest allies in the fight against headaches is caffeine! Here’s what to expect from high caffeine teas!
The Best Tea for Headaches
We’ll go through each type and provide you with a recommendation accordingly. Firstly, why does tea help with headaches? As a matter of fact, there’s an overwhelming amount of evidence that good old fashioned black tea helps substantially! For that matter, so does any other beverage containing caffeine. Caffeine helps relieve aches and pains across the board.
The reason for this is the powerful antiinflammatory value of the chemical. That’s exactly why, strangely enough, a cup of tea or coffee can really help you slow down, focus, and reduce pain. Kind of funny when you think of coffee and tea as something to grab when you need to speed up, not slow down! Next time your head is aching reach for one of these types of tea for a chance at reducing the pain.
Is Tea or Herbal Tea Better for Headaches?
When it comes to ‘tea’, people are generally referring to dried leaves produced by the camellia sinensis plant. When brewed, these leaves produce a certain amount of caffeine, depending on the production process. Caffeine has a direct correlation between its consumption and pain reduction. Herbal tea, on the other hand, does not necessarily contain tea leaves. Herbs and spices in these herbal blends may have their own beneficial properties, but won’t always contain caffeine. Depending on your circumstances, a strong cup of regular tea might just do the trick. Remember: talk to your doctor with any medical concerns, including headaches. Natural remedies like teas can only help with mild symptoms.
Tazo Awake English Breakfast Tea
A robust and full-bodied black tea by Tazo, this English Breakfast blend is exactly what you need for a caffeine boost. Caffeine’s effect on headaches is well documented, and supported by its use in over the counter headache medications. This is the only ‘tea’ blend I’ll feature in this review. The reason being, because most any other type of tea containing real tea leaves will give you a caffeine hit. Due to the oxidation process of black tea, it will give you the most milligrams of caffeine per serving. Reach for a cup of black tea as a first line of defense for mild headache symptoms.
From a taste perspective, Tazo’s English Breakfast is a favorite bagged black tea of mine. When it comes to boxed tea, it’s one of the boldest and freshest out there! It’s possible you may have even tried it, too! (Tazo teas are on the menu at most Starbucks locations). Take my word for it, you won’t regret this blend headache pain or not.
- Robust, strong black tea
- Caffeine for headache symptoms
- Simple to brew, familiar taste
- Can be mixed with milk and sugar if desired
Bigelow Cozy Chamomile
Bigelow teas go down in my books as being an all around no-nonsense brand. You get what you see, and it’s always full-flavored and delightful. Their herbal teas are potent and crisp, put simply. Chamomile takes the mantle as a headache fighter because of its stress and anxiety reducing potential. Many people drink chamomile tea for a wide variety of reasons. Colds, upset stomachs, they’re every grandma’s favorite remedy. And for good reason.
Chamomile can help reduce tension, stress and anxiety leading to an insufferable headache. Slow down, take a sip of warm chamomile flower goodness for a few moments of quiet. I love drinking chamomile tea for just that reason, and when a bad cold creeps in! I don’t know what it is about this stuff, but it can really settle the stomach too. With a nice roasted, floral and earthy flavor you can’t go wrong!
- Delightful, floral flavor
- Stress and anxiety reducing
- Low cost
- Great for colds, too!
Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger
One of the great things about finding the best tea for headaches is that I get to showcase some of my favorites! Growing up, we always had Celestial Seasonings tea in the pantry. They stay fresh forever. I mean seriously! They come in a small wax pouch in each box, which re seals when pressed shut. Not only that, their herbal teas are incredibly potent. After brewing a cup of this, it will feel like you just squeezed 3 lemons into some boiling hot water. Anyone who’s ever felt the full wrath of the cold or flu knows putting your face over that feels incredible!
You’ll smell the relief from the moment you pour the water over this herbal tea. Grab a bag of this tea for some instant vitamin C relief. There’s also hibiscus included in this blend, which balances out the sourness of the lemon.
- Delicious lemon flavor
- Refreshing hot citrus steam
- Also good for sore throats
- Soothes headache pain
Twinings Pure Peppermint Herbal Tea
These tea bags pack some serious peppermint punch! As potent as it is minty, this peppermint tea is great for tackling headaches! One thing I’ve got to say about Twinings tea is that it’s nearly always fresh. I’ve never had a problem with these trusty tea bags, whether it’s herbal or regular tea. Individually sealed, you can be sure they’re fresh each and every time!
Peppermint tea can easily soothe some of the effects of a common headache. By opening up the blood vessels that are constricted, it can act similarly to an over the counter painkiller. That being said, the fragrant and minty aroma can also relieve some tension as well.
- Peppermint can aide in alleviating restricted blood vessels
- Refreshing, minty taste
- Take care of bad breath
Feverfew with Lemongrass
Feverfew, which you may not have heard of, is another herbal tea derived from flowers. It’s actually specifically used to counteract migraines! It contains the compound parthenolide, which is used to treat migraines. As for taste, it’s rather bitter. Luckily, this blend also contains lemongrass to smooth out the flavor! Next time you feel a migraine coming on, try a cup of feverfew tea in conjunction with your usual routine to see if symptoms are mitigated!
Herbal teas like feverfew are ideal for keeping in the cupboard! They have benefits in droves, this one supposedly aiding in common headaches and even insect bites. Drink any of these teas in moderation, and do not use them as a substitute for medication or medical advice. As for me, I’ll keep this stuff right next to my camomile and licorice teas!
- Bitter taste
- Known for helping to prevent migraines
- Helps with a range of other ailments
Yogi Ginger Tea
Ginger is an incredible herbal tea, with lots of added benefits. Its taste falls somewhere in between spice, earthy, and refreshing! It’s great for your stomach, as well as promoting regular healthy digestion! There’s almost nothing better to reach for if you’re having a bad tummy day! To get you back on track, there’s almost nothing better than a warm cup of ginger tea! By tackling your stomach woes, ginger has a chance of stopping headaches before they occur.
- Powerful stomach aide
- Great taste
- Anti-inflammatory
What is the Best Tea for Headaches?
Truthfully, headaches are best tackled with painkillers. If a headache is causing you serious pain, contact a medical professional. That being said, you need something that can really make a difference in a pinch. In some way, those short-burst headaches can be the worst.
See also: When the headache’s over, you’ve got to check out some excellent cocktail recipes containing tea!
