Does Herbal Tea Mean Decaffeinated?

Many people like to substitute caffeinated teas for more natural herbal teas. This is usually due to the fact that they don’t contain any caffeine. Herbal teas are also a better alternative for health reasons. Regular and herbal teas are both derived from plants, which makes them both natural drinks.

Does Herbal Tea Mean Decaffeinated?

Herbal teas come from some of the stems, leaves, roots, flowers, and seeds of various plants. They aren’t actually teas and instead are herbal drinks. Regular teas come from leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and naturally contain caffeine. 

Decaffeinated teas and herbal teas are not the same thing. Herbal teas naturally grow without any caffeine content, meaning they are caffeine free. Decaffeinated teas are black, green, or white teas that are stripped of caffeine. 

Caffeine is extracted from regular tea through a decaffeination process. This process removes most of the caffeine, leaving behind about 2 mg per cup. This is a much smaller amount when compared to the 20 to 50 mg per cup in black, green and white teas. 

Is Herbal Tea Better Than Decaf?

Both herbal teas and decaffeinated teas have health benefits however, the decaffeination process strips some of these benefits along with the caffeine. 

Benefits of Herbal Tea

• Strengthens your immune system. There are antioxidants and vitamins in herbal tea that fight off disease and infection. 
• Keeps your skin looking younger. Drinking herbal tea regularly is an anti-aging agent. It works by reducing the skin cells in your body to age.
• Shortens colds. Tea made from the elder tree herb clears up the nasal passage and soothes the throat, reducing coughing. It also helps with asthma. 
• Good for high blood pressure. Herbal tea is a natural way to lower blood pressure. Unlike pills, you won’t have any related side effects when drinking tea to reduce high blood pressure.
• Stress reliever. A nice cup of herbal tea can relax you and relieve stress and anxiety. It’s also known to give you a good night’s sleep. 
• Relieves symptoms of indigestion. Herbal teas can breakdown fats and empty your stomach quicker. This is a good remedy for constipation and bloating.
• Reduces arthritis pain. Ginger is an excellent pain reducer for symptoms of arthritis. It can help with muscle and joint pain, as well as swelling due to inflammation.
• Gives you clear skin. A natural skin cleanser for acne prone skin. You can use herbal tea to make face masks to apply to the skin or drink it. Rooibos and spearmint are full of antioxidants and antibacterial substances that help to prevent and clear breakouts. Chamomile is also a good skin cleansing agent for acne.

Is Decaffeinated Tea Good for You?

Due to the lower caffeine content in decaffeinated teas compared to regular teas, decaf is considered healthier. Contrary to the caffeine content, black, green and white teas have many benefits, such as preventing diseases and lowering your risk of cancer. 

Decaf, on the other hand, is stripped of some of its properties when it goes through the decaffeination process. Antioxidants called polyphenols are a kind of chemical that is widely found in tea. 

These antioxidants are known for their disease prevention agents. They fight against cancer and cardiovascular disease. They even reduce the aging process caused by free radicals. 

The decaffeination process causes 70% of polyphenols to be lost through the chemicals used to remove the caffeine. Most of the decaffeinated teas on the market are stripped of many of the health benefits you’d find in regular and herbal teas. 

Herbal vs. Decaf Teas

Herbal and decaffeinated teas differ greatly when it comes to flavor, health benefits and caffeine content. Herbal teas can be made from several different herbs, some of which include tree bark, ginger root, fennel seed, mint leaves, cinnamon sticks and much more. Decaffeinated teas come from only one plant and are stripped of their caffeine content.

When it comes to taste, herbal teas are much more flavorful and have a wide range of varieties. Decaf, depending on the decaffeination method used, usually tastes chemically or watered down. It’s hard to keep the genuine tea taste when the natural caffeine content is removed.

The benefits of herbal teas are endless. People all around the world use many herbal teas as medicine instead of treating themselves with prescription drugs. Decaf is beneficial for those who can’t handle caffeine however, due to the decaffeination process, it’s stripped of most of its main antioxidant. 

Conclusion

When looking for a caffeine free tea, keep in mind that decaf still contains leftover traces of caffeine. Herbal teas are an all natural caffeine free drink that can be replaced for regular teas.