How does drinking tea support healthy aging?

How Tea Can Support Aging 

If there’s one thing people want to slow, it’s aging. Staying and looking young forever seems to be the goal of so many. But getting older is a badge we should wear proudly. Our physical bodies and appearances evolve along with our minds and ways of being. 

For example, habitual tea drinking can lower the chance of cognitive decline, prevent cardiovascular disease, and reduce mortality. 

Quality teas can improve your gastric health as well. Individuals suffering from Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), in particular, can benefit from the properties of teas. For example, Chamomile tea’s anti-inflammatory properties are an excellent defender against acid reflux and nausea. 

These same anti-inflammatory properties can help you improve skin health and maintain a youthful complexion. 

Tips for Using Tea to Support Overall Health 

First, it’s a good idea to figure out the state of your overall health. Do you have any chronic conditions? How’s your mobility? Is there anything limiting you physically?  

Once you figure out where you’re at with your overall health, determine what you need to improve. For example, do you need to better your heart health? Do you need to get better sleep? Do you need to address joint pain?

After defining what you need to improve, you can research what kind of teas can help you nurture those areas of improvement. Be sure to consult your doctor before introducing a new type of tea into your diet, especially if you’re taking medication. 

With these stats in mind, nurturing your mental health daily is that much more important. Tea can inspire you to build mental health care into your everyday. 

For example, you can create a daily ritual that includes tea. Rituals can help you start your days with energy, gratitude, and a clear mind. This ritual could look like:

1. Waking up at a specific time each morning 
2. Stretching and meditating 
3. Making a cup of tea and reading 

Then, you can end your daily ritual with self-compassion. It’s easy to dwell on getting older, where we thought we’d be, and what we missed out on over the years. Self-criticism and negative thought patterns do nothing good for your mental health. Replace it with kindness, generosity, and positive self-talk for a well mind. 

Best Practices for Using Tea in Ritual Settings 

The first thing you want to do is define why you want to create a ritual. This will keep you committed to doing your ritual daily. After that, write down the acts you want to perform in your ritual. Be specific about where tea drinking falls into your ritual. And practice it daily. 

Continue to Socialize and Connect with Family and Friends

We’re unfortunately at a higher risk for isolation and loneliness as we get older. Our children move away and make lives of their own. We lose loved ones and friends more often. Retiring from the workforce also contributes to us being alone more often as older adults. 

That said, we must fight harder to socialize and stay connected as we age. This is because isolation and loneliness can lead to chronic physical health conditions like heart disease and worsened mental health. An increased risk of premature death can happen too. 

Socialization can have a profound effect on our mood. It keeps us mentally sharp. We start to engage in healthier behaviors like exercising and pursuing hobbies. We also surround ourselves with more love, positivity, and encouragement. 

The social benefits of tea are some of the most notable. You can connect with loved ones over a cup of tea, meet new friends in the tea connoisseur circle, and socialize at the many cafes across the country.  

How to connect and socialize with the help of tea 

Start with something simple, like asking a friend to come over and have tea. Or maybe you all meet at a nearby coffee shop or cafe. A genuine conversation with someone you love over a cup of tea once a week is a great way to facilitate the connection you need. 

You could also join a club dedicated to all things tea. You can try different teas and learn more about them and their benefits while nurturing relationships with new friends. Try to choose one that meets at least a couple of times a month to ensure you get to socialize and connect regularly. 

At first glance, tea may not seem that important to graceful aging. However, it can provide tremendous support in the aging process by helping us sustain our overall health, build mental health care into our every day, and keep up with socializing and connecting.