Herbal Tea vs Green Tea

When you reach for your tea, do you pick one according to taste, caffeine level, health benefits, or something else? Looking at your stash, what helps guide your choice? Both herbal tea and green tea have copious health benefits, but there are a lot of differences as well. Let's take a look at herbal tea vs green tea. 

Herbal tea and green tea are both wonderful choices when deciding to brew up a cup, but what is it you are looking for in your brew? When choosing herbal tea vs green tea, here are some things to consider. 

Caffeine level in herbal tea vs green tea 

When choosing a tea blend, my first thought is to caffeine level. Do I need tea powered energy that comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant, or am I looking for something caffeine free and calming? Green tea is caffeinated, though not as strongly as black tea. A blend like mango apricot green tea will give you a gentle boost of energy from caffeine paired with l-theanine present most strongly in green teas. 

While you are most likely familiar with the stimulating compound naturally found in tea and coffee called caffeine, l-theanine is lesser known. This compound stimulates the calming GABA neurotransmitter in your brain along with suppressing anxiety and stress neurons. The combination of caffeine and l-theanine gives you a calming boost of energy, which is very different from the jitteryness one often experiences with coffee and energy drinks. All green teas include this power duo, so you can find one that suites your tastes. Our cherry jasmine green tea and passion fruit elderflower green tea are both delicious blends that will give you a gentle boost of energy.  

Herbal tea,on the other hand, is not made from the same Camellia sinensis plant, but is made up of a blend most commonly containing herbs, roots, and/or fruit pieces that may be paired with red or green rooibos, an African plant that makes a tea that tastes earthy and well rounded. A blend like our vanilla spiced rooibos herbal tea blend contains spices, which are seeds (cardamom) and bark (cinnamon) along with green rooibos. This tea has a full, spicy taste without the caffeine. If you enjoy fruitier brews, our peach rooibos herbal tea blends apple, apricot, strawberry, mango, orange, pineapple, and peach with rooibos for a caffeine free blend power packed with fruit. 

Health Benefits in herbal tea vs green tea 

There are health benefits to all cups of tea. When it comes to herbal tea vs green tea, you can bet you can find what you are looking for to aid a healthy lifestyle. 

Green tea is high in antioxidants, which protect cells from damage from free radicals. This lighter tea, which is processes differently than black tea, has also shown cardiovascular benefits, helping lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels, and improve blood vessel functioning. Green tea is also well known for aiding in weight loss by boosting metabolism and reducing the absorption of fat cells. Anti-inflammatory effects have been found, aiding in reducing inflammation in the body which is thought to be able to help many chronic conditions. Green tea's effect on cancer has also been researched, indicating that green tea may lower the risk of certain types of cancer. This is thought to be due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This type of tea also shows promise in regulating blood sugar and reducing osteoporosis. With all of these health benefits coming from regularly drinking green tea, you may find yourself reaching for these blends more often. 

Herbal tea health benefits are also numerous, and a little harder to pin down. This is simply because every blend is different. This white chocolate peppermint herbal tea  contains peppermint, which is well known for soothing bloating, nausea, and stomach upset. While the elderberry in this elderberry apricot herbal tea helps improve immune system function, making it a good choice to drink often when you are feeling under the weather. You can see how you could tailor your herbal blends to achieve the benefits you are looking for. 

A similarity in the benefits of herbal tea vs green tea is that you will get more of the results you are looking for by drinking your tea blends regularly. While a mint tea such as this peppermint and clove herbal tea containing peppermint, spearmint, ginger, and clove should help soothe an ailing tummy pretty quickly, the immune boosting benefits of this elderflower and elderberry herbal blend will be best found when drank regularly. Green tea also offers some immediate benefits, such as the calming caffeine boost, but the other studied benefits will be better achieved with regular consumption. May I suggest finding a few blends you enjoy, with health benefits you are looking for, and making it a part of your daily routine to drink tea throughout the day?

How to fix up herbal tea vs green tea 

Maybe you choose tea based on how you'd like to drink it. Hot vs iced are options to consider when you are craving a cup of tea. Herbal tea and green tea are both great hot or iced, but they need to be treated differently. Herbal teas usually are steeped in boiling water for four to five minutes or longer for a hot cuppa, unless they include delicate flowers such as this chamomile and mint herbal tea. If the tea includes favorited flowers such as chamomile, rose, or lavender, they will benefit for a shorter steeping time. I usually do three minutes. Timing is different depending on ingredients. This spiced vanilla rooibos blend I mentioned earlier is suggested to brew for four to six minutes. I personally enjoy it steeped for longer to allow the heartier herbs of cardamom and cinnamon to really shine. Follow the directions on each individual bag, and then play with timing to get different flavor profiles. 

When making green tea hot, it needs to be handled with care. True tea, such as delicate green tea, has tannins that will get bitter if steeped for too long or if the water is too hot. The temperature of your water should be below boiling, no higher than 185. You can reach this with a controlled temperature kettle or I simply listen to the tea pot as it heats up and pull it off before it boils. You also only want to steep for less time than say a black tea. This way, you are minimizing your tannins resulting in a smooth cup that isn't bitter. This lemon creme earl grey green tea suggests brewing for three to six minutes. I suggest starting at the low end and seeing what you like. If you are looking for a stronger flavor, add more tea not more time. 

To make herbal tea vs green tea iced, there's a favorite method here at Plum Deluxe that works for all types of tea, and that is cold brewing. Cold brewing is so simple, start with one to two teaspoons of tea per eight ounces of cold water, place in a covered container, and set in your fridge overnight! It's that easy. Since you are using cold water, the bitter tannins aren't an issue. This works for both herbal teas and green teas. The flavor profiles may be a little different than when your brew is hot, but I haven't found a tea that doesn't cold brew well. This is a great way to prep tea ahead of time and get those cups in to stay hydrated and get those health benefits into your body. 

When choosing between herbal tea vs. green tea, there really is no wrong answer. It all depends on what benefits you are looking for and what flavors you like. We carry a wide variety of blends of herbal and green teas in our online store, you are sure to find a new favorite to add into your day.