I’m a hemp-fanatic, so I’ve tried almost every hemp product there is. But as a strict coffee-only drinker, I never really ventured into the world of hemp tea. That is until I discovered all of the amazing hemp tea benefits there are!
As a material that makes antibacterial underwear, it shouldn’t surprise me what hemp can do for the tea world. From helping relieve anxiety to being heart-healthy, there’s no shortage of benefits of hemp tea.
So put on your coziest hemp pants and grab your closest pad of hemp paper for note taking!! We’ll cover the basics of hemp tea like what it is, if it can make you high, and how to make a cup. Plus, we’ll focus on some of the most incredible hemp tea benefits there are!
WHAT IS HEMP TEA?
Hemp tea is an herbal tea made from parts of the Cannabis sativa plant. Yes, that’s the same plant as marijuana, but read below to see why it won’t get you high!
Some blends just use the leaves or flower buds, but others will use the flowers, seeds, or even stems. It’s harvested when the plant has reached full maturity so both antioxidants and cannabinoids are at their highest levels. That way, you get the most hemp tea benefits per sip! Just like most herbal teas, it has an earthy taste with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
People have been enjoying the benefits of hemp tea for centuries! In just one instance, between 2000 and 1000 BC, people were known to mix hemp tea with milk during ceremonies in the ashrams of ancient India.
DOES HEMP TEA GET YOU HIGH?
Short answer: no, hemp tea will not get you high.
Long answer: no, and here’s why: it has to do with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels, just like hemp vs marijuana. Despite coming from the exact same plant, hemp legally must contain less than 0.3% THC, whereas marijuana can contain much higher amounts.
THC is what produces the high you experience while using marijuana, but hemp doesn’t have enough to have that effect on you!
However, many hemp teas on the market today do contain cannabidiol (CBD). You’re probably familiar with CBD thanks to podcast ads and influencers sponsored posts. But if you’re not, CBD is a non-high producing chemical from the Cannabis plant that is said to help anxious symptoms and sleep issues.
IS HEMP TEA GOOD FOR YOU? 7 HEMP TEA BENEFITS FOR YOUR HEALTH
Incorporating hemp tea into your diet is a great way to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s full of amazing vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can help you with everything from anxiety to heart health. Without further ado, here are some of the top health benefits of hemp tea!
1. HEMP TEA IS HEART HEALTHY
Hemp, hemp, good for your heart, the more you drink, the more you…reduce your blood pressure (a classic children’s tune)! Because many hemp teas contain CBD, you get all of its amazing benefits, like its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, in your morning cup.
Inflammation is a common factor in many heart diseases, so routinely sipping on an anti-inflammatory concoction like hemp tea could help prevent bigger issues. Plus, CBD’s antioxidants can protect your heart from damage from type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.
Without having to fully put my lab coat on, let me explain how. Antioxidants from CBD fight “free radicals” that damage our cells and put us more at risk for heart disease and other harmful conditions.
2. HEMP TEA CAN HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER
If you’re anything like me, you could use some help getting a better night's sleep. Luckily, drinking hemp tea can lead to improved sleep quality. Again, we have our little friend CBD helping us out!
CBD interacts with specific receptors in your brain that help regulate your circadian rhythm (aka your internal clock that usually makes you sleepy when it’s dark and awake when it’s light).
Drinking hemp tea before bed can help you fall asleep quickly and more peacefully. It’s the same thing that chamomile and lavender do, and just as naturally.
3. HEMP TEA CAN BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
In these trying times, most of us are trying to keep our immune system functioning at 100% to protect us from viruses and more. Drinking hemp tea with CBD can help support your immune system, keeping it sharp and alert.
That’s because CBD binds with your body’s endocannabinoid system, which plays a huge role in regulating your immune system. This can help boost it when it’s underperforming, which is great news especially for people with autoimmune diseases.
While I’m not above chugging Emergen-C before every flight, hemp tea might go down a bit smoother.
4. HEMP TEA CAN HELP REDUCE CHRONIC PAIN AND INFLAMMATION
If you live with chronic pain or inflammation, you know how it can affect every aspect of your life. Many people struggle to find pharmaceutical options for pain relief or have to rely on super strong ones like opiates. However, many physicians are starting to see improvements in patients' pain and inflammation levels thanks to CBD consumption.
Chemicals from the Cannabis sativa plant have been long-known to reduce pain. THC is the main pain reliever in the plant, but CBD and other phytocannabinoids also reduce pain and inflammation by binding to and stimulating cannabinoid receptors throughout the central nervous system. This prevents the release of pro-inflammatory cells, which stops neural pathways from sending pain messages to the brain.
5. HEMP TEA WILL HELP YOU REACH YOUR DAILY RECOMMENDED VALUES OF IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS
While I love taking my Flintstone gummy vitamins every morning, I think it may be time to move on to better ways to get my daily nutrients: hemp tea.
Hemp plants are full of vitamins and minerals that promote health. Some of the most notable nutrients floating around your cup of hemp tea include:
- Magnesium helps with muscle relaxation, metabolism regulation, and mood boosting!
- Zinc is important for DNA, cell, and protein creation. Plus, it supports your immune system!
- Vitamin A is crucial for normal vision, a healthy immune system, and organ function!
- Vitamin D promotes bone density!
- Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects your reproductive and immune system! Plus, it helps create healthy blood, skin, and brain cells.
6. HEMP TEA CAN MAKE YOU FEEL LESS ANXIOUS
Do you struggle with feeling anxious or stressed? Take a load off with some hemp tea! Studies show that the CBD in hemp tea can help regulate your mood and decrease your anxiety. Almost 80% of participants noticed improved anxiety symptoms after only a month of regular use!
Now am I suggesting you ditch your therapist and start drinking hemp tea for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Of course not! Hemp tea just adds another tool to your toolbox. Make it part of your daily routine or just enjoy a cup when you’re feeling more anxiety than usual.
7. HEMP TEA CAN SOOTHE YOUR STOMACH
Start keeping some hemp tea on hand for when your tummy starts acting up. It can relieve painful cramping, reduce bloating, and decrease inflammation, so you don’t have to suffer through stomach aches all day.
The same anti-inflammatory properties that make hemp tea good for your heart also makes it good for your stomach especially for people living with inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. It decreases inflammation in the stomach, meaning less pain and less bloating!
Plus, like we discussed before, CBD is helpful in treating chronic pain thanks to how it binds itself into the endocannabinoid system to stop pain signals from being sent.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO LOVE ABOUT HEMP TEA?
The hemp tea benefits go far beyond just your health! Here’s even more reasons to make hemp tea part of your morning routine:
- It’s caffeine-free! That means no morning jitters (or runs to the bathroom) for you.
- Hemp is sustainably farmed! There are many interesting facts about hemp, but my favorite is how good it is for the planet! Not only does it require 50% less water to grow than cotton, it's also a "sister plant," meaning it actively improves soil health by leaving important nutrients for other plants to make use of.
- It can help ease symptoms of PMS! Fellow period-havers, rejoice! A fatty acid found in hemp reduces cramping, aches, and abdominal pain during and around your period.
HOW TO BREW HEMP TEA?
You don’t have to be a five-star barista to be able to enjoy all of the wonderful hemp tea benefits for yourself! In fact, making hemp tea can be as simple as boiling water and pouring it into a cup.
You’ll need:
- Looseleaf hemp tea, or hemp tea bags
- Water
- A kettle
- Optional but recommended: milk, cream, or plant-based milk (such as hemp milk)
- Any sweeteners or flavors you would like to add
Instructions:
- Heat your water in the kettle until just before boiling.
- While your water is heating up, add your hemp tea to the mug. I’d recommend 1-2 tea bags or a teaspoon of loose leaf tea.
- Pour the not-quite-boiling water to your mug and let it steep for 5-10 minutes. The longer you let it steep, the stronger the taste will be.
- Once steeped to your ideal level, remove your tea from the mug.
- If you want to, stir in your milk or flavorings as desired.
- Enjoy all of those hemp tea benefits!
I recommended adding at least a tablespoon of the milk of your choice, so you can better absorb all of the amazing nutrients found in hemp tea. If you don’t love milk of any kind, try adding some coconut oil for soluble fat to absorb the nutrients and add a little nutty flavor! For more flavoring ideas, try one of these:
- Orange extract adds a sweet citrus flavor. Be careful, a little goes a long way!
- Honey, agave, or plain ol’ sugar will sweeten your cup up.
- Vanilla extract will make it an even more luxurious experience.
- Warm, frothed milk adds a latte feel to your morning cup.
- Extra CBD oil will boost those hemp tea benefits up a notch! Just start slow and pay attention to how it makes you feel.
- A dash of cinnamon while it’s steeping will add warmth and spice. Pair it with your frothed milk and some honey for a truly delectable treat!
CONCLUSION: IS HEMP TEA GOOD FOR YOU?
From reducing your anxiety symptoms to making your heart healthier, you’ve got to love how beneficial hemp tea is!
Whether you drink it plain, use it as a base for ingesting CBD, or flavor it with fun mix-in’s, you’ve got to give hemp tea a try if you haven’t already.
Let me know in the comments how your first cup of hemp tea was! Did you add anything fun to it? Or just drink it au natural?
