Teas That Will Make Going Back to School a Breeze

It’s that time of the year again. The days have started to get shorter, the kids are driving Mom and Dad crazy, and half-day Fridays are almost up. That’s right, summer is coming to an end. Which means it’s time to go back to school. Whether you’re a law student ready to take on 2 or 3L or a parent tackling night school this fall, tea can help you make the transition from summer to school. For all your back to school libation needs, we’ve got you covered:

Can’t Focus?

Need a little help in the concentration department? If your brain is still in Summerland and you need to spend more time focused on global politics or 19^th century poets than beach volleyball or summer crushes, try consuming green tea and chocolate.

According to a study sponsored by the Hershey Company and conducted by Northern Arizona University, ingesting a combination of dark chocolate and green tea has an “attention-enhancing” effect. The study found that when participants ate dark chocolate, they were more alert, but experienced a spike in blood pressure. However, when participants coupled cacao with green tea, blood pressure dropped, thanks to the amino acid L-theanine present in green tea.   It seems that green tea and chocolate balance each other out, working in concert to keep you focused.

Takeaway: Make your mid-day snack a green tea-chocolate combo and you’ll take better notes in class.

Need to Memorize?

School requires a lot of memorization, some of it infuriating (can’t you just look at the periodic table in real life?) some of it necessary (CPR comes to mind). Whether you’re memorizing all the world’s capitals or taking a test on the political ramifications of invading Iraq, your memory could use a little boost, and peppermint tea can help.

According to a study from Northumbria University, researchers found that drinking peppermint tea “significantly improved long term memory, working memory and alertness” in comparison to chamomile tea and hot water.

Takeaway: Pair late-night cramming with peppermint tea to ace that upcoming test.

Need to Fight Germs?

Going back to school means going back to being surrounded by a million people’s germs. Boost your body’s ability to fight disease with black tea or green tea.

According to a study led by Harvard Medical School immunologist Jack F. Bukowski, the alkylamine chemicals found in black and green tea cause the body to build up a defense against these same alkylamines found in bacteria, tumor cells, parasites, and fungi. Some participants drank five cups of black tea per day, while others drank coffee. After two weeks, participants who drank tea could produce disease-fighting chemicals better than participants who drank coffee.

Takeaway: Protect yourself against your deskmate’s sneezes and coughs with a few cuppas per day.

Bottom line, it’s hard to let summer go, but tea can certainly help you get back in the school groove!