Whether you’re tackling a tricky work task or trying to make it through hours of revision, sometimes you need a bit of help to stay focused. Our list of the best herbal teas for concentration should give you the brain boost you need.
—
Sometimes we all need a bit of a helping hand. And if you’re frantically cramming for an exam, or working on a complicated project, you need every bit of help you can get to keep your focus and concentrate on your task.
There are plenty of tricks you can use to give your brain function a boost. Exercise, taking short breaks, and getting outdoors are just some of them.
Another is staying well hydrated. Being dehydrated by as little as 2% can impair your memory, attention, and cognitive performance, so making sure you get enough to drink is vital when you need to concentrate.
However, there are times when water on its own just doesn’t get the job done. Many of us turn to coffee or caffeinated soft drinks when we want to jolt our brains into high gear. Unfortunately, these can leave us feeling jittery, anxious, and wired instead of relaxed and focused.
The good news is that there are some great alternatives that can help you feel alert and sharp without the unwanted side effects of coffee and sugary soft drinks. Many herbal teas boost brainpower, while also helping you manage stress and feel calm.
Here’s our list of the herbal teas to look out for when you need to concentrate.
1. Green Tea
Just like coffee and black tea, green tea is a natural source of caffeine. And that means it can raise our energy levels and increase our brainpower.
Caffeine is known for its ability to boost our memory, alertness, and cognitive function. However, it can also give us some unwanted side effects, including difficulty sleeping and raised anxiety.
Fortunately, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee, although there’s still enough to give your brain a helping hand.
Green tea also contains a compound called l-theanine, which helps to combat stress and encourage relaxation. This helps to offset any side effects from the caffeine, giving you a long-lasting, steady burst of focus and concentration without the jittery, unsettled feeling that coffee can cause.
In combination, caffeine and l-theanine have been found to boost cognitive performance, making green tea a great option when you need to focus.
2. Ashwagandha
When you need a sense of calm clarity, ashwagandha should be near the top of your list. This herb has been used in Ayurveda for thousands of years to boost brain function, reduce stress, and help with concentration and focus.
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, which means it helps to protect you against stress. When you’re up against a deadline, drinking a cup of herbal tea that contains ashwagandha might help you to cope with the pressure and find the calm you need to focus on your work.
As well as bringing a sense of peace and relaxation, ashwagandha can give your brain function a boost. It’s known to improve memory, concentration, and mental alertness.
3. Ginger
Fiery ginger is a favourite ingredient in herbal tea blends for many reasons, including its ability to support healthy brain function. Long used as a traditional aid to memory and concentration, ginger is also prized as an anti-inflammatory.
The zingy flavour of ginger is an instant pick-me-up, helping to give our concentration levels a boost. It can also improve our cognitive performance, significantly increasing working memory, response time, and attention span.
Ginger may have longer-term benefits too. Its anti-inflammatory properties appear to protect against some of the brain degeneration that comes with age. It may even lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.
4. Ginseng
Another herb that shows promise for supporting mental performance is ginseng. A popular remedy in Traditional Chinese Medicine, this root has been used for focus and concentration for centuries.
Ginseng not only gives our brainpower and concentration a lift, but it also helps to combat mental fatigue. When you need to keep up your focus for hours at a time, ginseng may give you the alertness and clarity you need.
On its own, ginseng’s bitter and earthy flavour can be too intense for many people. We like to pair it with other herbs to balance the taste and increase the benefits of every cup of tea. For example, you can find ginseng and ginger together in one of our flagship tea blends – a great option to try when you next need to concentrate.
5. NutraBoost
NutraBoost is our own bespoke blend aimed at boosting your energy and giving you the mental clarity that you need to concentrate on your tasks. It contains several of the herbs discussed above, including green tea, ginseng, and ashwagandha.
As well as these attention-enhancing herbs, NutraBoost includes guarana, a naturally caffeinated plant from the Amazon region. We’ve also added stress-relievers like liquorice, astragalus, and gotu kola to help you find a sense of calm focus.
Our expert team has designed this herbal tea to combine the properties of these powerful plant-allies into one brain-boosting cup. Find it here.
