It’s the point in the semester when everyone’s getting sick. Even I’ve been infected by this semester’s “Blacksburg Plague” (that’s what we call it when everyone gets sick at Virginia Tech). Whenever I’m sick, I end up drinking a cup of tea in my bed and watching Netflix while praying that I don’t die.
A cup of tea ends up being my saving grace and motivates me to get better (if you don’t like tea, that’s okay too). Now, I’m a tea fanatic. It comes with the territory of being a mixed race child of two tea-obsessed cultures. I have a tea station set up in my bedroom. I wish I was kidding.
However, drinking some teas can actually be more harmful than good when you’re sick. Like yerba mate tea? You’re just gonna end up shaking from a caffeine overdose if you drink more than a mug of it. You need to be able to sleep when you’re sick, otherwise you’re not going to get better.
So, what kinds of teas should you drink? After all, you want to get better and don’t want to drink tea that might prolong your sickness.
Green Tea
Green tea is your generic feel-better tea. It’s great for everyday and every sick day. This is because of the multiple benefits it offers. On top of having anti-inflammatory properties, green tea has the anti-infective properties of EGCG and other natural compounds. Chill, right? Also, drinking green tea generally does help boost your mood. So you’re covered there, too.
Hibiscus Tea
It might sound weird, but hibiscus tea is packed with vitamin C. One serving gives you nearly one-third of your daily dose without having to chug a gallon of orange juice. Another benefit of drinking this herbal tea (or tisane if you want to be fancy, but I’m a tea snob and even I don’t call herbal tea a tisane), is that it doesn’t have caffeine like many other teas. So you can easily sip a cup of hibiscus tea and slumber away the misery of being sick.
Ginger Tea
If your misery is caused by some form of nausea, ginger tea is the way to go. This may be obvious since we (as a society) always recommend having ginger when you have an upset stomach. However, drinking ginger tea can also curb headaches and warm you up if you’re having the chills. In addition, it can help with muscle aches and pains. If you have the flu, down at least a cup of ginger tea a day. You can thank me later.
Chamomile Tea
The ultimate comfort tea: chamomile. It’ll put you to sleep and relax you so you forget that you’re miserable in bed. German chamomile specifically has been used to treat chest colds regularly. Ultimately, chamomile has other great benefits, like relieving migraines and cramps (nothing is worse than cramps and being sick, am I right ladies?). But paired with some lavender? Being sick becomes exponentially more relaxing.
Rosehip Tea
Rosehip tea is very similar to hibiscus in that it packs a helluva lot of vitamin C. More than hibiscus actually, so it’ll help you fight off infections or a cold. If you want to have a lot of vitamin C without orange juice, your best bet is to get a rosehip and hibiscus tea blend and chug it like there’s no tomorrow. You’ll be feeling better in no time.
Setting up a tea station by your bed with an electric kettle might be a good idea. God knows you don’t want to move to get that next cup of tea, no matter how good it may make you feel.