Herbal Tea vs Decaffeinated Tea [The Difference]

Tea is undoubtedly a much-loved beverage all over the world. It is more of a relaxing ritual for millions of people. Apart from regular tea, there are herbal teas as well which has also been welcomed with open arms.

A lot of people go in for herbal teas instead of the regular ones. The main reason is the fact that herbal tea has no caffeine in it.

You must be wondering why not opt for decaffeinated tea if that is the case? Let’s find the answer to this question.

What is herbal tea?

Herbal teas are plant-based. These teas are more of an infusion or blend that is obtained from the different parts of plants like the stems, leaves, flowers, roots, and seeds.

Some of the most commonly consumed herbal teas include chamomile tea, peppermint tea, hibiscus tea, lemon tea, verbena tea, and rooibos tea.

Also referred to as tisanes, herbal teas have been in use for centuries now due to the health benefits they have to offer. Different teas have different properties.

For instance, ginger and peppermint teas help with digestion, chamomile tea provides a soothing effect, cinnamon tea controls blood sugar and licorice tea improves immunity.

In short, herbal teas give you the opportunity to focus on your well being in a natural way.

Technically, they are just herbal drinks and not true teas. True teas are the ones that come from the tea plant Camellia sinensis such as black, green, oolong, and white teas.

What is decaffeinated tea?

True teas derived from the Camellia sinensis plant naturally contain caffeine. Those who don’t want to ingest caffeine go for decaffeinated teas.

Basically, a decaffeinated tea is the one that goes through a process of decaffeination. It is basically the removal of the caffeine present naturally in the tea.

There are different methods of decaffeination which include the use of chemical solvents, carbon dioxide, or water. The outcome of each method affects the taste of the tea differently.

However, just labeling the tea as ‘decaf’ does not mean that the cup of tea will be completely free of caffeine.

Decaf tea still has 3% of the caffeine content that was originally present in it. It may be difficult to precisely determine the amount but it will anyway have traces of caffeine in it.

Regular green tea has 25 to 50 mg of caffeine whereas decaf tea can have 1 to 8 mg of caffeine. That is quite an amount! Also, the law says that a tea labeled as ‘decaf’ can’t have more than 3 percent of its natural caffeine content.

Herbal Tea vs Decaffeinated Tea

While both herbal tea and decaffeinated tea comes from plants, there is a difference between them. Herbal teas are caffeine-free, i.e. they have no caffeine in them by nature.

On the other hand, decaf tea is a regular tea that goes through a procedure in order to remove the caffeine. As already mentioned above, the entire caffeine does not get removed by the process, a small amount is left behind.

Decaf teas come from the Camellia sinensis plant whereas herbal teas are made from so many kinds of herbs.

Herbal teas are quite pleasant to taste while decaf teas tend to lose their flavor due to the absence of the natural caffeine content. Decaffeinated teas usually taste as though they are diluted.

Herbal teas have a number of health benefits to offer and are often used as a medicine. They come from tree barks, seeds, and leaves of different herbal plants. People consume them for treating various ailments.

At the same time, decaf tea is good for those who cannot consume caffeine or are caffeine-sensitive. But, decaffeinated tea has the health-promoting properties stripped off.

Health benefits of herbal tea

Generally, herbal teas are healthy. The list of health benefits are mentioned below.

• Improves immunity – Being rich in antioxidants and nutrients, herbal tea helps in fighting infection and prevents you from falling sick too often.
• Has anti-aging effects – Consuming herbal tea regularly will keep your skin young. This is because of the presence of antioxidants that fight the damage caused by free radicals and slow down the process of aging.
• Clears nasal passages – Certain herbal teas help in clearing the nasal passage, provide relief from cough and soothe the throat.
• Lowers high blood pressure – Drinking herbal tea is a great way to control your blood pressure naturally.
• Treats indigestion – Those who suffer from indigestion can feel better after sipping on herbal tea. It provides relief from bloating and constipation. Additionally, it also prevents you from overeating.
• Clears the skin – Herbal tea is a wonderful drink for the skin. Rich in antioxidants, herbal teas of rooibos and spearmint possess antibacterial properties that help clear the skin.
• Aids weight loss – There are herbal teas that help in boosting the body’s metabolism and thereby help in weight loss.
• Helps relieve stress – You can get relief from stress, anxiety, and insomnia by drinking chamomile tea. It helps in soothing the mind and helps relieve depression.
• Works well as a detoxifier – If you want to detoxify your body, you should definitely try drinking herbal tea.
• Helps relieve arthritis pain – Herbal tea eases the symptoms of arthritis. They help with easing joint pain and reduce swelling.

How good are decaffeinated teas?

As decaf teas have a lower amount of caffeine in them, they are considered to be healthier than regular tea. However, you should know that regular black, green, and white teas have their own health benefits as they are rich in polyphenols.

When these teas are decaffeinated, they lose 70% of the health-promoting polyphenols.

So, while you are having a beverage with lower levels of caffeine, you are losing out on the actual health benefits that tea has to offer in its natural form.

Polyphenols are known to prevent several diseases, slow down aging, fight cancer and improve cardiovascular health. This means that if you want the health benefits, decaf tea is not the thing for you.

Are herbal teas decaffeinated?

At this juncture, you must know that herbal teas are free of caffeine. But exceptions are always there. Some herbs have caffeine naturally present in them.

The herbal teas that contain caffeine are usually not decaffeinated. Therefore, you must ensure that your herbal tea doesn’t have caffeine present in it before you start drinking it regularly.

Is green tea and herbal tea the same?

Green tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant and is a true tea. Plus, it contains caffeine in it. On the other hand, herbal tea is made from herbs, spices, flowers, and fruits in dried form and most often are caffeine-free.

The Final Takeaway

Herbal teas are naturally free of caffeine while decaf teas undergo decaffeination. The process minimizes the caffeine content but makes the tea lose most of its health benefits. Therefore, those who want to avoid caffeine and enjoy a healthy beverage can consider switching to herbal tea.

You must note that decaf tea is not bad for you. It simply means that the health benefits are not that pronounced because the concentration of health-improving compounds is low in comparison to regular tea.