Sipping a cup of green tea any time of the day comes with huge benefits. For example, when you drink green tea, your brain begins to function correctly, and even your body system will be free of toxins.
But, the question arises, is green tea good for headaches and migraine? Indeed, it is. The tea is rich in antioxidants that can help soothe headaches and migraine.
Apart from antioxidants, the tea also has some other good components that help relieve headaches and migraines. Let’s talk more about it.
Can Green Tea Relieve Headaches and Migraines?
Green tea is one of the best teas that can help relieve the symptoms of headaches and migraines.
There are different ways by which green tea does this.
Foremost, the tea has analgesic properties, and it is also rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and B, magnesium, to mention a few.
These antioxidants detoxify the body, eliminating any factors that could cause headaches or migraines.
Dehydration and indigestion are other factors that cause headaches and migraine. Interestingly, green tea can aid digestion and make you stay hydrated against headaches and migraines.
Besides, the caffeine in green tea also works well for tension-type headaches and migraines. How? Caffeine will help constrict blood flow in the body, consequently relieving pain in the head.
Is Green tea good for all types of headaches?
As a reminder, headaches are not the same. Some occur as a result of an underlying ailment. In contrast, some occur due to what you take or your habit.
For instance, a thunderclap is a type of headache that happens due to an underlying ailment.
To be specific, green tea can relieve all kinds of headaches regardless of how the headache arises. If it is a type caused by an underlying ailment, green tea is a good detoxifier.
Also, it has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help cure the underlying condition causing the headache.
If it is a type caused by stress, the tea is rich in L-theanine – an essential ingredient that can help calm the body and induce quality sleep.
Can Green tea Triggers Headache and Migraines?
Green tea is good for headaches and migraines, but excessive intake can cause or aggravate migraine attacks. This is because when green tea is consumed excessively, the level of caffeine in the body will also increase.
This causes a series of problems like dehydration and insomnia which can definitely trigger headaches or migraines.
To prevent such occurrence, you must drink green tea moderately. To be more specific, you should restrict the intake of green tea to one or three 8 oz cups per day.
The maximum daily amount of caffeine in the body should not be more than 400 mg; else you risk overdose.
However, one 8 oz cup of green tea contains less than 45 mg of caffeine. So, drinking one to three 8 oz cups of green tea per day can never lead to caffeine overdose.
Also, since the level of caffeine varies from type to type and brand to brand, ensure you check the quantity of caffeine in the brand of green tea you purchase.
This will give you an idea of how many cups you must take per day.
Tips to Drinking Green tea for Headaches and Migraines
Like many headaches and migraine medicines, there are ways to drink green tea for optimum and best results. So, I will advise you not to drink or prepare your tea as usual. Rather…
- Brew your green tea as usual (preferably green tea bag)
- Remove the teabag after two or three minutes
- Add one teaspoon of honey or squeeze half lemon to your brew, and stir together. The honey or lemon will add an extra antioxidant to your tea.
- Serve or drink the green tea warm.
Green Tea Alternative for Headaches and Migraines
If you are not an avid green tea drinker, you may be curious to know other tea you can use to soothe symptoms of headache and migraines.
Well, consume a tea that is rich in antioxidants or tea that has anti-inflammation, antinociceptive properties.
For instance, peppermint tea has a significant pain-relieving effect. And tea like clove tea is a good antinociceptive. Other teas you can take include:
- Tumeric tea
- Ginger tea
- Chamomile tea
- Lemon tea
Final Thoughts
Green tea can be consumed before, during, and after headaches or migraine. The tea contains essential components to help soothe your headache or migraine symptoms.
For instance, caffeine in green tea is good for relieving the symptom of headaches or migraine.
However, while taking green tea, you must exercise some precaution so your headache or migraine won’t become worse. You must restrict the tea consumption to one to three 8 oz cups per day.