CBD and Tea

There is an old quote that says, “tea is like a warm hug on the inside.” 

It is speculated that tea has been brewed for its benefits for around 5,000 years, though some estimate it originated even longer ago. 

Said to have emerged in ancient China, tea has been sowed and sipped for its abundance of healthy and healing properties, aiding and assisting stress, illness, indigestion, and sleeplessness, among other physiological functions.     

The origins of CBD are also said to have surfaced as long ago as tea, if not longer, and share many of the same attributes as tea, stimulating our internal biological systems.

These plant-derived, natural medicinals are considered homeopathic healers, and combining the two can make for a must-have cup of comfort.  

Where Does Tea Come From? The Camellia sinensis Tea Plant

 Tea is found in the leaves and buds of a plant called the Camellia sinensis.  

The three types of tea that come from the tea plant are black, white, and green. 

Green tea comes from young, non-fermented tea leaves that are steamed or pan-fried after being harvested and experience minimal oxidation. 

White tea is partially oxidized tea leaves that do not undergo much processing. 

White teas are also made from younger tea leaves but can also come from the Camellia Sinensis buds.

High in antioxidants but mellow in flavor, white tea exists between green and black tea on the tea spectrum. 

The final type of tea produced by the tea plan is black tea. Black tea is oxidized, fermented tea that has been subjected to air exposure or heat and dried out.

Many black teas are often caffeinated. 

You may be wondering to yourself, well, this certainly can’t be all the teas- surely the tea plant must produce more?  

A common misconception is that there are hundreds of different kinds of teas, such as the ever-popular antioxidant blends, immunity boosters, and flavorful holiday sippers. 

However, many “teas” are actually herbal infusions, blends of other plant products, spices, flowers, roots, bark, and seeds.

Many herbal infusion blends are mixed with green, white, or black tea bases, giving drinkers many combination options. 

Popular herbal infusions include ingredients such as lemon, valerian root, rooibos leaves, ginger, and mint.

What is CBD? A Product of the Hemp Plant

Like these naturally occurring additives, CBD is a plant-derived healing compound.

 CBD is a cannabinoid or chemical compound that comes from the flowers and leaves of the hemp plant. 

Hemp, like its well-known cousin marijuana, is a derivative of the Cannabis Sativa plant.

Like tea, CBD is favored for its remedial benefits and is applied to a wide variety of ailments and illness symptoms, including pain, inflammation, anxiety, stress, and sleeplessness, to name a few. 

Recently, studies have found CBD to be beneficial in more complex illnesses and diseases as well. 

Research shows CBD has potential anti-cancer effects, could help slow the progression of Parkinson’s Disease, and is already an ingredient in an anticonvulsant medication called Epidolex. 

CBD is cultivated in organic, pesticide-free soil, where it grows for a couple of months. 

When ready, the CBD is then hung and dried; an agricultural method called curing. 

Once cured, the CBD flowers (also known as buds) are bucked from the stems. 

Next, CBD is separated from the plant through various extraction processes so that it can be used in consumable products.

Common extraction methods include soaking the CBD buds in ethanol, butane, hexane, or isopropyl alcohol absorption, carbon dioxide pressure chambers, or decarboxylation oil infusions.

After extraction occurs, CBD is purified, tested, and mixed with carrier oils.

Carrier oils, like hempseed oil, coconut oil, and olive oil, allow us to consume and digest CBD and receive its benefits through our biological endocannabinoid system – just like tea.

How Can I Use CBD in Tea? 

CBD is commonly used in teas by mixing CBD oils or tinctures into a cup of tea or brewing loose-leaf CBD tea. 

Dropping CBD oil into water may seem counterproductive because water and oil don’t mix.

While this is true, you can mix your CBD oil with coconut oil, coconut milk, butter, or other carrier oils, whose fatty properties enhance CBD’s bioavailability and allow for absorption so that the tea and oil can blend. Similarly to the way you’d blend these ingredients to make a “bullet proof” coffee creamer, you can do the same with the added ingredient of CBD.

Loose-leaf CBD teas are made from hemp leaves and are often combined with other herbs, spices, and – yep; you guessed it – tea leaves.   

CBD tea bags don’t require carriers and can be steeped as usual.

The Best Teas to Mix With CBD

Whether you’re making your own loose-leaf or looking to stir up something new, here are some of the best CBD and Tea combinations to get you started.

CBD Teas for Sleep: Chamomile, Lavender, and Valerian Root Tea

Calming chamomile, lowkey lavender, and restful valerian root teas all have one thing in common: they are anxiety-easing, bedtime blends.

Chamomile is popular for its soothing effects, while lavender is better known for calming your mood. 

Valerian root is also known for its sedative properties and is favored by those who suffer from sleeplessness.

CBD is popularly preferred by those who have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping because of stress and anxiety.

CBD used for restfulness comes in CBD sleep formulas, which combine with other cannabinoids to make for wholesome sleep aids. 

Combining CBD in your evening tea may make your nights a little more relaxed.

CBD Tea for Your Tummy: Peppermint and Ginger Tea

For some, CBD can help ease gastrointestinal discomfort. It’s also widely known to provide pain relief.

Using CBD in teas that target digestive issues, nausea, gas, cramping, and bloating, such as peppermint and ginger teas, could aid in creating a little more comfort when experiencing stomach pains.

What’s more, incorporating CBD into digestive-easing teas before or after meals could help prevent some of that discomfort from forming in the first place.

Green Tea 

Green tea reigns supreme across tea selections, as its benefits are widely robust.

Not only is green tea a popular choice because of its antioxidants, but it is also known to reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus, aid digestion, improve heart health, clear up your complexion, promote fat loss, and even prevent cancer.

Adding CBD to this super-tea will only make it even better and more beneficial.

What About CBD in Caffeinated Teas?

It may seem like CBD is a pretty sleepy substance, which brings to question how well CBD would be in caffeinated tea.

It’s true that CBD can ease more than energizing, but some people prefer the balance that drinking both can give you.

For those who jump straight to jitters after just one cup, CBD can mitigate some of the more jarring side effects of caffeine.  

Of course, all tea and CBD is to taste, so sip slowly as you figure out what fills your cup. 

Will CBD Work as Well in Tea?

Using CBD in tea is a good option for those looking to use CBD as a natural, nutritional additive or supplement.

Eating or drinking CBD is a digestive method of consumption, meaning the CBD has to travel through your digestive tract.

 When being digested, CBD makes a beeline for the liver and is then sent to the bloodstream.

 All the while it’s being broken down by enzymes, so by the time it arrives at the bloodstream, it can be efficiently distributed throughout your body. 

 Digestion is a lengthy process, so the effects of CBD that is consumed in this manner can take up to two hours to be felt. 

 However, research has found that the hot water you prepare for tea further decarboxylates the acidic properties of cannabinoids, making your CBD more concentrated.

 Because of its lengthier onset, digestive CBD is a good choice for those looking for proactive symptom prevention or general incorporation of CBD into their healthcare routine.

A cup of CBD tea before your morning meditation or during your nighttime wind down is a great way to add a bit of healing to your day.   

Pour yourself a cup of comfort – you deserve it.