For as long as I’ve been drinking tea, Earl Grey has been the one I come back to time and time again. Its heady, bergamot-laced aroma awakens the senses and clarifies the mind while instilling a sense of well-being and positivity to my early mornings. Needless to say, earl grey tea has had my heart from the first sip.
I love this tea so much, in fact, I’ve decided to share 10 health promoting earl grey tea benefits with you so that you have a perfect excuse to enjoy it too!
6 Healthy Earl Grey Tea Benefits
The name “Earl Grey” comes from Charles Grey of England, the second Earl Grey, who served as Britain’s Prime Minister from 1830-1834. It is still unknown how the tea came about this name, but suffice to say the blend has taken the world over with its bright citrus-y undertones and bold black tea flavor.
Earl grey tea is made using traditional black tea infused with the scent and flavor of dried bergamot orange peels. This can be done by tossing the black tea leaves with the bergamot peels and allowing them to infuse over period of time or by pressing the tea leaves and bergamot peels together to further instill flavor. The latter method produces a much sharper flavored tea.
If you’re an avid tea drinker like myself, then you’ve had more than a few mugs of this distinct yet classic tea.
The Health Benefits of Earl Grey Tea
There’s nothing like the perfect hot cup of earl grey tea in the morning or on a cold afternoon. Not only does the scent and flavor perk up your soul, they also provide several health benefits you may not have realized!
6 Surprising Earl Grey Tea Benefits
1. Increased Immune Function
It has been found that earl grey tea boasts quite the immune boosting punch due to its high content of bergmot oil pressed from those little inedible citrus fruits that grow in the southern regions of Italy.
The peels of these fruits are full to bursting with potent antioxidants that target and destroy free radicals and oxidative stressors that cause havoc in the body. These antioxidants are known to help reduce fever, fight off infection, and fend off other forms of invaders like cold and flu germs.
This is why earl grey tea is the perfect winter beverage!
2. Boosts Energy
Aside from the caffeine content of a good black tea, earl grey has the added bonus of bergamot essential oil. This potent little EO is the key to earl grey tea’s clarifying benefits. So, if you have a fuzzy mind, sip up on some earl grey and feel its energizing and clarifying effects both mentally and physically.
You can read more about the amazing benefits of bergamot essential oil here.
3. Enahanced Mood
The bergamot essential oil found in earl grey tea is also an effective stress reducer because it alleviates anxiety, general negativity, and mild to moderate depression. It’s an excellent mood stabilizer, making it the perfect choice for those who suffer from mood swings occasional crankiness.
It’s almost impossible to feel a negative emotion while inhaling the delicious scent of earl grey tea. This is because a hot cup of earl grey essentially works like a personal essential oil diffuser. As you sip, the bergamot oil evaporates into the air and gets inhaled, leaving you feeling calm, less anxious, and stress free.
Plus, holding a comfortably hot mug in your hands and sipping tea is one of the best stress reducers I can think of! Who else loves taking a few precious moments to enjoy a good hot cup of tea?
4. Improved Digestion
Once again, the bergamot oil in earl grey tea swoops in to save the day! If you’re someone who suffers from frequent digestive upset like gas, bloating, cramping, constipation, or diarhhea, then earl grey tea may be the tea for you to help alleviate those symptoms.
Bergamot essential oil is known to be antispasmodic, meaning it soothes muscle cramping and spasming, even the kind associated with troublesome digestion. Simply sniffing bergamot oil or the aroma of earl grey tea can help alleviate nausea, though it isn’t recommended to have earl grey tea while pregnant.
And, as many of you may know, drinking tea in the morning will often stimulate the digestive tract and help encourage regular bowel movements.
5. Improved Dental Health
I’m not sure if this is totally true or not, but my dentist says that one of the reasons my teeth have remained cavity free for the past decade is because I consume 1-2 cups of earl grey tea a day which he believes prevents tooth decay and reduces the risk for cavities.
Earl grey tea also contains high amounts of a natural phenol and antioxidant called “catechin”, which is known to ward off infection in the mouth and the early stages of gingivitis.
Catechin is also found in high amounts in cacao and green tea.
6. Supports Heart Health
Several studies have confirmed that earl grey tea can reduce the risk for heart disease.
It was found that bergamot extract (aka the bergamot essential oil found in earl grey) can significantly lower bad cholesterol when consumed daily. This is due to its hydroxy methyl glutarly flavonones (HMGF) which are known to attack the proteins responsible for causing heart disease.
It is believed that the bergamot found in high quality earl grey tea (specifically one that ciontains HGMFs) can be just as effective as statin drugs. Not only does it reduce LDL levels (bad cholesterol), it also increases HDL (good cholesterol).
And, remember that catechin content I mentioned above? It’s also been proven to help reduce reduce body fat over a 12 week period. You can check out the study here.
So you see, there are tons of good reasons to drink earl grey tea!
Looking for a good Earl Grey Tea? Here are a couple on my all-time favorites:
Smith Tea’s Lord Bergamot
Stash Tea Double Bergamot Earl Grey
Numi Aged Earl Grey
Twinings Lady Grey Tea
What have been some earl grey tea benefits you’ve experienced? Please share them below!
You may also enjoy reading:
10 Bergamot Oil Uses You Need to Know!
Bergamot Essential Oil Properties and Benefits
How to Make Earl Grey Tea Using Essential Oils
How to Make Sweet Rose London Fog Tea
I am excited to try different teas to find my personal favorite. Does anyone know if you can use matcha powder during the brew process or should I wait till the bottling stage?
I love Earl Grey! However, I don’t think I can drink it without adding milk to it. I have heard that milk binds the antioxidants, and makes the benefits of it kind of worthless. Do you know if I still get the benefits of Bergamot Oil by adding milk to my tea? Or should I stop using milk in my tea altogether? Thanks.
Huh, very interesting!
I was just reading about this, but it seems the jury is still out as to whether or not milk actually reduces antioxidants.If you’re eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables, I wouldn’t be too concerned about losing a little in your tea 🙂
this is enlightening. I am master herbalist &
a lady and earl grey tea fan of several decades
I first learned of it via some of my books that related Monarda Didyma to Earl Grey tea.
SO when you wrote above that the flavor is from orange, I was shocked and went googling.
I have never seen nor heard of Bergamot Orange before. I plan to do more investigating and study of this.
What references did you investigate for your findings ?
I wonder if the health benefits listed are of the BeeBalm or of the orange referred to, the peel being the potent part ? thx.
Hi Debbie!
The health benefits I talk about are from the bergamot orange 🙂 I haven’t heard of Earl Grey tea being made with beebalm before! I’ll have to look into this! My research is based off of several books that talk about the health benefits of bergamot essential oil, which of course, is what Earl Grey tea is infused with from the peels during processing. Some of my finding can be found in “The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy”, “Essential Oils Integrative Medical Guide”, and “The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy”. I also found useful info on Dr. Mercola’s site 🙂