The Real Reason You Should Be Drinking Green Tea With Honey

Oh, the wide, wide, world of soothing, delicious hot beverages. Whether your mug of choice is coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or even mulled wine, there's no denying the comforting — and tasty — properties of hot drinks.

While we tend to choose our beverages based on flavor, some drinks go above and beyond by offering us health benefits, too. Coffee, for example, contains important antioxidants and might even help you burn fat (via Healthline). The chocolate in hot cocoa may reduce the risk of heart disease, according to Healthline. And even wine might help boost health, containing flavonoids that could help increase longevity (via Verywell Health).

And, of course, we've all heard about the supposed miracles of green tea. From cancer prevention to protecting the heart from disease to helping to improve physical endurance, it seems like there's nothing this brew can't do (via Healthline). And if you're afflicted by allergies, it seems that green tea can help you there, too. Let's take a look at how.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you know how miserable the spring, summer, and autumn months can be. But if you like green tea, take heart (and if you don't like it, you might want to try) as this beverage might be able to offer some relief.

According to Delish, green tea helps boost immunity in three ways. It's an anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, and contains L-theanine, an amino acid that can improve the function of the body's immune system, according to Healthline. The antihistamine properties of green tea can be attributed to the compound methylated epigallocatechin gallate, which appears to block the production of histamine and immunoglobulin E — the things responsible for those dreaded non-stop sneezes and watery eyes (via ScienceDaily).

And if you like to add a spoonful of honey to your green tea, that will help even more. According to some studies, including one out of Malaysia, the consumption of local honey helps reduce seasonal allergies. It is thought that by taking in small amounts of local pollen, which is found in raw, unprocessed honey, the body can be more immune to these very allergens, though more studies need to be done (via Healthline).

So the next time you're feeling sniffly, reach for a warm mug of green tea sweetened with honey. You just might experience some relief.