On any given morning, many of us wake up and start the day with a coffee. An average cup of coffee has 95mg of caffeine, the world’s most consumed psychoactive drug. Since caffeine is technically a drug, it’s best to moderate your daily consumption by becoming aware of your caffeine habits and exploring healthy alternatives that can provide similar energy boosts.

What is Coffee Leaf Tea?

Enter coffee leaf tea, which is exactly what it sounds like—it’s a tea made from crafted and fermented coffee leaves (yes, from the coffee plant). It’s processed using the same method as a black tea (i.e., leaves are rolled, fermented, and dried), but applied to the coffee leaf.

Practically speaking, coffee leaf tea is a delicious, lightly caffeinated alternative to coffee (20mg of caffeine per cup) that you can easily integrate into your morning routine. It steeps like tea yet doesn’t get bitter (feel free to leave the tea bag in as long as you want!)—this means it tastes smoother than black or green teas because the coffee leaf doesn’t have bitter tannins. Even better, it won’t stain your teeth, upset your stomach, or give you a headache. Coffee leaf tea is also very economical, as some people steep their tea bags up to 3 times—great bang for your buck!

It’s also a sustainable choice to support the coffee industry. Farmers craft coffee leaf teas from the extra coffee leaves that are typically thrown away in the off-season, which then generates year-round jobs for an otherwise very seasonal crop (coffee beans are only harvest 3 months per year!).

Top 5 Benefits of Coffee Leaf Tea

Benefit #1: Maintain your energy with less caffeine

Each cup of coffee leaf tea is lightly caffeinated with 20mg of caffeine (vs. 95mg per cup of coffee). Drinking tea throughout the day is a healthy way to limit your caffeine consumption while still getting those energy boosts. And it’s extremely easy to brew—all you need is a cup, hot water, and a tea bag of your choice. Just leave it in the cup and steep on autopilot.

By reducing your caffeine intake, you’re helping your adrenal system recharge, and giving your nervous system a rest and your digestive system an easier day’s work as high amounts of caffeine offset all of these functions in the body.

Benefit #2: Build your immune system

Coffee leaves contain high amounts of naturally-occurring phytochemicals, such as mangiferin and chlorogenic acid. Your immune system uses these antioxidants to regulate free radicals that cause damage to other cells.

A 2017 study conducted at the University of British Columbia linked phytochemicals in coffee leaf tea to health benefits such as regulating nitric oxide levels in the body. The UBC researchers found that coffee leaf tea can help induce nitric oxide production if it’s too low, and also reduce the production if it’s too high. This is a big discovery because nitric oxide is a signaling chemical and mediator that affects important functions in the body.

Find a tea that fits your dream lifestyle!

Benefit #3: Support your cardiovascular and nervous systems

Certain types of tea such as white, green, and oolong are distinguished by the way their leaves are processed. At Wize Monkey, coffee leaves are processed in the same way that black tea leaves are traditionally processed. This method brings out the phytochemicals (mangiferin and chlorogenic acid) in coffee leaves, which help regulate nitric oxide in the body.

Nitric oxide has cardiovascular benefits, such as helping to alleviate high blood pressure by dilating blood vessels. Mangiferin is known for helping lower blood cholesterol levels—it is typically found in mangoes and honeybush and has been used in traditional medicine in Latin America, India, and China for hundreds of years. Chlorogenic acids are best for boosting your metabolism. The combination of these three antioxidants helps to strengthen your overall health.

Benefit #4: Reduce inflammation

Coffee leaf tea has been consumed for over 1000 years by coffee farmers in Ethiopia and Indonesia as a strong anti-inflammatory agent and elixir.

Scientists at UBC studied how high concentrations of mangiferin and chlorogenic acids lead to strong anti-inflammatory effects produced by coffee leaf tea, and discovered that the potential for reducing inflammation increased when the coffee leaf tea was stepped for longer periods of time. And because coffee leaf tea never gets bitter, feel free to steep it for as long as you wish! More flavour and more anti-inflammatory power. What’s not to love?!

Benefit #5: Sail the clean and calm waters of tea, not the rollercoaster of coffee

Tea is energizing yet comforting, cozy, and calming. When you choose coffee leaf tea, your body and mood become more predictable. Coffee provides a massive short-term jolt of energy, but leaves you with unexpected bumps in your day like jitters, crashes, and headaches. Coffee leaf tea, on the other hand, provides clarity and focus without the crash. It also helps you stay hydrated since it counts towards your daily recommended goal of 8+ cups of water per day!

Try Coffee Leaf Tea Yourself!

Like regular tea, coffee leaf tea comes in various blends and flavours from fruity to earthy, fresh to citrusy. It has a smooth, naturally clean taste and looks similar to a lightly brewed black tea. Wize Monkey’s Coffee Leaf Teas are a great place to start with award-winning flavours like Minty Marvel and Earl Grey. If you prefer a fruitier tea, Mango Party has bursts of bright mango extracts. The Original and Jasmine varieties are similar in taste to your regular black and green tea bags. All of Wize Monkey’s teas are low in caffeine, high in antioxidants, and full of flavour. And not only are you investing in yourself, but you’re also helping coffee farmers make year-round income.

Which Wize Monkey flavour is your favourite? How do you feel after drinking coffee leaf tea? Let us know in the comments below!