3 Types Of Tea This Functional Medicine Practitioner Drinks Every Day

If you know me, you know that I am a beverage guy. I love smoothies, juices, and coffee. But tea is my ultimate favorite. When I am consulting patients at my telehealth functional medicine clinic, I am almost always sipping on some sort of tea—hot or iced. 

I consider myself somewhat of an amateur expert because of how much tea I drink and what I have learned over the years about its health benefits. The world of tea is vast, and chances are there is a tea out there for you regardless of your taste, mood, and health goals.

This black tea is made with bergamot oil. Bergamot—most commonly found in Italy—produces an orange/lemon-like citrus fruit, known as the bergamot orange.

Earl grey tea with bergamot is one of my favorites for drinking in the morning while I am fasting. That's because it promotes autophagy—a process in which the body clears out any old or damaged cells, in order to generate healthy cells—and these mechanisms are thought to be enhanced in times of fasting.

This is one of my go-to herbal tea choices when I need to take a break on the caffeine. Ginger has a number of benefits, but I particularly love it for its ability to soothe and support the digestive system and help to reduce inflammation2.