Food

Jasmine Tea Doesn’t Just Smell Like Bliss—It’s Also Beneficial for Your Gut, Mood, and Skin

Jasmine tea has a lot of health benefits. Learn about its caffeine content, whether green tea or jasmine is healthier, and more.

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Photo: Getty Images / Irina Marwan
Published Jul 26, 2024

Written by 

Michele Ross

While tea might play second fiddle to the likes of coffee here in the U.S., it’s still one of the most widely consumed beverages on the planet. If you strive to find mini moments of calm throughout the day, the ritual of brewing a hot cup can be therapeutic in and of itself—but you can double down on the benefits by choosing specific teas with relaxing qualities. Jasmine tea is one such variety that can simultaneously help you move, groove, and soothe.

Experts in This Article

Amy Shapiro

founder and director of Real Nutrition

Umo Callins

sports dietitian and personal trainer with 180Physique Nutrition and Fitness

Jasmine tea is made by infusing tea leaves with fragrant jasmine flowers. “Jasmine tea has a slightly sweet and floral taste,” says Umo Callins, RDN, CSSD, CPT, sports dietitian and fitness coach with Well Rooted Health and Nutrition. “Most jasmine teas are blended with other teas, most commonly green tea,” she adds. (To enhance its natural sweetness, she suggests adding a tad of honey, agave nectar, or another sweetener of your choice.)

But what are the benefits of jasmine tea? We talked to dietitians to understand how it compares to green tea, whether you can drink it every day, and more.

Nutrition facts about jasmine tea

As with other teas, jasmine tea doesn’t have any calories, fat, protein, or other nutrients in it (unless you add stuff like milk and sugar to it).

Since jasmine tea is typically made with a base of green or black tea leaves, there is usually some caffeine in every cup. The specific amount depends on the brand of tea you use, how it’s made, and the size of your beverage. But to give you a ballpark amount, one cup of brewed green tea typically has about 29 milligrams of caffeine.

5 benefits of jasmine tea

1. It’s abundant with antioxidants

“Jasmine tea is a rich source of antioxidants such as catechins, a type of polyphenol that contributes to many health benefits,” says Callins. (Functional medicine leader Mark Hyman, MD, previously told Well+Good that catechins are “some of the most powerful disease-fighting phytonutrients found in the plant kingdom.”) Catechins are anti-inflammatory and reduce oxidative stress, thus bolstering your defenses against disease and promoting longevity.

Note: Green tea is a richer source of catechins and antioxidants, says Amy Shapiro, RD, of Real Nutrition in New York City. You’ll reap the greatest rewards by opting for green tea with jasmine, a common (and delicious) blend.

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2. It aids digestion and balances the gut

Does your tummy rumble, tumble, or send other SOS signals? Perks for your gut and digestive health are among jasmine tea’s key benefits. “Jasmine tea improves and aids digestion with its anti-inflammatory properties,” Shapiro shares. A 2022 study1 published in the journal Nutrients found that cold brewed jasmine tea improved gut microbial diversity, promoted beneficial strains of bacteria, and inhibited the growth of pathogenic strains of bacteria in mice. The researchers concluded that jasmine tea may serve as a functional beverage to combat dysbiosis (i.e., gut imbalances) alongside other gut-friendly interventions. More research in humans is needed to confirm the benefits, but it’s still pretty promising stuff.

3. It enhances mood and mental well-being

If you’ve never had jasmine tea before, perhaps you’ve burned a jasmine candle or diffused jasmine oil and experienced something akin to a state of bliss. Well, this isn’t just placebo. “Jasmine’s aroma has a calming effect on the nervous system, [thereby] enhancing mood and reducing stress,” Shapiro explains.

Another 2022 study2 published in the journal Nutrients found that rats that ingested jasmine tea demonstrated improvements in depressive-like behavior. (Again, this is a rodent study, so more research is needed to conclude that these benefits are applicable to humans too.) In short, jasmine tea could offer the dual benefits of aromatic delight and mood-boosting potential with each brew and sip.

4. It perks up your brain and body

“Jasmine tea contains a moderate amount of caffeine—typically 25 to 50 mg per cup—which can improve alertness and energy levels,” Shapiro shares. The amount of caffeine will ultimately vary based on the tea bags or leaves—including the base tea used, such as green tea or black tea—and brewing methods. While pure jasmine tea is less commonly consumed, Callins says that it’s naturally caffeine free.

5. It supports your complexion

According to Shapiro, there are some surprising beauty benefits of jasmine as well. “Jasmine tea promotes healthy skin by reducing inflammation,” she explains. The result: a clearer, more radiant complexion and potentially even halting signs of accelerated aging.

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FAQ

Is it OK to drink jasmine tea everyday?

“Jasmine tea is generally recognized as safe. However, it’s best to consider how sensitive you are to caffeine to determine if it’s right for you,” Callins shares. Moreover, she advises consulting your health-care team if you’re unsure if it can negatively impact a health condition you have or interact with any medications.

Is jasmine tea better for you than green tea?

According to Shapiro, both jasmine tea and green tea offer caffeine, antioxidants, calming effects, and a smattering of health benefits from improved digestion to a better mood. While jasmine tea provides aromatherapeutic qualities, green tea has a slight edge on other fronts. “Green tea generally has higher antioxidant content—specifically catechins—and especially in a high-quality variety like matcha,” she explains. “Green tea also has L-theanine, which promotes relaxation without drowsiness.” To get the best of both worlds, consider shopping for green tea with jasmine.

Is jasmine tea safe for pregnancy?

Shapiro says that jasmine tea is generally safe for pregnancy, just with a few caveats. “Pregnant women are generally advised to limit caffeine intake to about 200 mg per day,” she explains, so be sure to keep tabs on your total daily intake of the stimulant. (Caffeine aside, Shapiro says its antioxidant content can be beneficial during pregnancy.) Moreover, she cautions that some herbal teas can have a stimulating effect on the uterus, which may lead to contractions. “Jasmine tea isn’t known to have this effect, but it’s always important to consult your health-care provider before consuming it during pregnancy,” she concludes.

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  1. Li, Ang et al. “Cold-Brewed Jasmine Tea Attenuates High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity and Gut Microbial Dysbiosis.” Nutrients vol. 14,24 5359. 16 Dec. 2022, doi:10.3390/nu14245359

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  2. Zhang, Yangbo et al. “Jasmine Tea Attenuates Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress-Induced Depressive-like Behavior in Rats via the Gut-Brain Axis.” Nutrients vol. 14,1 99. 27 Dec. 2021, doi:10.3390/nu14010099

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FoodNutrition

‘I’m a Food Safety Expert, and This Is the Exact Temperature Your Fridge Needs to Be to Prevent Nasty Bacteria From Growing’

Foods in the fridge need to be stored in cold temperatures to avoid bacterial growth. Find out the best fridge temperature.

woman in yellow shirt opening up fridge in kitchen and checking the expiration date on a bottle
Photo: Stocksy / Anna Berkut
Updated Feb 5, 2025

Written by 

Tiffany Ayuda

Maintaining a clean, organized fridge set at the proper temperature is ultimately what’s going to keep you safe from harmful, illness-causing bacteria. Hey, we’re certainly not calling on everyone to pick up the “fridgescaping” trend of decorating the inside of your fridge with candles, books, and picture frames. But you know what isn’t a good look? Slimy leftovers and rotting fruits and vegetables. That’s why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends chilling your foods at a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. But is there a perfect temp? We spoke to a food safety expert to explain what the best fridge temperature is and why.

Experts in This Article

Bryan Quoc Le

food scientist and food consultant

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What is the best fridge temperature for storing food?

According to Bryan Quoc Le, PhD, a food scientist and food science consultant, the ideal temperature is 37 degrees Fahrenheit. “Essentially, these are nearly the lowest temperatures you can get to before your food starts to frost over. The lower the temperature, the slower the growth of the microorganisms is. Every 10 degrees higher than that temperature (37 degrees Fahrenheit), the microorganisms can double their growth rate,” Quoc Le explains.

Most modern refrigerators allow you to set the exact temperature, but if it doesn’t come equipped with one, Quoc Le suggests placing some peanut oil in your fridge and seeing if it solidifies. “Peanut oil happens to have a freezing point of 37.4 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius), which is just slightly above the ideal temperature for a refrigerator. If you put peanut oil in the fridge and it solidifies, then your refrigerator is at the right temperature,” he says. That said, the FDA recommends checking often whether your food is chilling at the proper temperature, so buying a freestanding appliance thermometer is your best bet.

How to store food safely in the fridge

Aside from keeping your fridge at 37 degrees Fahrenheit, you can help prevent bacterial growth and foodborne illnesses by storing food properly and refrigerating cooked dishes shortly after eating.

1. Keep fruits and vegetables in the crisper

The crisper drawers in your fridge are specifically reserved for your fruits and vegetables because they don’t require as cold of a temperature as the rest of your fridge to prevent spoilage, Quoc Le says. Crisper bins expose your produce to different levels of humidity and restrict air flow, which will help fruits and vegetables prolong their longevity.

“If it gets too cold for them [fruits and vegetables], the tissue will start to break down. They go through what’s called chill injury. This means that they go through the same process as they would in the winter. When that happens, the plant will try to reabsorb a lot of the nutrients and break down quickly. They get softer, they get mealy, there’s going to be off flavors, and it’s not going to taste as good. They lose a lot of their sugars,” Quoc Le explains.

Other foods, like meat, dairy, and eggs, should be stored outside of the crisper drawers in their appropriate bins at cooler temperatures.

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2. Place leftover food in the fridge immediately

Whether you just finished cooking or are reheating leftovers, you want to keep whatever food you don’t end up serving or eating back in the fridge ASAP. Leaving food out of the fridge allows bacteria to proliferate. “The danger zone is 60 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit. So foods that are hot that cool down to that temperature and foods that are cold and warm up to that temperature, the microbial growth is going to be quite accelerated,” says Quoc Le. “Most modern refrigerators move heat fairly quickly. So ultimately, you don’t want to leave things on the stove for too long and have it come to room temperature.”

The rule of thumb is to avoid leaving perishable foods out for two hours or more, but you need to consider the environment they’re in. If you live in a hot, humid climate or if it’s a warm summer day, food is going to spoil faster. Certain foods aren’t going to go bad as quickly as others.

For example, “foods that have more acidity, more salt, or are high in sugars tend to be more resistant to microorganisms because they have a really hard time growing in things like that,” says Quoc Le. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that leftover food in the fridge should be reheated to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and ready-to-eat foods to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Soups, sauces, and gravies must come to a boil.

3. Clean up spills and throw away bad leftovers

Per the FDA, clean up spills as soon as they happen to avoid cross-contamination of bacteria from different foods. You also want to avoid “overpacking” your fridge to allow cool air to circulate and keep foods chilled at the right temp. When it comes to leftovers, meat products and dishes with vegetables are usually good for two to three days, Quoc Le says. “Again, things that have acidity and high sugar and salt content are going to be more resistant to spoilage, so you could probably extend that to six to seven days,” he explains.

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FoodNutrition

Looking for a Nutritionist? This Online Service Makes It Easier Than Ever to Work With an RD

Fay Nutrition is on a mission to make nutritionists more accessible to Americans. We tried out the service—here is our honest review.

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Published Jan 29, 2025

Written by 

Christina Manian, RD

Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission

As a registered dietitian (RD) with more than a decade of experience, I’ve worked in a range of healthcare settings over the years— from inpatient hospitals and outpatient clinics to private practices—and the one issue that continues to plague all of these establishments is lack of insurance coverage for nutrition consultation.

Experts in This Article

Jason Rasmussen

Jason Rasmussen, Co-founder and CEO of Fay Nutrition

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While patients in a hospital can typically seek the counsel of an RD as part of their stay, many won’t be able to continue that care once they go home as insurance coverage in outpatient and private practice settings is hard to come by. If clients do have coverage, it’s often for a very limited amount of sessions (around two per year maximum) Given that proper nutrition is one of the primary ways to prevent several types of chronic diseases, working with a nutritionist on healthy eating habits is something that almost all adults could benefit from.

Thankfully, one company has made it their mission to address these long-standing issues for patients and nutrition professionals alike…and that company is Fay Nutrition. As an RD, I tested this online service to get firsthand insight into how it works, what it offers, and if it’s worth trying.

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What is Fay Nutrition?

Fay Nutrition is an online platform that connects board-certified registered dietitians/nutritionists (RDs and RDNs) to individuals through insurance-covered virtual or in-person appointments. It’s also the nation’s biggest and fastest-growing network of dietitians.

Fay was started by Jason Rasmussen, co-founder and CEO of Fay Nutrition. “Both my mom and sister are registered dietitians, and before starting at Harvard Business School, I was helping them with their private practice,” he said. “What I learned was that many dietitians struggled to accept insurance and open a private practice, yet so many people needed the help of an affordable, personal dietitian.”

Rasmussen soon made it his mission to empower RDs and make medical nutrition therapy more affordable and accessible to Americans. “In America, over half of adults1 have one or more preventable conditions linked to eating patterns, but access to nutrition care has been gate-kept by prohibitively high costs and obstacles for dietitians to accept insurance,” he explained. The company aims to help millions of Americans live longer, healthier, and happier lives through the power of nutrition.

My Experience Using Fay Nutrition

A platform linking you to RDs that take your insurance certainly sounds alluring, but what is it actually like to use? Here’s how my test run went.

Given that I was trying the platform on a demo, I was given a special link with an accompanying payment method to use upon signing up. For at-home users, you’d sign up as you would for any other service, inputting your basic personal and payment information (for co-pays if you have any). You then enter your health insurance information. If you don’t have health insurance, your journey on the platform will end here as it hinges upon this prerequisite.

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From there, it offered me a list of RDs to choose from based on my location, insurance company, and primary nutrition concern. With each listed RD, you can read a little bit about their philosophy and what areas of nutrition they specialize in.

The first RD I chose wasn’t actually available to see new clients—which was a little confusing, to be honest—but the next one I picked was. However, even though available for both virtual and in-person appointments, this next RD was located in Connecticut—a very long drive from my home in Colorado for an in-person session. If I hadn’t been looking for a virtual appointment, this would have required additional time and searching to find a Colorado-based RD.

Thankfully, virtual worked for me, so I went with the Connecticut-based RD and was able to get an appointment within a week of booking, which is impressive given that many outpatient and private practice RDs are booked out for weeks (if not longer). Booking was simple and I received plenty of helpful email communication after the fact, sharing everything I needed to know before the appointment, as well as frequent appointment reminders. Logging into my appointment was just as simple—I clicked the Zoom link in the email and entered right into the meeting.

My RD was very competent with an impressive 25 years of experience working in a range of settings with a variety of patients. She did all the right things when it came to an initial consultation: inquiring about my medical history, family history, basic biometrics, typical eating patterns, activity level, and more. She then offered very sound nutrition advice (I opted to receive general nutrition information) that was catered to me, recommending balanced eating practices that included all the major food groups (in line with my dietary preferences) to provide the correct amount of macro- and micronutrients.

We also had a candid conversation about who I was and what I was up to. This RD had nothing but positive things to say about working with Fay as a long-time professional in the field. She explained how Fay took care of all the behind-the-scenes insurance work, freeing up RDs to see more clients and often landing patients several covered appointments. This has allowed her to have long-standing relationships with Fay clients, making an even bigger impact on their health through nutrition therapy.

She shared several Fay client success stories with me and assured me that she was being compensated competitively by the company—all things I love to hear as an RD who supports other RDs.

Final Thoughts

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Pros and Cons of Fay Nutrition

Pros:

  • Easy-to-use
  • Accessible, no matter your location
  • Works seamlessly with your insurance provider

Cons:

  • Fewer options for in-person appointments
  • Only accessible for those with insurance
Find a Nutritionist
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Overall, I think Fay Nutrition is providing a great service for both RDs and patients. Throughout my career, I’ve seen time and time again how problematic a lack of insurance coverage for nutrition services can be for those who need it.

Fay addresses this by doing the grunt work for users and dietitians—a middleman that serves both sides. This enables more Americans (with health insurance) to receive nutrition care, while also empowering RDs to build up their businesses. The company also has an extensive vetting process for new hires (according to the RD I spoke to), ensuring that only experienced and well-qualified providers are featured on the platform.

So if you’re seeking nutrition consultation and have health insurance, it’s more than worth logging onto Fay to see what your options are. It’s far quicker and less frustrating than calling your insurance company for coverage confirmation and then doing additional leg work to find covered RDs in your area.

  1. Buttorff C, Ruder T, Bauman M. Multiple Chronic Conditions in the United States. Rand Corp.; 2017.

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