When I was a kid, I hated tea. My mom would make me a cup whenever I had a sore throat, and I hated it. To me, it always tasted bitter and dry. Today, though, I can’t get enough.

There are tons of ~trendy~ places with some good-for-you juices, many of which have some form of plant base. But let’s be real, the supreme, OG plant-based drink is tea. No matter the season, tea can be refreshing, hot or iced. But, besides being delicious, tea also has tons of health benefits.

There are tons of teas, so for someone unfamiliar to the tea scene, it can be a little overwhelming. Here’s a guide to some of the benefits of this delicious beverage.

1. Black Tea

Black tea is the strongest in flavor and has the most caffeine. It’s the most common tea, accounting for about 75% of the world’s global tea consumption. If you’re a little groggy when you wake up, black tea can be a great alternative to coffee. Black tea has about 40 milligrams of caffeine per cup, while coffee can have 50 to 100. There are many blends of black tea depending on your taste: Earl Grey, English Breakfast, and Masala Chai. Black tea has high concentrations of antioxidants called theaflavins and thearubigins which have been linked to lowering levels of cholesterol.

2. Green Tea

Green tea is not as strong as black tea and has less caffeine. Opposed to black tea’s 40 milligrams a cup, this tea has about 25 milligrams. Having caffeine, green tea helps you stay up and active, but there’s also some evidence that proves it can help improve brain function. Green tea has lots of antioxidants known as catechins, which can help your body fight a whole host of diseases.

3. Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is a rough English translation from the original Chinese name meaning “black dragon tea.” This tea has 30 milligrams of caffeine per cup, and some studies have shown this tea can help aid in weight loss. Oolong activates an enzyme that can help dissolve dietary fat stored in fat cells.

4. White Tea

Containing 15 milligrams of caffeine per cup, this tea is far milder than the other ones previously listed. One animal study has discovered a connection between white tea and improvement in glucose tolerance. This finding potentially offers benefits to people with diabetes, and hopefully, this study can have real world implications.

5. Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea doesn’t actually contain any tea - it’s an herbal blend, meaning it’s a combination of other plants, flowers, etc. Chamomile comes from a daisy-like flower and has lots of health benefits. It’s known primarily for its ability to help us go to sleep. According to research, chamomile is a mild sleep inducer due to the flavonoid apigenin which binds to receptors in your brain and helps you relax.

6. Rosehip and Hibiscus Tea

Rosehip is the red fruit of a rose plant and is incredibly rich in vitamin C content. Hibiscus is a beautiful, tropical flower that can help contribute to beautiful skin. Vitamin C contributes to the production of collagen which helps keep your bones and teeth healthy. The antioxidants in hibiscus known as anthocyanosides help fight skin-damaging free radicals. Together, these two plants form a tea that can be the most pleasant addition to your beauty regimen.

7. Peppermint Tea

Again, this title is misleading. This tea doesn’t actually have any of the tea plant, which is probably good because it helps for destressing and relaxation - caffeine definitely won’t help that. The menthol that is naturally present in the peppermint plant is a known muscle relaxant, so have a cup of this or chamomile and sleep easy tonight!

8. Ginger Tea

Ginger has long been a remedy to help treat nausea and vomiting. The research goes back and forth on if ginger is really effective in this realm, but the Chinese have used ginger to treat a variety of digestive issues for more than 2,000 years. It’s thought that the active components, such as gingerol, directly effective digestive and central nervous systems.