This question often pops up more than you'd think when it comes to an herbal tea vs a green tea, or which you should really be having. Truthfully speaking, neither is "better". They're different drinks made from different plants, and which one suits you depends on what you're looking for from your daily cup, not on one being objectively superior to the other.
What Sets Herbal Tea and Green Tea Apart
First and foremost: the plants themselves are different. Black and oolong teas, like green tea, are derived from the same plant (Camellia sinensis), but are otherwise processed differently. Herbal teas, on the other hand, are infusions from other types of plants, including - but not limited to - olive leaves, tulsi, mint, lemongrass and chamomile, among countless others - none of which is the tea plant.
And it's the difference in the origins, in the first place, that causes most differences that people really notice. As Green Tea comes from the Tea plant, it naturally has caffeine in the form of normally 20–45mg a cup. As the herb plant is made from different things, as opposed to the processing itself, it's naturally caffeine-free.
A difference I find as well is the taste. The green tea had a nice slightly grassy but also slightly bitter taste to it, which can easily happen with just brewing it for too long, as it was for green tea. Herbal teas really vary based on what you are drinking. Olive leaf has a soft and earthy taste, mint a nice crisp minty flavour, lemongrass a hint of citrus, and a nice warming and comforting holy basil. So, with herbal teas, there's no specific taste, which makes green tea and holy basil taste so very different, and so very, very yummy for both for me to be equally a fan.
Green tea has EGCG for the plant, but the teas herbal also has other catechins which are present to some extent and to a variable degree – the hydroxytyrosine and the oleuropein in olive, for example are abundant, but in herbs like mint, the percentages are minimal. That's a point to bear in mind; that a particular tea may be higher in specific compounds, and that this doesn't necessarily translate to it being 'healthier.' After all, in their own ways green and herbal teas have been staples of folk medicine and food in the human diet in different traditions around the globe, and neither tea has a conclusively well-documented claim on superior health properties over the other, at best it simply varies in terms of physical compounds contained therein, and experience: in short, don't believe anyone you come across who swears green tea is the superior elixir to all other beverages. It simply isn't as straightforward as they'd have you believe.
Which One Actually Fits Your Routine
Since it's no win here, a more pertinent question is which is better as part of your daily schedule.
It appears that caffeine lovers can still get green tea -especially if they like green tea, can stomach the flavour, and don't worry about whether they are consuming caffeine as late as they might be considering coffee - since that one's a normal alternative. Green tea can readily be obtained.
If you'd rather not deal with caffeine at all, whether because you're sensitive to it or simply prefer not to factor it into your day, herbal tea is the more flexible option. Since it's naturally caffeine-free, you don't have to think about when you're having your cup relative to anything else, which makes it easier to drink more freely throughout the day.
Taste preference matters just as much. For anyone who can't stand bitter drinks (including some green tea drinkers who may just have this issue), no amount of "But it's good for you!" is going to make them love their green tea. You're probably not going to make drinking something you don't like a daily habit, and with herbal tea options out there, you can likely find something a little lighter, brighter, or even fruitier (and earthier) to fit your taste buds.
Variety itself is worth considering too. Green tea is fairly singular in flavour, whereas herbal tea gives you options like olive leaf, holy basil, lemongrass, and mint, all with distinct characters. If you like switching things up depending on your mood or the season, herbal tea naturally offers more room to do that. Besides, there is nothing to stop you stocking up with one in your pantry and the other to choose between, whichever you fancy on that day, rather than a pick-and-mix kind of scenario.
So ultimately, figuring out the herbal tea vs green tea dilemma comes down to which one truly fits the way you personally like to drink tea. Some drink green tea because they actually like it. Some gravitate towards herbal tea to avoid caffeine and explore a variety of flavours. Both sides make valid points, and ultimately there's no shame in trying out both!
If you're looking to switch up green tea, it may be worth finding out what a real green tea alternative may even look like, and how Olitia's herbal teas match up - so that your choice is made more so on taste than on another's declaration for the "best" tea.
