Autumn is here. What adjustments should we make to our Tea-drinking habits? How can we drink tea for health in autumn?
Tea drinking has been a part of Chinese tradition, and there are specific considerations for what types of tea to drink throughout the year:
01 Puer Tea
Scientific evidence shows that Puer tea has multiple effects, including dissolving fats, regulating metabolism, and protecting against radiation. Long-term consumption of Puer tea can reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, making it useful for treating obesity. Drinking Puer tea also causes physiological effects such as vasodilation, reduced blood pressure, slowed heart rate, and increased cerebral blood flow, making it beneficial for hypertension and cerebral arteriosclerosis patients.
02 Chrysanthemum Tea
Chrysanthemum has a slightly bitter and sweet taste and is slightly cold in nature. It can disperse wind and clear heat, improve Liver function and eyesight, and detoxify and reduce inflammation.
For dry mouth, heat in the body, eye strain, or conditions like limb pain and numbness caused by wind, cold, or dampness, Chrysanthemum tea can provide therapeutic benefits. It can be used to treat common colds, headaches, and other conditions.
Due to the characteristics of the season, autumn can be dry, causing many office workers who stare at computer screens for long periods to experience dizziness, headaches, and dry eyes. Drinking Chrysanthemum tea can be helpful.
03 Oolong Tea
Oolong tea has a moderate character, neither too hot nor too cold, making it perfect for autumn. Oolong tea has strong disinfectant and anticancer properties. For symptoms of “Yang fire,” such as throat discomfort, swollen gums, and oral ulcers, Green tea may be too cold and Black tea too warm, making Oolong tea the best choice for balancing internal heat.
Here's some information about Oolong tea. Many people think Oolong is a specific type of tea, but it is actually a category of tea processed through partial fermentation, lying between Green and Black teas in terms of flavor and aroma.
Varieties include Wuyi Rock Tea (e.g., Rougui, Shui Xian, Dahongpao), Zhangping Shui Xian, Phoenix Dancong (e.g., Duck Shit Fragrance, Honey Orchid Fragrance), and Oolong teas from Taiwan (e.g., Dongding Oolong, Jin Xuan).
04 Rose Tea
Rose flower tea is popular among women, not only for its pleasant fragrance but also for its health benefits. Rose flower tea can improve complexion, relieve depression, and regulate menstrual cycles.
In autumn, when temperatures drop and the air becomes dry, women can benefit from drinking more Rose flower tea, which moisturizes and nourishes the body, helps with blood circulation, and warms the stomach, contributing positively to overall health.
05 Osmanthus Tea
Osmanthus tea has a rich, lingering fragrance and a bright green color. Drinking it can help with digestion and is suitable for those with weak stomachs. Osmanthus tea can eliminate constipation and prevent bad breath. Osmanthus is warm in nature and pungent in taste, entering the lung and large intestine meridians. When brewed into tea, it can warm the middle, relieve pain, and help with phlegm and blood stasis, making it effective for poor appetite, phlegm cough, dyspnea, abdominal pain during menstruation, and other conditions.
06 Black Rice Tea
Black rice has significant medicinal value, capable of nourishing yin, replenishing the kidneys, strengthening the body, warming the stomach, improving vision, moistening the intestines, and tonifying the lungs. It can be used medicinally and in cooking, especially benefiting those with dizziness, anemia, white hair, weakness in the waist and knees, night blindness, and tinnitus.
07 Tangerine Red Tea
Tangerine red targets the lung and spleen meridians. It can regulate qi, widen the chest, dry dampness, and transform phlegm. It is commonly used for excessive phlegm, food accumulation, alcohol-induced injuries, nausea, fullness, and depression. Tea has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and combining it with Tangerine red is effective for coughs with excessive phlegm, making it ideal for autumn consumption.