Firstly, everyone understands the severe harm Smoking does to the body—it's all bad and no good. Let's look at the benefits of drinking tea: First, the polyphenols in tea can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and invigorate the spirit. Polyphenols can lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels, prevent clot formation, and maintain cardiovascular health.
Second, moderate consumption can promote gastric acid secretion, increase appetite, and improve symptoms of indigestion.
Third, tea has antioxidant properties that delay aging, help prevent tumor formation, and boost the immune system. It's worth noting that people with chronic insomnia or digestive issues should avoid tea as it may exacerbate their conditions.
So what happens to those who smoke long-term but persist in drinking tea? Doctors have an answer:
For long-term smokers, there are some benefits from drinking tea, primarily due to its diuretic and detoxifying effects, which promote the excretion of toxins from smoking. This reduces the time toxic substances remain in the body, thus alleviating the damage caused by these toxins.
Some compounds in tobacco can lead to thickening of the arterial intima and reduced gastric acid secretion, while catechins in tea can prevent cholesterol deposition on vessel walls, lessening the harms of smoking.
The above situation doesn't apply to everyone, and results can vary based on individual differences. After all, everyone's physical constitution is unique. Drinking tea can mitigate the harm to the lungs from smoking, but it cannot completely eliminate the damage smoking causes to the body. One shouldn't think they can smoke freely and then Drink tea without consequences.
In summary, if you continue this way, toxins might accumulate in your body, causing greater harm. Therefore, it's best to smoke less or quit altogether. Additionally, drinking more tea in daily life can help enhance your immunity.
Extended Reading: Precautions When Drinking Tea
Those with a heaty constitution should drink cooling teas, while those with a cold constitution should drink warming teas. In the evening, it's best to drink Black Tea. Green Tea is unfermented and contains high levels of polyphenols that retain their original properties, making them more stimulating;
Black tea is fully fermented, with fewer polyphenols. Through maturation, it becomes milder and gentler, making it suitable for evening consumption. For those with weak spleen and stomach, adding milk to black tea can help warm the stomach.
However, individuals prone to agitation, sensitivity, poor sleep quality, or weak health should limit or avoid tea in the evening. Also, use less tea when brewing and don't make it too strong.
The best time to drink tea is after dinner, as drinking tea on an empty stomach can harm the body, especially for those who don't usually drink tea. It can inhibit gastric acid secretion, impair digestion, and cause symptoms like palpitations, headaches, and other effects of tea intoxication. Therefore, be mindful when drinking tea; more isn't necessarily better. Do you understand now?