What precautions should be taken when drinking tea? Tea is closely related to our daily lives, and there are many benefits to drinking it, such as fat reduction and digestion aid. However, there are also several considerations to keep in mind to ensure that drinking tea truly promotes health. Here are some points worth noting.
What to Consider When Drinking Tea Regularly
1. How Many Infusions Can a Cup of Tea Have?
The number of times tea can be steeped depends not only on its tenderness but mainly on the processing method used. During initial processing, if the leaves are cut, the tea essence will be easier to extract. Conversely, coarser, older, and intact leaves release their flavors more slowly during steeping.
For most green teas, the first Infusion releases about 50% to 55% of the soluble substances; the second infusion typically extracts around 30%; the third yields about 10%; and the fourth provides only 1% to 3%.
From a nutritional standpoint (considering vitamins and amino acids), 80% of these components are extracted in the first infusion, about 15% in the second, and by the third infusion, nearly all have been extracted.
In general, black teas, green teas, and flower teas are best steeped three times. Oolong teas require larger quantities of leaves and can withstand multiple infusions due to their coarser nature. Bagged teas made from broken black tea leaves are typically best suited for a single infusion.
It is not advisable to steep the same cup of tea from morning until night. With repeated infusions, some hard-to-dissolve harmful substances (such as trace amounts of residual pesticides) may gradually leach out, which can be detrimental to health.
2. Differences in Seasonal Tea Drinking
Tea consumption should vary with the seasons: spring is for Flower tea, summer for Green Tea, white tea, and yellow tea, autumn for Oolong Tea, and winter for black tea and dark tea. The rationale behind this is that in spring, drinking flower tea helps dispel the coldness accumulated in the body over winter, while its strong fragrance stimulates the production of yang qi. In summer, green tea is ideal because of its bitter-cold nature, which can help clear heat, quench thirst, detoxify, and strengthen the heart. In autumn, oolong tea is recommended as it is neither too hot nor too cold and helps eliminate residual heat and replenish bodily fluids. In winter, black tea and dark tea are the best choices, as they are sweet and warm in nature, aid digestion, nourish the body, and promote strength.
3. Daily Consumption of 2 to 6 Grams of Tea
Although tea contains various vitamins and amino acids and can help cleanse the body, stimulate the nervous system, and improve digestion and urination, it's not the case that the more you drink, the better. Not everyone is suitable for drinking tea either.
Generally, consuming tea 1-2 times a day, with each serving between 2-6 grams, is considered appropriate. Individuals suffering from conditions such as insomnia, hyperthyroidism, tuberculosis, heart disease, stomach or intestinal ulcers, as well as nursing mothers, pregnant women, and infants, should avoid drinking tea.
4. Do Not Mix Green Tea and Goji Berries
Both green tea and goji berries can be separately steeped in boiling water for consumption, providing significant health benefits. Some people combine them in one cup. However, the large amount of tannins in green tea has astringent and adsorptive properties, which can bind to trace minerals in goji berries, forming substances that are difficult for the human body to absorb.
Therefore, experts suggest drinking green tea in the morning to aid digestion and boost alertness, and steeping goji berries in the afternoon to improve physical constitution and promote restful sleep.
5. Tea After Alcohol Is Detrimental to Health
After alcohol consumption, ethanol enters the bloodstream via the gastrointestinal tract and is converted into acetaldehyde in the Liver, which then transforms into acetic acid and is eventually excreted as carbon dioxide and water.
Drinking tea after alcohol can cause the caffeine in tea to rapidly stimulate diuresis in the kidneys, thus promoting the premature entry of unmetabolized acetaldehyde into the kidneys. Acetaldehyde has a significant stimulatory effect on the kidneys and can affect renal function. People who frequently drink strong tea after consuming alcohol are more prone to develop kidney problems. Moreover, ethanol has a significant stimulating effect on the cardiovascular system, as does tea. Together, they intensify the stimulation of the heart, making it particularly dangerous for individuals with heart disease.
6. Freshness Isn't Always Best
From a nutritional perspective, the latest and freshest tea doesn't necessarily mean it's the best. Fresh tea refers to tea leaves harvested within the last month. Without being stored for a period of time, certain substances in the tea that can have adverse effects on the body, such as polyphenols, alcohols, and aldehydes, have not been fully oxidized.