Basic Introduction to Dawu Green Tea
Dawu Green Tea grows in mountainous areas of Dawu County, where the climate is humid with significant temperature differences. The soil is mostly acidic or slightly acidic sandy loam, providing excellent natural conditions for tea plants, hence the county is a major producer of green tea. Dawu Green Tea has fine veins, thick flesh, and is rich in minerals, with a high content of tea alkaloids, making it of superior quality. Since 1983, tea production has developed rapidly, forming a production pattern of “tea on every mountain, and even on those without mountains,” significantly increasing both yield and quality.
Nutritional Value
Green tea is known as the “national drink” in China. Modern scientific research confirms that tea indeed contains biochemical components closely related to human health. Besides its invigorating and refreshing effects, it also helps clear heat and summer heat, aid digestion, reduce phlegm, detoxify the body, relieve hangovers, quench thirst, reduce internal heat, improve eyesight, stop diarrhea, and alleviate dampness. It also has therapeutic effects on modern diseases such as radiation sickness, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Its specific benefits include:
1. Anti-aging
Helps delay aging. Tea polyphenols have strong antioxidant properties and physiological activity, acting as scavengers of free radicals harmful to the body. Research shows that 1 milligram of tea Polyphenol can eliminate the same amount of excessive free radicals as 9 micrograms of superoxide dismutase, more effectively than other similar substances. Tea polyphenols can block lipid peroxidation reactions and deactivate active enzymes. According to experiments by Japanese researcher Akira Okuda, the anti-aging effect of tea polyphenols is 18 times stronger than that of vitamin E.
2. Disease Inhibition
Helps inhibit cardiovascular diseases. Tea polyphenols play an important role in human fat metabolism. High levels of cholesterol and triglycerides can lead to the deposition of fat on the inner walls of blood vessels and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques due to the proliferation of smooth muscle cells. Tea polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGC) and their oxidized products, theaflavins, help inhibit the formation of these plaques, lower the level of fibrinogen, which increases blood coagulation viscosity, and make the blood thinner, thereby inhibiting atherosclerosis.
3. Anti-carcinogenic
Helps prevent and fight cancer. Tea polyphenols can block the synthesis of carcinogens like nitrosamines in the body and directly kill cancer cells while enhancing the body's immune system. According to available data, tea polyphenols are beneficial in preventing and assisting in the treatment of various cancers, including gastric and colorectal cancers.
4. Radiation Protection
Helps prevent and treat radiation damage. Tea polyphenols and their oxidation products can absorb the toxicity of radioactive substances like strontium-90 and cobalt-60. According to clinical trials by medical departments, tea extract is effective in treating mild radiation sickness in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, with an efficacy rate of over 90%. For patients with reduced white blood cell counts, the efficacy rate of tea extract is 81.7%. The treatment is particularly effective for radiation-induced leukopenia.
5. Antiviral and Bacterial Inhibition
Helps inhibit and resist viral and bacterial infections. Tea polyphenols have a strong astringent effect and can effectively inhibit and kill pathogenic bacteria and viruses, aiding in inflammation reduction and diarrhea relief. Many medical units in China have used tea preparations to treat acute and chronic dysentery, amoebic dysentery, and influenza, with cure rates around 90%.
6. Beauty and Skin Care
Helps with beauty and skin care. As a water-soluble substance, using tea polyphenols to wash your face can remove facial oiliness, tighten pores, disinfect, kill bacteria, and reduce skin aging, as well as protect against ultraviolet radiation from sunlight.
7. Refreshing and Energizing
Helps refresh and energize. Caffeine in tea stimulates the central nervous system, enhancing brain cortex excitement, leading to mental clarity and improved focus. It is also effective in relieving migraines.
8. Diuretic and Fatigue Relief
Helps with diuresis and fatigue relief. Caffeine in tea can stimulate the kidneys, promoting rapid urination and increasing renal filtration rate, reducing the time harmful substances stay in the kidneys. Caffeine can also eliminate excess lactic acid in urine, helping the body recover from fatigue more quickly.
9. Fatigue Relief
Contains potent antioxidants and vitamin C, which not only clear free radicals but also stimulate the secretion of hormones that counteract stress. The small amount of caffeine in green tea can stimulate the central nervous system and revitalize the spirit. Therefore, we recommend drinking green tea in the morning to avoid affecting sleep.
10. Dental Health and Vision Improvement
Helps maintain dental health and vision. Tea contains a relatively high amount of fluoride, ranging from 10 to 15 mg per 100 grams of dry tea leaves, with 80% being water-soluble. Drinking 10 grams of tea daily allows absorption of 1 to 1.5 mg of water-soluble fluoride, which helps prevent tooth decay and maintain healthy teeth. Drinking tea can reduce the risk of dental caries by up to 80% through “post-tea rinsing” among school children. Among cataract patients, 28.6% had a habit of drinking tea, while 71.4% did not. This is because the vitamin C and other components in tea can reduce the opacity of the lens, and regular tea consumption is beneficial for eye health.
11. Reducing the Three Highs
Studies show that green tea can help improve digestive issues, such as acute diarrhea caused by bacteria, alleviating symptoms. Green tea also aids in weight loss, making it suitable for individuals frequently exposed to paints and computers, as well as smokers and drinkers. For older adults who are avid tea drinkers, it is recommended to use cold brewing methods, i.e., steeping tea in cold boiled water, which can help manage the “three highs.” Green tea should not be consumed on an empty stomach, as it can cause “tea drunkenness.” People with colds or poor gastrointestinal health should avoid drinking green tea.
12. Lipid-Lowering and Digestive Assistance
Helps lower lipids and aid digestion. According to the Tang Dynasty's “Herbal Supplement,” long-term consumption of tea can help one lose weight. Among China's frontier ethnic minorities, there is a saying that they cannot go a day without tea. This is because tea has important effects in aiding digestion and lowering fats, which is currently referred to as “weight loss assistance.” This is due to caffeine in tea, which can increase the secretion of gastric juice, aiding digestion and enhancing the ability to break down fats.
Product Characteristics
Dawu Green Tea includes processing techniques for flat tea, Maojian tea, and Shoumei tea. Flat tea is smooth and upright; Maojian tea is slender and tightly rolled; Shoumei tea is slightly flat and straight with a sharp tip. Dawu Green Tea is characterized by its fresh green color, bright green infusion, fragrant aroma that lasts, and tender uniform leaves at the bottom of the cup. “Hubei Famous and Superior Teas” summarizes the quality characteristics of Dawu Green Tea as follows: “bright green color, mellow taste, yellow-green and bright infusion, fragrant aroma that lasts, tender and uniform leaves at the bottom of the cup, refreshing and thirst-quenching after drinking, leaving a pleasant aftertaste, soothing to the throat, and durable when infused.”
History and Folklore
According to the “Dawu County Annals,” the cultivation of tea trees in Dawu County has a long history, with tea production dating back over 1,000 years. Since the Tang Dynasty, Dawu tea has been a tribute to the imperial court. By the late Qing Dynasty, Dawu Green Tea, due to its unique quality, was ranked among the famous teas of the time. Lu Yu, known for authoring the world's first book on tea, “The Classic of Tea,” still has a legendary tale associated with him in Huanglong Temple, Dawu County. It is said that during his travels to investigate tea varieties, Lu Yu passed through Nine Mile Pass and visited Huanglong Temple.