Most people choose to drink tea, valuing its benefits. However, if you don't drink the right tea, you won't achieve the goal of health preservation.
Tea can promote health, but this is under the condition that you select and drink the right kind of tea. You might say, “Do I really have to consider the time and place when drinking a cup of tea?” There's actually some logic to this. If you drink the same type of tea all year round, it means you don't know how to drink tea properly and won't be able to achieve the goal of health preservation through tea.
Select Tea According to Your Constitution
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Chinese tea is divided into six main categories: green tea, Black Tea (in the Western sense, known as red tea in China), Yellow Tea, White Tea, oolong tea (also known as blue or qing tea), and dark tea. Each category has different properties and effects on the human body. For example: Green tea is cool in nature and suitable for those with a hot constitution, high stomach fire, and abundant energy. It has excellent radiation protection effects and is very suitable for people who work frequently on computers. White tea is also cool and is similar to green tea in terms of the appropriate consumer group, but “old green tea is like grass, while aged white tea is a treasure.” Aged white tea has the effect of expelling evil and supporting the body. Yellow tea is cool in nature, and its effects are largely similar to those of green tea. Oolong tea is neutral and is suitable for the widest range of people. Black tea is warm and is suitable for those with cold stomachs, cold hands and feet, weak constitutions, and older individuals. Dark tea and Pu'er tea are warm and can eliminate greasiness, detoxify meat, and lower blood lipids. They are best consumed after an appropriate period of storage, which improves both taste and therapeutic effects.
Select Tea According to the Season
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In spring and summer, one should drink green tea, which can help alleviate spring fatigue, but not too much to avoid overstimulating the stomach. Drinking green tea in summer can clear heat and detoxify and lower blood lipids. In autumn, oolong tea is most suitable. Oolong tea lies between green and black teas in terms of character, being neither too cool nor too warm, making it very suitable for autumn consumption. It can invigorate the mind and make one feel refreshed and clear-headed. Dark tea is most suitable for winter, especially ripe Pu'er tea, which is warm in nature and is most appropriate for winter consumption. The coldness of winter is heavy, and it is the season when yang energy is closed and stored. Ripe Pu'er can generate warmth and soothe the stomach. Additionally, Pu'er tea has a certain role in controlling body weight. Replacing sugary drinks with low-calorie Pu'er tea can control calorie intake.
Proper brewing of Tea
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The water temperature for brewing green tea should be lower, and the ratio of tea to water should be controlled. The tea should not be too strong; light tea is better for health preservation. When brewing green tea, a water temperature of 80°C is ideal, and 2-3 minutes is sufficient. A concentration of 3 grams of green tea to 150 milliliters of water is the most appropriate.
The brewing methods for yellow tea and white tea are similar to those for green tea.
Black tea is best brewed with boiling water, and it should be steeped longer, ideally for about 5 minutes. This helps the flavonoids in black tea, which are beneficial to health, dissolve more fully, enhancing the aroma and health benefits.
Oolong tea also prefers boiling water. The amount of tea used for brewing is relatively large. Using a clay teapot as an example, half the pot should be filled with tea leaves and half with water, and it can be brewed 5-6 times.
Pu'er tea and dark tea need to be rinsed. Before the first infusion, they should be soaked in boiling water for 10 seconds, then the water should be discarded before the formal brewing process. This can filter out impurities and make the tea flavor more fragrant and pure.
Three Cups of Tea per Day is Most Suitable
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The first cup is morning tea, best drunk after breakfast between 9 and 10 am. It can help invigorate, detoxify, and relieve fatigue. Morning tea is most appropriately selected from floral teas.
The second cup is afternoon tea, best drunk after lunch or a nap, between 1 and 3 pm. Afternoon tea can be slightly stronger. Green tea has antioxidant, free-radical scavenging, and antiviral health functions, making it the most suitable choice.
The third cup is evening tea, best drunk after dinner between 6 and 7 pm. Black tea has lipid-lowering and digestive aid functions and is the best choice for evening tea.
Avoid Drinking Tea on an Empty Stomach
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Drinking tea on an empty stomach can dilute gastric acid and inhibit the secretion of gastric juice, hindering digestion. It may also cause symptoms such as palpitations, headaches, discomfort in the stomach, blurred vision, and irritability, known as “tea drunkenness.” If “tea drunkenness” occurs, sucking on candy or drinking some sugar water can help relieve the symptoms.
Avoid Drinking Large Amounts of Tea Before and After Meals
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Many people are accustomed to drinking tea immediately after meals while enjoying the moon. However, it is not advisable to drink tea 20 minutes before or after eating. Drinking tea at these times can dilute gastric juice and affect food digestion. Since tea contains oxalic acid, it can react with iron and proteins in the food, affecting the absorption of iron and proteins by the body.
Avoid Drinking Tea Within 2 Hours Before Bedtime
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It is best not to drink tea within 2 hours before bedtime. Drinking tea can stimulate the mind and affect sleep, potentially causing insomnia. Especially with newly harvested green tea, after drinking it, the nerves can become extremely stimulated, leading to insomnia.
Avoid Drinking Tea That Is Not Suitable for You
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For instance, tea drinkers may have personal preferences, but if someone has gastritis, they generally should not drink green tea. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, drinking green tea can produce coldness, primarily because the polyphenols are not oxidized, making them more stimulating. In contrast, during the processing of black tea, part of the polyphenols undergo oxidation, reducing their stimulation of the stomach and making it relatively warming. Therefore, people with gastritis should choose black tea. Some people prefer to brew their tea very strongly, which is fine for them personally. However, it is generally advisable for others to avoid drinking overly strong tea.
Children Should Not Drink Strong Tea
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When tea is brewed too strongly, the content of polyphenols is too high, easily interacting with iron in the food and affecting iron absorption, potentially causing iron-deficiency anemia in children. Children can drink a moderate amount of lightly brewed tea.
Avoid Drinking Tea During Pregnancy
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If pregnant, it is best to avoid drinking tea, especially strong tea. Tea contains large amounts of polyphenols and caffeine, which can be detrimental to the development of the fetus in the womb. Pregnant women should drink less or no tea.
Restrict Consumption of Tea for Those with High Uric Acid Levels
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For those with high uric acid levels, such as gout patients, there should be restrictions on tea consumption. Tannins in tea compete with uric acid for excretion, affecting the elimination of uric acid. Therefore, gout patients should