Many people enjoy drinking tea for health preservation, but choosing the wrong type of tea can actually be harmful to your health. Understand the health benefits of the "Six Color Teas" and select the right one based on your needs—whether it's for clearing heat and detoxifying, warming the stomach and nourishing it, losing weight, or reducing greasiness. Let's explore the different types of tea together.
Green tea is cooling and clears heat and toxins
Compared to other teas, many components in green tea are better preserved. Regular consumption has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. Those with deficiency heat, internal fire, inflammatory diseases, and digestive tract issues (such as enteritis, dysentery, etc.) are more suitable for drinking green tea. The water temperature for brewing green tea should not be too high, 80°C—90°C is sufficient. White tea and yellow tea are similar.
Black tea is warming and beneficial for the stomach
Black tea belongs to the fully fermented tea category. Unlike green tea, black tea has a warming nature. Those with a cold constitution (deficiency cold, internal cold) or digestive stomach diseases (such as ulcers, chronic gastritis, etc.) are more suitable for drinking black tea. Black tea, dark tea, and oolong tea all require high-temperature boiling water for brewing.
Oolong tea aids in weight loss
Oolong tea (a type of green tea) is a semi-fermented tea, known as the "slimming tea" or "beauty tea." Japanese clinical trials have proven that oolong tea can significantly lower cholesterol and aid in weight loss.
Dark tea (Pu-erh) reduces greasiness
Dark tea belongs to the post-fermented tea category. Pu-erh tea has excellent effects for reducing greasiness and aiding digestion. The French particularly love it and call it the "grease-scraping tea." A French experiment once showed that drinking 3 cups of Pu-erh tea daily for 1 month led many people to lose weight and lower their blood lipids.
White tea prevents cavities
White tea is a lightly fermented tea, with common varieties including "Silver Needle," "Shou Mei," and "White Peony." American research shows that white tea can increase the body's lysozyme, causing bacterial cell walls to lyse and die. White tea is also highly effective in preventing infections such as pneumonia and cavities.
Yellow tea is suitable for everyone
Yellow tea is a lightly fermented tea, its processing level is between green and black tea. After brewing, it has the characteristic of yellow leaves and yellow soup. Common varieties include "Junshan Silver Needle," "Mengding Yellow Bud," and "Houshan Yellow Tea." Compared to the cooling nature of green tea and the warming nature of black tea, the character of yellow tea lies between the two, making it suitable for almost everyone.
What are the taboos of drinking tea
Taboo on brewing for too long
If tea is brewed for too long, it may spoil and even breed pathogenic microorganisms.
Taboo on drinking large amounts before meals
Drinking a large amount of tea before meals can affect the digestion and absorption of food, leading to a loss of appetite.
Taboo on drinking strong tea immediately after meals
Generally, drinking tea after a meal aids in digestion and fat reduction. However, drinking strong tea immediately after a meal may lead to poor absorption of nutrients in the meal, affecting the absorption of iron and protein substances.
Taboo on brewing tea that is too strong
The stronger the tea, the more irritating it is. Frequently drinking large amounts of strong tea can cause headaches, nausea, insomnia, and irritability.
Taboo on too many infusions
Except for a few types like oolong tea, most teas can only be brewed 3 times. If brewed too many times, over 90% of the nutrients and functional components will have been extracted, and the unique flavor and aroma will no longer be distinct.
When drinking tea for health, not only must you choose the right type, but there are also some precautions to take. The tea should never be too strong, the number of infusions should not be excessive, it is not advisable to drink tea after meals, and tea should not be used to sober up from alcohol.