Tea has a history of thousands of years in China. While different teas have different brewing methods, there are some taboos that are common to all. Let's take a look at the wrong ways to drink tea.
Harmful Ways of Drinking Tea
1. Avoid drinking tea when you have a fever: The caffeine in tea not only raises body temperature but also reduces the effectiveness of medication.
2. Avoid drinking tea on an empty stomach: Drinking tea on an empty stomach can dilute gastric acid, inhibit gastric secretion, and interfere with digestion. It can also cause "tea intoxication" symptoms such as palpitations, headaches, stomach discomfort, dizziness, and irritability, and affect protein absorption, leading to gastritis. If "tea intoxication" occurs, sucking on candy or drinking sugar water can relieve the symptoms.
3. Avoid drinking large amounts of tea before or after meals: It is not advisable to drink tea about 20 minutes before or after a meal, as it can dilute gastric acid and affect digestion. Moreover, because tea contains oxalic acid, it can react with the iron and protein in food, affecting the body's absorption of these nutrients. 13. Avoid drinking overnight tea: It is best to drink tea freshly brewed. Tea left for a long time not only loses nutritional components like vitamins but can also go bad and make you sick if consumed.
4. Avoid drinking the first infusion of tea: Because modern tea may be contaminated with pesticides, fertilizers, and dust during cultivation, processing, and packaging. The first infusion is actually for rinsing the tea leaves and should be discarded immediately before adding fresh boiling water for brewing. This ensures the tea is the most hygienic.
5. Pregnant women should avoid drinking tea: Especially strong tea. Tea contains a large amount of tea polyphenols and caffeine, which can be detrimental to the fetus's development in the womb. For the fetus's normal intellectual development and to avoid excessive stimulation from caffeine, pregnant women should drink little to no tea.
6. People with malnutrition should avoid drinking tea: Tea has the function of breaking down fat. For people who are malnourished, drinking tea to break down fat will worsen their condition.
7. Be cautious with tea when drunk: Tea has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Drinking strong tea after being drunk can加重 the burden on the heart. Tea also has a diuretic effect, which can cause toxic aldehydes in the alcohol to be excreted by the kidneys before they are broken down, which is highly irritating and harmful to the kidneys. Therefore, people with heart or kidney problems should not drink tea, especially not large amounts of strong tea. For healthy individuals, drinking a small amount of strong tea may be acceptable. After sobering up, consuming large amounts of fruit or sipping vinegar can help speed up metabolism and alleviate drunkenness.
8. Be cautious when taking medicine with tea: There are many types of drugs with different properties, so it cannot be generalized whether tea can be used to take them. Tannins and theophylline in tea can undergo chemical changes with certain drugs. Therefore, when taking sedatives, hypnotics, iron supplements, enzyme preparations, or protein-based drugs, it is not advisable to take them with tea because tea polyphenols can easily react with iron to form precipitates, which may affect the drug's efficacy.
9. Children should not drink strong tea: When the tea concentration is high, the content of tea polyphenols is too high, which can easily react with iron in food and hinder its absorption, leading to iron-deficiency anemia in children. Children can drink a moderate amount of weak tea (one-third the strength of an adult's tea). For preschool children, some coarse tea can be given, as it has a lower content of tea polyphenols.
10. The elderly should not drink unroasted green tea: So-called "unroasted" green tea refers to pan-fired green tea that is directly dried without rolling. This tea has a natural green color, and its chemical composition is similar to that of fresh leaves, with low-boiling aldehydes and alcohols not much transformed or volatilized, giving it a strong "raw" and astringent aroma. When the elderly drink this type of green tea, it can be highly irritating to the gastric mucosa, easily causing stomach pain. Young people may also feel discomfort in the stomach, a phenomenon often called "scraping the stomach." If you accidentally buy this type of tea, it is best not to brew and drink it directly.
11. Patients with anemia should avoid drinking tea: Tannic acid in tea can combine with iron to form insoluble complexes, depriving the body of sufficient iron. Therefore, patients with anemia should not drink tea.
12. Patients with urinary stones should avoid drinking tea: Urinary stones are usually calcium oxalate stones. Because tea contains oxalic acid, it can combine with calcium excreted in the urine to form stones. If patients with urinary stones drink large amounts of tea, it can worsen their condition.
13. Patients with liver disease should avoid drinking tea: Most substances in tea, such as caffeine, are metabolized by the liver. If the liver is diseased and too much tea is consumed, exceeding its metabolic capacity, it can damage liver tissue.
14. Patients with neurasthenia should be cautious with tea: Caffeine in tea has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Patients with neurasthenia who drink strong tea, especially in the afternoon and evening, may experience insomnia and worsen their condition. They can drink tea once in the late morning and once in the early afternoon. In the morning, scented tea is suitable, and in the afternoon, green tea is better, but no tea should be consumed at night. This way, the patient can be invigorated during the day and calm at night, helping them fall asleep earlier.
15. Patients with ulcers should be cautious with tea: Tea is a stimulant for gastric acid secretion. Drinking tea can increase the amount of gastric acid, increasing irritation to the ulcer surface. Drinking strong tea often can exacerbate the condition. However, for mild cases, some weak tea can be consumed 2 hours after taking medication. Adding sugar or milk to black tea can help with inflammation and protect the gastric mucosa, and also have a certain effect on ulcers. Drinking tea can also block the synthesis of nitrosamines in the body, preventing precancerous mutations.
16. Patients with coronary heart disease should be cautious when drinking tea: For coronary patients with a rapid heart rate, premature beats, or atrial fibrillation, the caffeine and theophylline in tea are stimulants that can enhance heart function. Drinking large amounts of strong tea can speed up the heartbeat, often triggering an attack or worsening the condition. Therefore, such individuals can only drink weak tea. Conversely, patients with a heart rate generally below 60 beats per minute should drink more tea, which is not only harmless but can also increase the heart rate and complement drug therapy.
17. Patients with high blood pressure should not drink strong tea: "Strong tea" is defined as tea using less than 50 ml of boiling water per gram of leaves. Patients with high blood pressure who drink too much strong tea may experience elevated blood pressure due to the stimulating effect of caffeine, which is not good for their health.
18. Patients with urinary stones should avoid drinking tea: Urinary stones are usually calcium oxalate stones. Because tea contains oxalic acid, it can combine with calcium excreted in the urine to form stones. If patients with urinary stones drink large amounts of tea, it can worsen their condition.