"The more bitter the herbal tea, the more effective it is." Many people drink herbal tea in the summer with this attitude, that "good medicine is bitter to the taste," specifically seeking out unbearably bitter herbal teas. In fact, bitterness is not the standard for measuring its effectiveness, and an excessive pursuit of "bitterness" can damage the spleen and stomach.
Professor Wang Qinghai, Vice President of the Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Guangdong Province, said that from the perspective of herbal tea's effects, it is mainly divided into two types: clearing "fire" (heat) and removing dampness.
If the purpose is to clear "fire," you can drink a more bitter herbal tea, as the effect is better. However, if the main purpose is to remove dampness, there is no need to seek "bitterness," because bitter-flavored Chinese medicinal herbs are generally quite cooling and can easily damage the spleen and stomach.
How do you know whether you should clear "fire" or remove dampness? Professor Wang Qinghai said that "fire," or excessive internal heat, is generally manifested as a yellow tongue coating, dry mouth and throat, irritability and a bad temper, insomnia and dreams, dry stools, acne, and mouth ulcers. On the other hand, excessive internal dampness is generally manifested as a thick, greasy tongue coating, fatigue and listlessness, poor appetite, and feeling sleepy but being unable to sleep deeply. You can choose to drink herbal tea for clearing "fire" or removing dampness based on your own condition.
It should be noted that although both are considered "fire," there is a distinction between "excess fire" and "deficiency fire." Some people have "fire," but it is actually a deficiency fire caused by a deficient and cold constitution, such as people who are generally weak and have a cold spleen and stomach. Although they may show some signs of "fire," their tongue coating is pale, and they are prone to abdominal pain and diarrhea with even minor dietary indiscretions. Such people are not suitable for drinking herbal tea to clear "fire."
Professor Wang Qinghai reminds us that while herbal tea is a great cooling drink in the summer, it is also a type of Chinese herbal medicine, and its consumption must be moderate. In clinical practice, it has been found that many people in Guangdong have a constitution with excessive internal phlegm-dampness. This is not unrelated to many people treating herbal tea as an everyday beverage, drinking it indiscriminately, which leads to a weakened spleen and stomach, and subsequently, phlegm-dampness obstructing the spleen. Who is not suitable for drinking herbal tea?
Because herbal tea is generally cooling, the following groups are not suitable for drinking it:
One, people with poor gastrointestinal health. This group cannot quickly adjust to or adapt to the cooling stimulation of external medicinal substances, which may affect digestion and absorption, leading to abdominal pain and diarrhea, including children.
Two, women during their menstrual period. During this special time, a woman's body is in a state of blood loss, and her constitution is relatively deficient. Consuming more cooling things can further damage the spleen and stomach.
Three, the elderly. As the elderly's vital energy (yang) gradually weakens and organ function declines, the stimulation from herbal tea can lead to digestive system disorders and a series of symptoms of a significant loss of vital energy.