If drinking tea was a culture in the past, it has now become integrated into our diet and is increasingly favored by the younger generation, transforming it into a fashionable culture.
Nutrition: Tea is very nutritious, containing over 300 different components, such as theophylline, theobromine, crude fiber, pectin, chlorophyll, vitamin A precursor, vitamin B precursor, vitamin P, vitamin C, as well as small amounts of various amino acids, large quantities of potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and various trace elements. It also contains "tea tannin," which has rutin-like activity, all of which are beneficial nutrients for the human body.
Experts say that drinking tea can lower blood lipids, cholesterol, and high blood pressure, as well as the incidence of arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Tea polyphenols in tea are a powerful antioxidant that can have anti-aging effects. Besides its detoxifying, hemostatic, and antioxidant properties, tea tannin also has anti-cancer effects. Persisting in drinking tea for a long time can effectively inhibit bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and liver cancer.
In addition, the carotene in tea can increase the concentration of carotene in the plasma and reduce the incidence of senile cataracts. Gargling with strong tea regularly can also prevent mouth ulcers, so it is worth a try for those who often smoke and suffer from oral mucosal ulcers.
Harms: Drinking too much tea is not advisable, as it can lead to adverse reactions such as over-excitement, rapid heartbeat, insomnia, and frequent urination. Moreover, due to excessive loss of urinary calcium and excessive stimulation of the gastric mucosa, drinking strong tea for a long time can easily lead to osteoporosis and stomach ulcers.
For office workers, sufficient sleep is very important. Drinking too much tea before bed can over-stimulate the mind and make it difficult to fall asleep, affecting rest. Additionally, preschool children, people with iron-deficiency anemia, people with neurasthenia, patients with active gastric ulcers, people with poor liver function, people with constipation, people with urinary system stones, breastfeeding women, patients with acute heart disease, and pregnant women are all not very suitable for drinking tea.
When drinking tea, one must distinguish their body constitution and drink it appropriately; otherwise, it is very easy to harm the body. Women also need to pay attention to the health of drinking tea during different periods! As a modern woman, you must pay close attention.
I. Drinking tea for health based on body constitution
TCM experts point out that people's constitutions can be classified as "hot-dry" or "cold-deficient," and teas, through different production processes, can be "cooling" or "warming" in nature. Therefore, people with different constitutions should be particular about their tea consumption in the summer. Those with a "hot-dry" constitution should drink cooling teas, while those with a "cold-deficient" constitution should drink warming teas.
Common teas are mainly divided into several categories: green tea, oolong tea (including Tieguanyin, Dahongpao), black tea, white tea, dark tea (Pu-erh), and yellow tea. Generally speaking, green tea and Tieguanyin oolong tea, due to their low fermentation levels, are cooling teas. Oolong tea and Dahongpao are neutral teas, while black tea and Pu-erh are warming teas.
People who smoke, drink alcohol, and are overweight (i.e., those with a "hot-dry" constitution) are prone to "internal heat" in hot weather and should drink cooling teas. Those with a weak or "cold-deficient" stomach and constitution should drink neutral or warming teas. The elderly are suitable for drinking black tea and Pu-erh, and drinking some green tea in the summer is also beneficial. Kuding tea, due to its strong cooling nature, has better functions for clearing heat and detoxifying, softening blood vessels, and lowering blood lipids than other teas, making it most suitable for those with a "hot-dry" constitution. However, people with a "cold-deficient" constitution should absolutely not drink this tea. Urban dwellers in a sub-healthy state should drink neutral or warming teas such as Dahongpao, black tea, and Pu-erh. Adding milk to the tea to make milk tea will have a better effect. If blood sugar is not high, you can also consider adding sugar to the tea. Some people may have poor absorption and experience diarrhea from milk tea; in that case, they should only drink ripe Pu-erh (which has a higher fermentation level), because the fermentation of ripe Pu-erh produces many trace elements that can stimulate appetite and absorption.
It should be noted that the constitutions of modern urban people cannot be simply divided into "hot-dry" and "cold-deficient." Some people may exhibit symptoms of both. For example, a person may be overweight and prone to "internal heat," but gets diarrhea after eating something raw and cold. Others may be obviously thin with a weak spleen and stomach, but also show signs of "heat." This is mainly because modern urban people have unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking, drinking, and staying up late, leading to diverse constitutions. However, each person's constitution will show main symptoms, and tea drinking should be based on these primary symptoms.
In addition to the considerations based on body constitution, tea drinkers should also understand the properties of different teas to avoid affecting their health. Here are a few points to note when matching tea varieties with your constitution: Green Tea
People with allergies may vomit after drinking green tea. This is because the production process of green tea does not involve fermentation, and it contains more chlorophyll, which is more irritating to the stomach. Therefore, patients with gastric ulcers cannot drink green tea. Tieguanyin Tea
Should not be consumed on an empty stomach. Tieguanyin is a semi-fermented tea. Due to its short fermentation period, it is still偏寒性 (cooling in nature). It has prominent functions for reducing fat and promoting digestion, and its tea fragrance is particularly strong. If consumed on an empty stomach, one is prone to "tea intoxication." Oolong Tea
Must be brewed with boiling water at 100°C. Oolong tea is neither cooling nor warming, but neutral, suitable for most people. Because the tea leaves are relatively coarse, they must be brewed with boiling water at 100°C. Pu-erh Tea
Is mild and mellow in nature, with the effects of warming the stomach, lowering blood pressure, and lowering blood lipids. Long-term consumption is effective for reducing atherosclerosis and preventing cardiovascular diseases.
II. Women should never drink tea during special periods
Women should avoid drinking tea during certain special periods. Menstrual Period:
Menstrual blood contains relatively high levels of hemoglobin, plasma protein, and hemoglobin, so women lose a large amount of iron after their period and should supplement it. Tea contains more than 30% tannic acid, which easily combines with iron ions in the intestines to form precipitates, hindering the intestinal mucosa's absorption of iron ions. Pregnancy:
Tea contains relatively rich caffeine. Drinking tea can accelerate the pregnant woman's heart rate, increase renal blood flow, and加重 the burden on the heart and kidneys, which is not conducive to the healthy development of the fetus. Perinatal Period:
Drinking tea during this time can cause the mother's physical condition to decline and her spirit to become fatigued due to palpitations and insomnia caused by caffeine, potentially leading to a difficult delivery. Lactation Period:
The tannic acid in tea is absorbed by the gastric mucosa and, after entering the bloodstream, inhibits mammary gland secretion, causing obstacles in milk secretion. In addition, the caffeine in the milk can cause intestinal colic in the infant. Menopause:
After the age of 45, women enter menopause. Their emotions are already unstable, and drinking tea can make them more impulsive, sometimes leading to symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, palpitations, and dysmenorrhea.
Since it is not advisable for women to drink tea during special periods, they can try gargling with strong tea water for unexpected effects. Pregnant women are prone to calcium deficiency, and gargling with tea water at this time can effectively prevent cavities. Menopausal women often have varying degrees of loose teeth, and gargling with tea water can prevent and treat periodontitis. The specific method is: take 5 grams of high-quality tea, brew with 40ml of boiling water for 30 minutes, then gargle three times in the morning, afternoon, and evening. The water temperature for brewing should be 80-90°C. Expert Q&A: a. Why pregnant women should not drink tea or coffee
During pregnancy, it is best to drink less tea and coffee. Because tea and coffee contain a stimulating substance called caffeine that can be addictive. This substance can excite the nervous system, speed up the heartbeat, and increase blood pressure. It can also cross the placenta and affect the fetus, subjecting it to the same stimulation. In addition, caffeine can destroy vitamin B1, increasing the incidence of beriberi in pregnant women and affecting fetal development. Animal experiments have shown that caffeine can have teratogenic effects on small animals, but there is no definitive evidence in humans.
The book "Newlyweds, Pregnancy, and Maternal and Infant Health Care" by Yang Peng points out: "Pregnant women who drink more than 8 cups of tea or coffee a day may have a higher risk of their fetus developing cleft palate and polydactyly." Through clinical observation, pregnant women who consume large amounts of tea or coffee have a significantly increased incidence of miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, and low birth weight infants, or the babies are not as lively or robust as normal babies after birth. Furthermore, tea contains large amounts of tannic acid, which can combine with iron in food to form a compound that the human body cannot absorb. Therefore, pregnant women who get into the habit of drinking tea with meals may develop iron-deficiency anemia. Pregnant women who were in the habit of drinking tea before pregnancy can still drink a little weak tea and coffee between meals if they wish; it is not absolutely forbidden. However, they must not drink strong tea or strong coffee in large quantities for a long time to avoid the aforementioned adverse consequences. b. Why women should not drink tea casually during their period
1. Drinking tea during menstruation can worsen iron loss. Under normal circumstances, the human body loses a certain amount of iron every day, an important element for synthesizing hemoglobin. However, for women, iron loss is greater than usual during menstruation due to significant blood loss. Drinking tea during this time will undoubtedly worsen iron loss. Because tea contains 50% tannic acid, it combines with iron molecules in food to form precipitates, hindering the intestinal mucosa's absorption of iron molecules. The stronger the tea, the lower the body's absorption of iron molecules. Therefore, it is best to avoid tea during this time and to eat foods rich in iron in your diet to supplement iron.
2. Drinking tea during menstruation can worsen constipation. Due to the secretion of progesterone, some women experience constipation during their period. The tannic acid in tea can slow down intestinal peristalsis, causing stool to remain in the intestines.
3. Drinking tea during menstruation can worsen premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms such as dysmenorrhea, headaches, lower back pain, breast tenderness, and nervous tension. Due to changes in neuroendocrine regulation, women may experience these discomfort symptoms to varying degrees. To alleviate these symptoms, one must maintain a calm mood and avoid foods that can cause excitement. Some women like to drink tea to stay alert, but doing so is more harmful than beneficial at this time. Because tea contains caffeine, which is exciting, it can worsen the above-mentioned discomfort symptoms. Medical research has shown that compared to non-tea drinkers, women who drink tea have a 2.4 times higher chance of having PMS; for those who drink more than 4 cups a day, the risk increases by 3 times. A friendly tip: Don't use a thermos to brew tea
Do not brew tea in a thermos because tea contains various vitamins and aromatic substances that will be greatly reduced under high and constant temperatures, making the brewed tea taste too astringent. Tea should not be brewed with just-boiled water, or by putting the tea leaves in a filter to steep, otherwise the rich vitamins and minerals in the tea will be lost.