Hot tea is a good beverage for preventing heatstroke
If someone were to ask me what is the best drink to consume during the height of summer, I would say without hesitation that hot tea is the only choice.
Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that fire is the primary element of summer, most easily scorching the human body and consuming bodily fluids, leading to symptoms such as fever, vexation, thirst, dizziness, a heavy head, palpitations, and shortness of breath. As the functions of the internal organs in the elderly decline, their bodily fluids diminish, and their vital energy and blood become insufficient, making them more susceptible to the pathogenic heat of summer and prone to heatstroke. The principle of preventing heatstroke by drinking tea lies in tea's effects of clearing heat and relieving summer heat, promoting the production of fluids to quench thirst, and strengthening the heart and promoting urination. Chen Zangqi of the Tang Dynasty said in his book "Bencao Shiyi" (Supplement to Materia Medica): "Tea can quench thirst and promote urination." The great pharmacologist of the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen, held tea in the highest regard in his "Bencao Gangmu" (Compendium of Materia Medica), stating: "Tea is bitter and cold, and is best at reducing fire. Fire is the root of a hundred illnesses; when fire is reduced, the upper body is cleared." "Drinking it warm causes the fire to descend due to the cold nature of the tea, while drinking it hot allows the tea's properties to ascend and disperse with the body's heat." Modern medical research indicates that the caffeine, theobromine, theophylline, and aromatic substances dissolved in hot tea can stimulate the brain's nerves, which is beneficial for regulating the body's temperature center. They can also strengthen the heart, promote urination, enhance blood circulation, increase renal blood flow, speed up metabolism, and cause excess body heat to be expelled through urine. Drinking hot tea can promote blood flow to the body's surface, open pores, relax sweat glands, and promote the secretion of sweat to dissipate heat. It has been measured that drinking hot tea can lower skin temperature by 1°C to 2°C after 9 minutes, and the cooling effect can last for more than 15 minutes. Due to insufficient bodily fluids, the elderly often experience a dry mouth and throat. The polyphenols, sugars, amino acids, and various aromatic substances in tea can stimulate the oral mucosa, promoting saliva secretion and thus quenching thirst. Elderly individuals with chronic conditions such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are particularly susceptible to heatstroke during the intense heat of the "Sanfu" days (the hottest period of summer). The components in tea, such as polyphenols, vitamin C, and polysaccharide esters, help protect cardiovascular health, lower cholesterol and blood lipids, and can also protect hematopoietic function, increase white blood cells, and enhance disease resistance. Therefore, drinking tea is extremely beneficial for strengthening the body and preventing heatstroke.
However, drinking tea must be done scientifically. One should not drink too much at once; it is better to sip it slowly. The tea should be light and moderately strong. On a scorching summer day, one can leisurely drink Gongfu tea alone, or invite two or three friends to sit under the shade of a tree, drinking and chatting. In the midst of tea drinking, the summer heat disappears, bringing one the pleasure, coolness, and health of the season.