Introduction: There are many things to consider when drinking tea. Take a look at the following misconceptions, have you ever made any of them?
Misconception 1: The fresher the tea, the better.
By "fresh tea," we mean tea made from leaves processed less than half a month ago. Relatively speaking, this kind of tea does taste better. However, from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, freshly processed tea contains "fire qi," which needs to be stored for a period of time to dissipate. Therefore, drinking too much fresh tea can lead to "internal heat." Additionally, fresh tea has a higher content of tea polyphenols and caffeine, which can easily irritate the stomach. If you often drink fresh tea, you may experience gastrointestinal discomfort. People with a sensitive stomach should drink less green tea that has been stored for less than half a month after processing. It is also worth noting that not all types of tea are better when fresh; for example, dark teas like Pu-erh require proper aging to develop a better quality.
Misconception 2: It's best to drink tea after a meal.
Drinking tea immediately after a meal can easily cause the tea polyphenols in the tea to form complexes with iron and protein in the food, thus affecting the body's absorption of these nutrients. Drinking tea on an empty stomach before a meal can dilute gastric juice and affect its secretion, which is not conducive to digestion. The correct method is to wait at least half an hour, preferably one hour, after a meal before drinking tea. (Source: iMBeauty)
Misconception 3: Tea can sober you up.
Drinking tea after drinking alcohol has both pros and cons. Tea can accelerate the decomposition of alcohol in the body, and its diuretic effect can help excrete the decomposed substances, thus helping to sober up. However, this accelerated decomposition increases the burden on the liver and kidneys. Therefore, people with poor liver or kidney function should not use tea to sober up, and especially should not drink strong tea after alcohol.
Misconception 4: Drinking tea before bed affects sleep.
The caffeine in tea has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, which is why it's long been said that drinking tea before bed can affect sleep. At the same time, caffeine is also a diuretic, and drinking a large amount of water will inevitably increase the number of nighttime trips to the bathroom, thus affecting sleep. However, according to consumer feedback, drinking Pu-erh tea has little effect on sleep. This is not because Pu-erh contains less caffeine, but due to other, currently unknown reasons.
Misconception 5: Tea must be rinsed, and the first infusion should not be drunk.
Whether the first infusion of tea can be drunk depends on the type of tea you are drinking. If it's a dark tea or oolong tea, you should first rinse it quickly with boiling water and then discard the water. This serves both to rinse the tea and to warm it up, which is beneficial for the volatilization of the tea's aroma. However, green tea and black tea do not require this step. Some people may worry about pesticide residues on the tea and want to wash them away. In fact, the pesticides used in tea cultivation are water-insoluble, and the brewed tea infusion will not contain pesticide residues. Therefore, from the perspective of avoiding pesticide residues, rinsing the tea is unnecessary.
Misconception 6: Tea should be brewed with boiling water.
High-quality green tea is usually brewed with water around 85°C. Water that is too hot can reduce the fresh and mellow taste of the tea. Oolong teas like Tieguanyin are best brewed with boiling water for a better aroma; compressed dark teas like Pu-erh cakes can also be considered for boiling, which allows the characteristic quality components of Pu-erh to be fully extracted.
Misconception 7: Covering the teapot makes the tea more fragrant.
When brewing scented tea and oolong tea, covering the teapot makes it easier to bring out the aroma. However, when brewing green tea, covering the teapot can actually affect the purity of the aroma.
Misconception 8: Brew tea in a paper cup or insulated cup.
The inner wall of a paper cup has a layer of wax, which will affect the taste of the tea after it dissolves. An insulated cup creates a high-temperature, constant-temperature environment for the tea, which can cause the tea's color to turn yellow or dark, the taste to become bitter, and a "stewed" flavor to develop. It may even affect the health benefits of the tea. Therefore, when you are out, it's best to brew the tea in a teapot first, and then pour it into an insulated cup after the water temperature has dropped.
Misconception 9: Brew tea directly with boiled tap water.
The hardness of tap water varies greatly in different regions. In hard water, the content of metal ions like calcium and magnesium is high. These ions can react with components like tea polyphenols, affecting the tea's aroma, taste, and health benefits. In comparison, using purified water to brew tea yields better results.
Misconception 10: Chewing tea dregs after drinking tea aids in health preservation.
Some people chew and eat the tea dregs after drinking tea because tea contains relatively high amounts of carotene, crude fiber, and other nutrients. However, from a safety perspective, this method is not recommended. Because tea dregs may also contain trace amounts of heavy metals like lead and cadmium, as well as water-insoluble pesticides, eating the dregs will introduce these harmful substances into your body. There is tea for drinking and tea for eating. The limit requirements for water-insoluble harmful substances are different for the two. Tea for drinking can use water-insoluble pesticides, which is safe when brewed and consumed, but poses a potential risk when chewed. Tea for eating is subject to much stricter standards.
In fact, in addition to the above misconceptions, it should also be reminded that drinking hot tea, strong tea, or overnight tea is not good for your health. If you hope to use tea for health preservation, it is best to choose suitable teas for the four seasons of the year. In spring, scented tea is recommended to help dispel the cold accumulated in the body during winter. In summer, green tea is suitable because it can clear heat, relieve summer heat, and detoxify. In autumn, oolong tea (also known as green tea) is ideal, as it is neither too cold nor too hot and helps eliminate the remaining heat in the body, restoring a sweet and warm nature to make one feel refreshed. In winter, it is best to drink warm black tea or heavily fermented oolong tea.