People generally believe that the freshest Tea has the best taste, and when new teas come on the market, some can't resist the temptation to rush out and buy teas harvested before the Ming Festival or the Rain Festival. However, according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) experts, the view that “teas are better the fresher they are” is a misunderstanding.
Fresh Teas Should Not Be Greedily Consumed
Dr. Xiang Wei, director of the Spleen and Stomach Diseases Department at Zunyi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, explained that according to TCM theory, which advocates “nourishing yang in spring and summer,” Drinking Tea regularly at this time not only helps to dispel the cold accumulated in the body over winter but also promotes the growth of yang energy. Additionally, it can help refresh the mind, relieve drowsiness, and uplift the spirit. However, not all types of tea are better the fresher they are, as Pu'er tea and dark tea improve with age. Those who seek freshness should choose Green Tea, but even then, there's no need to drink it immediately after it's picked.
The allure of fresh tea is hard for many to resist, yet the freshest tea doesn't necessarily have the best nutritional content. Because tea leaves picked within less than a month have not been aged, they contain high levels of Caffeine, active alkaloids, and various aromatic substances. These substances can easily excite the nervous system, which can be detrimental to those with neurasthenia or cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, if consumed by individuals with poor gastrointestinal function, these substances can cause abdominal pain, constipation, dry mouth, and sore throat.
Therefore, after purchasing fresh tea, one should avoid drinking it immediately and certainly not in large quantities. At the very least, the tea should be stored for half a month before consumption. By allowing time for some of the polyphenols, aldehydes, and alcohols to dissipate or oxidize, and for the activity of caffeine, alkaloids, or aromatic substances to decrease, the tea becomes safer and healthier to drink.
There's an Art to Drinking Tea Healthily
After drinking fresh tea, many people experience a series of adverse reactions such as dizziness, insomnia, weakness, stomach pain, bloating, and constipation. This is known as “tea intoxication syndrome.” The best way to prevent “tea intoxication” is to avoid drinking excessive amounts of tea. Moderation is key. Secondly, consuming some tea snacks while drinking tea, such as dates, olives, peanuts, or small sweets, can help. These foods, which are salty and sweet, replenish sodium ions and increase blood sugar levels, reducing the likelihood of experiencing “tea intoxication.”
Additionally, it's best not to brew tea using a thermos. A thermos creates a high-temperature, constant-temperature environment for Steeping tea, leading to the destruction of vitamins and the excessive release of tea alkaloids and tannins, which not only reduces the tea's nutritional value but also makes the tea taste bitter and unpalatable.
Tea should not be consumed within one hour before or after meals, as it can interfere with the absorption of proteins. Since tea contains vitamins and amino acids, it should not be consumed alongside protein-rich foods like beef, lamb, or seafood.
Furthermore, green tea is slightly cooling in nature, so it should be consumed in moderation, especially by those with yang deficiency in the spleen and stomach, to avoid harming their digestive yang energy. People with anemia, neurasthenia, hyperthyroidism, tuberculosis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, habitual constipation, kidney and urinary tract stones, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and infants should avoid drinking tea.