The saying goes, “cigarettes, alcohol, and Tea are inseparable.” With the end of the year approaching, work pressure and various gatherings make cigarettes, alcohol, and tea almost like a harmonious family.
Although cigarettes, alcohol, and tea can all be considered indulgent consumer products, their effects on human health are quite different, meaning they cannot be lumped together. Additionally, the common combinations of cigarettes with alcohol, cigarettes with tea, and alcohol with tea are not necessarily appropriate.
1. Cigarettes and Alcohol: Keep Them Separate
Tobacco has been in China since the Ming Dynasty, gradually becoming commonplace from medicinal use to daily consumption. Today, China is the world's largest cigarette-consuming country, with one-third of the world's smokers residing here.
Cigarette smoking is detrimental to health. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemical substances, over fifty of which are carcinogenic. Cigarettes also act as free radical generators, increasing the risk of cancer when there is an excess of free radicals in the body.
Combining cigarettes and alcohol at social events doubles the harm. Many people enjoy smoking while drinking, especially during gatherings and banquets, where glasses clink and smoke fills the air. This is a worse habit for health than drinking or smoking alone.
Nicotine in cigarettes can reduce the concentration of alcohol in the blood, causing smokers to inadvertently consume more alcohol. Alcohol acts as a good solvent for the carcinogenic toxins in tobacco, allowing these toxic substances to quickly dissolve in alcohol and spread throughout the body. As a result, the body is exposed to greater and deeper harm from the toxins in tobacco.
2. Cigarettes and Tea: Good Companions
China is the birthplace of the world's tea and Tea culture, with a long history. Nowadays, tea is ranked first among the world's three non-alcoholic beverages, enjoyed globally by many.
Tea is the most ideal healthy beverage, with reasonable consumption being harmless. Tea leaves have a mild stimulating effect and a pleasant aroma, containing polyphenols, theanine, and vitamins that not only have some pharmacological effects but also play a role in physiological nutrition. They can quench thirst, refresh the mind, and provide a delightful experience.
If you must smoke, drink plenty of tea. The polyphenols in tea can inhibit the release of free radicals and control the proliferation of cancer cells. Generally, catechins, the main polyphenolic compounds in tea, are antioxidants and strong inhibitors of free radicals, helping to suppress tumor formation caused by smoking.
Drinking two to three cups of tea daily, over the long term, benefits one's ability to prevent cancer. For regular smokers, moderate tea consumption can help lower the risk of developing cancer due to smoking.
3. Tea and Alcohol: Not a Good Match
China is the homeland of alcohol and the origin of its culture. Alcohol culture has developed into a near-universal daily ritual.
Excessive drinking is harmful and can cause numerous diseases. While moderate consumption can have a positive effect on circulation for healthy individuals, excessive or prolonged drinking can lead to liver dysfunction and ethanol-induced cirrhosis. It can also easily cause heart disease and cerebral hemorrhage, among other cardiovascular diseases.
Drinking Tea while consuming alcohol can exacerbate drunkenness. Some people frequently drink tea while drinking alcohol, believing it prevents getting drunk. However, alcohol strongly stimulates the cardiovascular system, while the alkaloids in tea have a central nervous system-stimulating effect. Drinking tea while consuming alcohol can increase heart rate and place additional strain on the heart, potentially worsening symptoms of nausea and dizziness after drinking.
Strong tea for hangover relief is unreliable. Some people drink large quantities of tea, particularly concentrated tea, after getting drunk, believing it helps with recovery. This is incorrect. Tea accelerates diuresis, promoting the excretion of alcohol before it has fully converted into carbon dioxide and water. Over time, this could leave harmful alcohol components in the kidneys, placing an additional burden on them and causing damage.
4. Quit Smoking, Drink Less Alcohol, and Consume More Tea
Does someone who smokes and drinks every day necessarily have a shorter lifespan? — Not necessarily. Does drinking tea daily mean one will never get sick? — Of course not.
As the saying goes, natural laws are constant, but human affairs are unpredictable. In reality, whether someone can remain healthy and enjoy longevity depends on a combination of factors, including personal constitution, living environment, mental state, and others. The lifestyle of “quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake, and drinking more tea” may not suit everyone, but generally speaking, it is a worthwhile choice to try and maintain, especially the habit of reasonable tea consumption, which can be sustained over the long term without harm.
Scientifically, the reason humans develop an “addiction” to cigarettes, alcohol, and tea, especially the more stimulating cigarettes and alcohol, is due to a substance called “dopamine.”
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that induces excitement and happiness, playing a role in regulating physical activity, mental activity, endocrine function, and cardiovascular activity. Smoking, drinking alcohol, drinking tea, or Coffee can stimulate the brain to secrete more dopamine, inducing feelings of excitement, happiness, comfort, and pleasure. Insufficient dopamine, however, can lead to changes in mood. People accustomed to a “dopamine” lifestyle may feel restless and anxious when deprived of cigarettes, alcohol, or tea.
The decision to smoke or drink alcohol essentially involves weighing the harm to the body against stress relief. However, there are many ways to relieve stress. Next time, consider having a cup of tea. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the world, everyone needs and deserves a moment of tranquility, the elegance and fragrance of tea.