During summer, suitable teas to drink include green tea, black tea, and White Tea, with green tea being the best choice due to its heat-clearing and thirst-quenching properties. Green tea can also protect against radiation and comes in varieties such as Longjing, Biluochun, and Huangshan Maofeng. Because of the hot weather in summer, most people experience a lack of appetite, and black tea can help with digestion and stimulate the appetite while also regulating the spleen and stomach. However, it is not recommended for those with internal heat. Types of black tea include Qihong and Dianhong.

Benefits of Drinking Tea in Summer

1. Kills Germs and Reduces Inflammation

Tea has germicidal and anti-inflammatory properties, making it useful for alleviating symptoms of mild inflammation or excess body heat. Regular consumption can also help eliminate oral bacteria and prevent tooth decay.

The tea contains organic compounds such as alcohols, aldehydes, esters, and phenols, all of which have germicidal effects, although the mechanisms by which they work vary. Some interfere with bacterial metabolism, while others cause proteins within bacteria to denature.

In addition, sulfur, iodine, chlorine, and chlorides in the tea also possess germicidal and anti-inflammatory properties. These substances are water-soluble and can be infused into the tea, thus drinking tea has a germicidal function.

2. Fights Wrinkles and Aids in Anti-Aging

Tea polyphenols are water-soluble substances that, when used in facial washes, can remove facial oils, tighten pores, and have disinfectant, antibacterial, and skin-aging inhibitory effects, alleviating skin discomfort caused by dryness during spring.

3. Protects Against Ultraviolet Radiation

Free radicals, which are oxidation products, are significant factors contributing to human aging and disease. Tea polyphenols are referred to as natural ultraviolet filters.

Our skin is constantly exposed to various screens, which emit radiation from every direction. On the other hand, prolonged exposure to smartphone and computer screens can damage the eyes. The vitamins and carotenoids in tea provide some protection for the eyes.

4. Reduces Liver Heat and Nourishes the Liver

In spring, the body's metabolism is particularly active, leading to an increase in liver heat, which can make people irritable and quick to anger. Therefore, the focus of spring health care should be on nourishing the liver. Various tea beverages can help clear liver heat, soften the liver, regulate the liver, and protect the liver.

5. Improves Memory

According to Huo Tuo's “Food Theory,” “Regular consumption of bitter tea enhances mental clarity.” Tea can aid in local brain regulation, improve memory, and enhance learning efficiency. Studies abroad have confirmed that drinking tea can prevent and treat neurological diseases, especially age-related cognitive impairment.

6. Enhances Muscle Endurance

Tea contains an antioxidant called “catechin,” which increases the body's ability to burn fat and improves muscle endurance, helping to combat fatigue. Consistent Tea drinking yields significant results.

7. Promotes the Rise of Yang Energy

During the second and third months of spring, this period is known as the release of old energy. Both heaven and earth come to life, and all things flourish. It is a season of renewal and release. At this time, one should align with the natural world and allow the body's yang energy to rise in harmony with the spring. The key is to ensure the smooth flow of liver qi, as the liver, which is associated with wood, is the organ of spring. Its nature is to flow freely and not to stagnate.

Aromatic substances assist in promoting the rise of yang energy. Teas with a high aroma, such as Phoenix Dancong, Flower tea, and herbal teas, are ideal choices.

8. Eliminates Dampness

Dampness in the environment gradually rises, and there is dew in the morning and frost at night. Dietary adjustments should focus on tonifying the spleen and stomach and removing dampness and wind. How to eliminate dampness? Boiling Chinese herbs can be troublesome, but drinking tea can help remove dampness because tea replenishes the body's water needs and promotes urination, which is beneficial for eliminating dampness.

Moreover, tea can refresh the mouth and throat. Those with excessive dampness often have a lot of phlegm that accumulates in the throat. The primary effect of tea is to moisturize the throat, and after drinking tea, the throat feels refreshed.

9. Improves Skin Health

Tea polyphenols have strong antioxidant and physiological activity, serving as scavengers of free radicals harmful to the human body. According to research, 1 milligram of tea polyphenol can neutralize the harmful effects of excessive free radicals in the body as effectively as 9 micrograms of superoxide dismutase (SOD), significantly outperforming other similar substances.

Tea polyphenols can inhibit lipid peroxidation and deactivate enzymes. According to experiments conducted by Japanese researcher Akita Takayuki, the anti-aging effects of tea polyphenols are 18 times stronger than those of vitamin E, aiding in delaying the aging process.