Tieguanyin is actually a common green tea, especially Anxi Tieguanyin, which is a refreshing and soothing drink. Drinking Tieguanyin tea for health is a secret to longevity for many elderly people. In fact, most people only know Tieguanyin as a beverage that aids digestion and refreshes the mind, but it also has many other health benefits. Drinking Tieguanyin daily is one of the best choices for prolonging life.

Tieguanyin can help reduce the three highs (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar), especially in preventing modern prevalent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. It also has anti-aging and weight-loss properties. Therefore, regular consumption of Tieguanyin can greatly benefit overall health.

Effects and Functions of Tieguanyin:

Weight Loss

Regular drinkers of Tieguanyin may notice reduced cravings for alcohol and tobacco, less desire for greasy foods, and improved energy levels. The polyphenols in Tieguanyin can lower blood lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol, reducing subcutaneous fat and waist circumference, leading to natural weight loss.

Anti-Cancer

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has strong anti-cancer properties. Tea polyphenols are the main active components in cancer prevention. Additionally, the vitamin C and E in Tieguanyin can block the synthesis of carcinogens like nitrosamines, playing a significant role in cancer prevention.

Anti-Aging

The tea polyphenols in Tieguanyin not only enhance fat-degrading enzymes but also promote the metabolic activity of neutral lipases in tissues. Thus, drinking Tieguanyin can improve body shape, reduce subcutaneous fat and waist circumference, and aid in weight loss.

Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases

The polyphenols in Tieguanyin can reduce cholesterol levels and improve the ratio of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood. Caffeine also helps in preventing coronary heart disease, hypertension, and atherosclerosis.

Prevention of Dental Caries

The fluoride in Tieguanyin tea easily combines with calcium in teeth, forming a layer of calcium fluoride on the tooth surface, which helps prevent acid erosion and cavities. Thus, drinking Tieguanyin can prevent cavities in those without them and treat them in those who already have them.

Prevention of Diabetes

Regular consumption of Tieguanyin can replenish vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, phosphate, methyl salicylate, and polyphenols, preventing diabetes. For mild to moderate diabetics, it can significantly reduce blood sugar and urine sugar levels or normalize them. For severe diabetics, it can lower blood sugar and urine sugar levels and alleviate major symptoms.

Overall, drinking Tieguanyin greatly benefits health, making it a good choice for daily consumption. It also helps protect against radiation, especially for those who work with computers. However, excessive consumption should be avoided as it can cause insomnia due to its stimulating effects.

Contraindications of Tieguanyin:

Brewing Tieguanyin too strong or drinking too much can stimulate excessive gastric acid and intestinal fluids, causing gastrointestinal discomfort. Drinking strong Tieguanyin on an empty stomach can overstimulate the heart and nervous system, leading to insomnia, which is particularly concerning for those with heart disease or hypertension.

For those with gastrointestinal issues, strong Tieguanyin can irritate and potentially lead to gastric or duodenal ulcers.

Drinking strong Tieguanyin before meals can harm the stomach, while drinking it after meals may accelerate digestion, making one feel hungry sooner. If one cannot resist snacking before the next meal, it can undermine weight loss efforts.

Generally, a normal person should drink moderately brewed Tieguanyin, with about 3 grams of tea leaves per cup (approximately a pinch), and each cup should be brewed no more than three times. Drinking overly strong tea is not advisable as it contains high levels of caffeine, which can overstimulate the nerves, especially at night, leading to insomnia.

Those with heart disease, hypertension, stomach issues, constipation, insomnia, neurasthenia, hyperthyroidism, or iron-deficiency anemia should avoid strong tea as it can worsen their conditions.

Nursing mothers should not drink strong tea as the polyphenols can inhibit milk secretion.

Excessive consumption of strong Tieguanyin can increase heart rate, which may aggravate conditions for those with tachycardia or coronary heart disease.

However, in some cases, strong Tieguanyin can be beneficial. It has properties like clearing heat, detoxifying, moistening the lungs, resolving phlegm, promoting diuresis, and aiding digestion. For those with "internal heat," strong tea can promote diuresis; for those with oral inflammation or sore throat, it can have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects; for those with dental caries, it can help prevent cavities; and for those with sinus node or complete atrioventricular block, strong Tieguanyin can help increase heart rate as an adjunct therapy.