The heavens have the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—while humans have the five organs: lungs, liver, kidneys, heart, and spleen. Chinese tea, coincidentally, is divided into five colors—white, yellow, black, red, and green—which correspond to the five flavors: pungent, sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. These interconnections between the five elements, organs, colors, and flavors form a tightly knit "health preservation cycle."

The secret behind "a single leaf curing a hundred ailments"

 

 

Tea's health benefits have been documented in many ancient tea and medical texts. The Record of Drinking Tea for Health praises tea's extraordinary qualities: "How precious is tea! It connects to the divine realms above and nourishes the afflicted below. While other medicines target specific ailments, tea is a cure for all diseases."

Tea is a sacred and noble substance, capable of reaching heavenly realms and healing those harmed by diet. It is a panacea for all illnesses. The mystery behind tea's ability to "cure a hundred ailments with a single leaf" is systematically explained using the ancient Chinese theory of the five elements.

The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon long ago pointed out that green corresponds to wood and the liver; red to fire and the heart; yellow to earth and the spleen; white to metal and the lungs; and black to water and the kidneys.

Song Dynasty scholar Chen Zhi's Book of Nurturing Elderly Parents also records: "Among the countless edible plants and animals, their five energies, five flavors, and properties of cold, heat, supplementation, and purgation all follow the principles of yin-yang and the five elements. Understanding these dietary properties allows one to regulate the body better than medicine. A skilled physician is no match for a skilled chef." Any health preservation method, theory, or consumable can be interpreted through the five-element theory, elevating it to a higher level. Tea is no exception.

Chinese tea is classified into six types: black tea, white tea, red tea, green tea, yellow tea, and dark tea. Among these, dark tea is a subset of green tea, distinguished by its reddish hue amid green, symbolizing wood containing fire. Premium varieties like Tieguanyin and oolong are renowned nationwide, earning their own category as dark tea, reflecting their unique status.

Thus, Chinese tea essentially comprises five colors: green, red, yellow, white, and black. These five colors nourish the five organs, achieving holistic health. By balancing the five elements' mutual generation and restraint, tea harmonizes heaven and earth—this is the essence of tea's health benefits.

 

 

1. Green Tea

Green tea is unfermented, with clear broth and green leaves. In China, it is the most produced, diverse, and widely consumed tea. Representative varieties include Hangzhou Longjing, Huangshan Maofeng, Dongting Biluochun, and Taishan Nü'er Tea.

Green tea belongs to the wood element, with a sour taste and fresh aroma. It enters the liver meridian, which governs blood, making it effective for improving vision, cleansing blood, and reducing blood clots. Ideal for spring, it dispels wind-heat and reduces inflammation.

Traditional health science holds that spring is the season of growth, associated with wind, wood, the liver, and the color green. After winter's dormancy, the body's accumulated cold energy needs release in spring, often causing liver-related ailments. Green tea's high aroma revitalizes the mind, uplifts mood, and alleviates spring fatigue. Its green color nourishes the liver, disperses wind-heat, soothes the liver, brightens the eyes, and reduces inflammation.

 

 

2. Red Tea

Red tea is fully fermented, characterized by a red broth, red leaves, and a sweet, mellow flavor. Keemun Black Tea is a prime example.

Red tea belongs to the fire element, with a bitter taste and toasty aroma. It enters the heart meridian and connects to the small intestine meridian, warming the middle and reducing heart disease risk. Best for summer, it cools heat, relieves summer lethargy, strengthens the heart, and promotes fluid production.

Summer is the season of exuberance, associated with heat, fire, the heart, and the color red. With scorching sun and long days, bodily fluids deplete quickly, often causing heart palpitations and chest tightness. Red tea's warmth aligns with the season, dispelling summer heat, refreshing the mind, strengthening the heart, and generating fluids.

 

 

3. Yellow Tea

Yellow tea is lightly fermented, with yellow leaves and broth, tender buds, and a fresh, mellow flavor. Its color results from a unique "smothering" process. Subtypes include yellow bud tea, yellow small tea, and yellow large tea. Representative teas include Junshan Yinzhen, Mengding Huangya, and Huoshan Huangya.

Yellow tea belongs to the earth element, with a sweet taste and rich aroma. It enters the spleen meridian and connects to the stomach meridian, aiding digestion. Ideal for late summer ("long summer"), it stabilizes the spleen and stomach.

Long summer, a 30-day period between minor heat and autumn's start, is marked by dampness and earth's nurturing energy. The spleen governs nutrient transformation, and its color is yellow. When damp-heat overwhelms the spleen, digestive issues arise. Yellow tea warms heart yang to fortify the spleen, as illustrated in Dream of the Red Chamber, where Old Lady Jia is served Junshan Yinzhen to soothe overeating.

 

 

4. White Tea

White tea is lightly fermented, covered in white hairs, resembling silver or snow, with a light broth. Fujian White Hair Silver Needle is a classic example.

White tea belongs to the metal element, with a pungent taste and fresh aroma. It enters the lung meridian and connects to the large intestine meridian. The lungs govern the skin, so white tea expels toxins and dissipates heat. Ideal for autumn, it reduces dryness and cleanses the intestines.

Autumn is the season of harvest, associated with dryness, metal, the lungs, and the color white. As nature withers, dryness often causes respiratory issues. White tea's coolness aids purification, detoxification, diuresis, and bowel movements. Research suggests its cancer-prevention efficacy may surpass green tea's by fivefold.

 

 

5. Black Tea

Black tea uses coarse leaves and undergoes prolonged fermentation, resulting in dark leaves and broth. Pu'er Tea from Yunnan is its flagship.

Black tea belongs to the water element, with a salty-astringent taste and aged aroma. It enters the kidney meridian and connects to the bladder meridian. As kidneys are the body's energy source, black tea promotes longevity. The bladder governs excretion, making black tea effective for weight loss. Ideal for winter, it warms yang energy, strengthens the stomach, and warms the abdomen.

Winter is the season of storage, associated with cold, water, the kidneys, and the color black. As nature hibernates, the body craves more energy, and kidneys store essence. Overeating and inactivity lead to ailments. Pu'er tea warms yang, aids digestion, warms the abdomen, and cleanses fats. Traditional medicine emphasizes "three passages" (bowels, qi, blood) for health, and Pu'er excels at liver-stomach care and lipid metabolism. Winter bowel regularity is vital for health, as smooth passage ensures qi and blood flow, achieving yin-yang balance. Black tea, especially Pu'er, is winter's ideal choice for kidney nourishment and essence preservation.

Learn to drink tea and become your own health expert

 

 

The five elements correspond to five colors, which govern the five organs. Using five-color tea enhances organ vitality, balancing body and mind. Calmness naturally cools the heart—this is the principle. Understanding this, everyone can choose tea suited to their constitution.

Those with cold stomachs should avoid green tea and light oolong, opting instead for Da Hong Pao, robust oolong, or red tea. Heat-prone individuals may prefer light oolong, white tea, or green tea. Those with weak digestion may benefit from aged oolong stored in clay jars, aged rock tea, red tea, or Pu'er. Kidney-deficient individuals might choose aged oolong stored in tin cans... and so on.

A tea-loving friend obsessed with green tea often suffered stomach pain. Learning of his cold stomach, I advised against green tea, as its wood nature conflicts with the stomach's earth element, worsening discomfort. Switching to red tea and Pu'er alleviated his issues.

As the saying goes, "Tea embodies the five elements; health preservation requires wisdom." By understanding one's body and selecting tea aligned with the five elements and organs, harmony is achieved, fulfilling health preservation's purpose.

Lu Xun once said, "Having good tea and knowing how to drink it is a blessing. To enjoy this blessing, one needs time and cultivated discernment." Embracing five-element tea wisdom, anyone can become their own health expert through regular practice.