▎ Top Recommendation: Pu'er Tea

Pu'er is loved by many, and it is divided into two main types: raw Pu'er and ripe Pu'er. Raw Pu'er has a more intense and stimulating character, while ripe Pu'er is milder and more aromatic. Additionally, as a post-fermented tea with a high degree of fermentation, the participation of microorganisms transforms it into many special substances beneficial to the human body. For modern people whose winter diet tends to be greasy, drinking Pu'er tea can supplement dietary nutrition, aid digestion, reduce greasiness, and lower blood lipids and blood pressure. Therefore, Pu'er tea is the most fitting choice for winter!

Apart from Pu'er tea, no matter what type of tea it is, if paired correctly and chosen according to one's needs, the warm tea soup can provide a warming effect in the cold winter.

However, due to differences in cultivation varieties and processing techniques, the six major types of tea have subtle differences in their intrinsic substances, which also gives them distinct focuses in terms of health benefits. From a wellness perspective, the best approach is to choose the tea that suits your body's needs based on different physiological requirements.

So, let's now talk about the other types of tea:

▎ Green Tea

Is green tea really unsuitable for winter?

Green tea is a very familiar beverage for tea lovers. However, in winter, when we want to drink green tea, there are always people advising against it, saying that green tea is cold in nature and can easily harm the spleen and stomach in winter. But others argue that green tea has excellent health benefits and can still be consumed in winter.

For those who have developed a habit of drinking green tea, even winter won't change that. Drinking green tea has many benefits, as the rich antioxidants it contains can protect the liver, cleanse blood vessels, and its refreshing aroma has been proven to uplift mood.

The main concern about drinking green tea in winter is that it is a cold-natured tea, and the cold season is indeed not suitable for excessive consumption, especially for people with cold constitutions or weak spleen and stomachs. However, this doesn't mean it can't be drunk at all. Here, we recommend mixing green tea with ingredients like tangerine peel or goji berries to balance its cold nature. This way, you won't harm your spleen and stomach while still enjoying the health benefits of green tea.

▎ Black Tea

Warms the body and aids digestion

Black tea is fully fermented. During processing, chemical reactions produce components like theaflavins and thearubigins, which largely determine the color, taste, and aroma of black tea. Theaflavins are also known as the "soft gold" in tea, with excellent effects on regulating blood lipids and lowering cholesterol.

In addition, fermentation and baking significantly reduce polyphenols, making black tea less harmful to the stomach. It also promotes digestion and dilates blood vessels.

▎ White Tea

Older white tea has more pharmacological components

Since it is not subjected to high-temperature fixation, white tea has room for aging. Simply put, it is "durable," which is why there is a saying: "One year of tea, three years of medicine, seven years of treasure." New white tea, made from tender raw materials, has a fresh and mellow taste and can help detoxify, reduce heat, and prevent colds.

Older white tea, as it ages, undergoes transformation in its intrinsic substances, enhancing its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and free-radical-clearing effects. This is why traditional Chinese medicine uses aged white tea as a remedy.

▎ Yellow Tea

Milder than green tea

Yellow tea is made from tender raw materials, and its production process is similar to that of green tea, with comparable benefits. However, yellow tea undergoes an additional "smothering" process—a light fermentation—that promotes the oxidation of polyphenols, making it mellower and less cold in nature than green tea.

▎ Oolong Tea

Best for boosting metabolism

Oolong tea is made from mature raw materials and is a semi-fermented tea. Its fermentation level lies between that of black tea and green tea. The finished product contains tea pigments transformed from polyphenols, which have antioxidant, greasiness-reducing, and blood-pressure-lowering effects. At the same time, oolong tea's high aroma provides excellent mental clarity and focus.

A Japanese study tested the metabolic effects of various teas and found that green tea can increase metabolism by 4 calories per hour, while oolong tea can increase it by 9 calories!