As the cold winter arrives, brewing a cup of hot tea not only helps to keep warm but also has health preservation benefits. However, drinking tea in winter requires some knowledge. What kind of tea is suitable for you? The health care benefits of different tea leaves and the best times to drink them vary. Let’s take a look—are you really drinking the right tea in winter?
The health benefits of drinking these four types of tea in winter are quite different.
1. Depression—Enjoy Flower Tea
Flower teas include jasmine tea, magnolia tea, osmanthus tea, and rose tea, which are made by scenting green tea with different fragrant flowers. Generally, flower tea can nourish the liver and gallbladder, strengthen the limbs, and promote meridian circulation. For example, jasmine tea can clear heat, relieve summer heat, strengthen the spleen, and calm the mind, making it effective in treating dysentery and stomach pain. Honeysuckle tea, on the other hand, can clear heat, detoxify, refresh the mind, quench thirst, and is ideal for relieving sore throats. It also helps prevent flu. Therefore, it is advisable to choose flower tea appropriately in winter, especially for women who are prone to mood depression and irritability during menopause or around their menstrual period. Drinking flower tea can help alleviate melancholy.
A cup of flower tea at 9 a.m. It is most suitable for a person to drink three cups of tea a day. The first cup is morning tea, best consumed between 9 and 10 a.m. after breakfast. It can help refresh the mind, detoxify, and combat fatigue, making it the most important of the three cups. Flower tea is most suitable for morning tea. As it is twice processed, blending the rich aroma of flowers with the fresh fragrance of tea, it can awaken the mind and boost energy throughout the day. However, it should be noted that people with insomnia should avoid flower tea, as it may worsen sleep disorders. Those with allergies should also avoid flower tea. Flower tea is best brewed in a lidded porcelain cup. It emphasizes savoring the aroma rather than admiring the tea leaves. Use recently boiled water to brew, cover the cup, and let it steep for a while. Then, uncover the cup to enjoy the refreshing fragrance of the flower tea, which can invigorate the spirit.
2. Internal Heat—Drink Green Tea
In winter, the climate is dry, and people tend to eat oily and spicy foods, leading to internal heat, which becomes a health issue for many. This can cause constipation, dry mouth, and even mouth sores. At such times, green tea can help. Green tea is unfermented and has a cold nature, making it effective in clearing heat, reducing internal heat, promoting saliva production, quenching thirst, aiding digestion, and resolving phlegm. It can also accelerate the healing of mild gastric ulcers and help lower blood lipids and prevent vascular hardening. Therefore, green tea is suitable for those prone to internal heat, those who smoke and drink regularly, and those who are overweight (generally of a solid heat constitution). However, people with weak and cold stomachs should avoid green tea.
A cup of green tea at 1 p.m. It is best consumed between 1 and 3 p.m., after lunch or a nap. Afternoon tea can be slightly stronger to help lower blood lipids and protect blood vessels. Jiang Yongwen explains that the health benefits of green tea, such as antioxidant properties, free radical clearance, and antiviral effects, are primarily due to the polyphenols in tea leaves. Therefore, green tea is best brewed and consumed immediately. If the water temperature is too high or the brewing time is too long, the polyphenols will be destroyed.
Generally, the water temperature for brewing green tea should be around 85°C, just when the water starts to boil. The brewing time should be 2–3 minutes. The ratio of green tea to water should be appropriate, ideally 1:50. For example, use 3 grams of tea leaves for 150 milliliters of water to achieve a moderate concentration. For tea utensils, porcelain cups or transparent glass cups are recommended.
3. Preventing Flu—Drink Black Tea
Black tea is the best choice for winter tea drinking. Black tea is sweet and warm, nourishing the body’s阳气 (yang energy). It is rich in protein and sugar, generating heat and warming the abdomen, enhancing the body’s cold resistance, and aiding digestion and reducing greasiness. In some regions of China, it is customary to drink black tea with sugar, milk, or sesame, which not only generates heat and warms the abdomen but also adds nutrition and strengthens the body.
Studies have found that black tea can reduce the incidence of stroke and heart disease. These are common diseases in winter, so elderly people with cardiovascular diseases can benefit from brewing a cup of warm black tea frequently in winter, not only to warm the body but also to prevent diseases. Additionally, gargling with or directly drinking black tea can help prevent flu, which is essential in winter. Moreover, black tea has unique effects in preventing osteoporosis and reducing the incidence of skin cancer, making it suitable for a wider audience. As black tea is a fermented tea, it is mild and less irritating, making it particularly suitable for people with weak stomachs and bodies.
Experts remind that when drinking black tea, the amount of tea leaves should be controlled to 3–5 grams. It must be consumed hot, and it is best to brew and drink it immediately. If left for too long, both its nutritional value and taste will diminish.
A cup of black tea at 6 p.m. Black tea is best consumed between 6 and 7 p.m. after dinner, as it aids in lowering blood lipids and promoting digestion. Yang Li suggests that black tea is most suitable for drinking in the evening because fermented tea contains low levels of caffeine, which has minimal impact on sleep. People with a cold constitution can drink more black tea, as it warms the middle and dispels cold, benefiting those with cold stomachs, cold hands and feet, weak bodies, and prone to diarrhea. In terms of brewing, unlike green tea, high water temperature promotes the effective dissolution of flavonoids in black tea, enhancing both flavor and aroma while better exerting its health functions.
Therefore, it is best to brew black tea with boiling water and allow it to steep for a relatively longer time—generally, 5 minutes is ideal. The amount of water used for brewing black tea is similar to that for green tea. Gongfu black tea can be brewed 3–4 times, while broken black tea can be brewed 1–2 times. Additionally, try to avoid drinking tea after 8 p.m.
4. Dry Mouth and Throat—Drink Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is a semi-fermented tea,介于 (between) green and black tea, with a bluish-brown color, hence also known as "green tea" (Note: In Chinese, oolong tea is sometimes called "青茶," which literally means "blue-green tea"). In terms of taste, oolong tea has the freshness and natural floral aroma of green tea, as well as the mellow richness of black tea. It is neither cold nor hot but moderately warm, making it effective in moisturizing the skin and throat, promoting saliva production, and clearing accumulated heat from the body, helping the body adapt to changes in the natural environment. In winter, indoor air is often dry, and people are prone to dry mouth and chapped lips. Brewing a cup of oolong tea at this time can alleviate the discomfort of dryness. Additionally, oolong tea has a good分解 (breaking down) effect on protein and fat, preventing fat accumulation in the liver. For those worried about gaining weight in winter, oolong tea also has certain weight loss benefits.