Can you drink tea immediately after a meal? "Drinking tea immediately after a meal is equivalent to drinking poison!" Recently, this viewpoint circulating on major health websites has been questioned by many veteran tea drinkers who enjoy a cup after eating.

Nearly 70-year-old Mr. Wang is one of them. He told reporters: "I have maintained this habit for over 20 years, why haven't I seen myself get poisoned? I don't believe it!" Mr. Wang is a dedicated tea drinker. Recently, he went to the hospital for indigestion. After discovering his habit of drinking tea right after meals, the doctor advised him to quit, believing it was the main cause of his illness. He found this claim unconvincing: "Look, which restaurant in Guangzhou doesn't serve tea before and after meals? If this habit is bad, why do so many people enjoy morning tea every day?"

Regarding this, Professor Liu Youzhang from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine believes that calling drinking tea immediately after a meal "drinking poison" is an exaggeration. However, it is indeed not advisable to drink large amounts of tea, especially strong tea, within about 20 minutes before or after a meal. This is because doing so can dilute gastric juices and affect digestion. He cited Li Shizhen's view, stating that tea has a cold and bitter nature. Drinking tea appropriately can indeed reduce internal heat and benefit health; but improper tea drinking can not only be unbeneficial to the body but could also harm it. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that "cold and bitter substances inevitably damage the spleen and stomach." Excessive tea drinking first harms the spleen and stomach, and "once the spleen and stomach are injured, all kinds of diseases arise." Mr. Wang's indigestion might also be related to his long-term habit of drinking tea after meals. Liu Youzhang reminded that elderly individuals like Mr. Wang should remember the ancient "good advice" of "drinking mild and warm tea preserves one's years." Drinking mild, warm tea is more beneficial for health.