1. Avoid drinking large amounts of tea right before or after meals. The correct practice is to drink tea one hour after a meal, and it should not be too strong.

2. People who are physically weak, malnourished, or anemic should avoid drinking tea.

3. Patients with urinary stones should avoid drinking tea.

4. Avoid drinking tea before bedtime.

5. Avoid drinking overnight tea.

6. Avoid drinking spoiled tea or the first infusion of tea.

2. Taboos for Pu-erh Tea

1. It is not advisable to drink strong Pu-erh tea on an empty stomach. It should be consumed at appropriate times depending on the individual.

2. Pu-erh tea should be brewed and consumed immediately. Avoid drinking tea that has been steeped for too long, and do not drink overnight Pu-erh tea.

3. Freshly made Pu-erh tea should not be consumed in large quantities.

4. Keeping tea utensils clean is very important; do not forget to wash your cups regularly when drinking Pu-erh tea.

5. Pu-erh tea is best enjoyed in variety, not exclusively.

6. Pu-erh tea is suitable for long-term consumption, but not intermittently.

7. Pu-erh tea should be drunk warm, not scalding hot or cold.

8. Pu-erh tea should be drunk lightly, not too strong.

9. Avoid drinking large amounts of Pu-erh tea before or after meals.

10. Drink Pu-erh tea in moderation before bedtime.

11. Avoid drinking poor-quality or spoiled tea.

12. Avoid drinking Pu-erh tea that has been steeped too many times.

13. Use the boiling method with caution.

14. Drinking Pu-erh tea depends on one's constitution.

3. Taboos for Green Tea

1. Avoid drinking the first infusion of tea: Because tea leaves may be contaminated with pesticides and other harmful substances during cultivation and processing, there is always some residue on the surface. Therefore, the first infusion acts as a wash and should be discarded.

2. Avoid drinking tea on an empty stomach: Drinking tea on an empty stomach can dilute gastric juices, reduce digestive function, and increase absorption rates, causing harmful components in tea to enter the bloodstream and trigger symptoms like dizziness, palpitations, and weakness in the limbs.

3. Avoid overconsumption of new tea: Because new tea has a short storage time, it contains higher levels of unoxidized polyphenols, aldehydes, and alcohols, which can strongly irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa and easily induce stomach problems. Therefore, new tea should be consumed sparingly, and tea stored for less than half a month should be avoided.

4. People with a cold stomach should not drink too much, as excessive consumption can cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Those with neurasthenia or insomnia should avoid drinking tea before bedtime. Nursing mothers should also drink less tea, as tea can have a收敛 (astringent) effect on breast milk.

5. Do not take medicine with green tea, and avoid drinking overnight tea. The tannic acid in green tea can bind with many medications, forming precipitates that hinder absorption and reduce efficacy. As the saying goes, "Tea can counteract medicine." Overnight tea loses its vitamins over time, and its nutrients become a breeding ground for bacteria and mold.

4. Taboos for Chrysanthemum Tea

1. People with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold should drink less.

Ancient texts record that chrysanthemum is sweet and bitter in taste, slightly cold in nature, and has the effects of dispersing wind-heat, calming liver yang, clearing the liver and improving vision, and clearing heat and detoxifying. Modern research suggests that chrysanthemum contains various nutrients and has antibacterial, antiviral, antipyretic, and anti-aging effects. When brewing chrysanthemum tea, it should not be consumed continuously for long periods; generally, 3-5 days is appropriate. People with a cold constitution may add some goji berries, while those with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold should drink less.

2. People with yang-deficient constitution should not drink chrysanthemum tea regularly.

If one excessively drinks chrysanthemum tea, which has heat-clearing and fire-purging properties, it can easily damage healthy qi, making the body weaker. This is especially true for people with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold; drinking too much cold-natured chrysanthemum tea can easily cause stomach discomfort and lead to acid reflux. It is clear that using chrysanthemum tea to reduce heat and fire is not suitable for everyone; one size does not fit all.

Black Tea, Yellow Tea, Green Tea, White Tea, Oolong Tea (Green Tea), Dark Tea. So, what are the effects and functions of these different types of tea?

1. Black Tea

Black tea is created by fermenting green tea. It is made from suitable new tea leaves and processed through typical steps such as withering, rolling (cutting), fermentation, and drying. It is named black tea because the dry tea leaves and the brewed tea soup are predominantly red. There are many varieties of black tea, and they are produced in various regions. Based on processing methods and the shape of the finished tea, they can be mainly divided into three categories: Gongfu black tea, Souchong black tea, and broken black tea. Gongfu black tea is unique to China, such as Keemun Gongfu and Dianhong Gongfu. The term "Gongfu" has a dual meaning: first, it refers to the extra effort put into processing compared to other black teas; second, it refers to taking ample time to savor it when brewing. Souchong black tea is a specialty of Fujian Province, divided into Zhengshan Souchong and Waishan Souchong. Zhengshan Souchong is produced in high mountains above 1000 meters, which are now protected as a place of origin. Zhengshan Souchong can be further divided into Eastern and European flavors. The Eastern flavor emphasizes pine smoke aroma and longan soup taste, while the European flavor has a stronger pine aroma, making it more suitable to pair with smoked fish and smoked meat. Broken black tea is a major product in the international tea market. Processing broken black tea through machinery produces international CTC black tea, which is most suitable for making flavored tea, iced tea, and milk tea. Black tea can aid gastrointestinal digestion, promote appetite, act as a diuretic, reduce edema, and strengthen heart function. In terms of disease prevention: black tea has strong antibacterial properties. Gargling with black tea can prevent colds caused by filterable viruses, prevent tooth decay and food poisoning, and lower blood sugar and blood pressure. The American Heart Association once concluded that black tea is "one of the beverages rich in flavonoids that eliminate free radicals and have antioxidant effects, which can reduce the incidence of myocardial infarction."

2. Yellow Tea

Yellow tea is a type of tea with a slightly different processing technique from green tea, involving an additional step called "men dui wo huang" (pile fermentation to yellow). After pile fermentation, the leaves turn yellow and are then dried to produce yellow tea, which yields a yellow soup and yellow leaves after brewing. Yellow tea is a specialty of China. Based on the tenderness of the fresh leaves, it is further divided into small-leaf yellow tea and large-leaf yellow tea. Examples like Mengding Huangya, Junshan Yinzhen, Weishan Maojian, and Pingyang Huangtang belong to small-leaf yellow tea; while some yellow teas produced in Jinzhai, Huoshan in Anhui, and Yingshan in Hubei are large-leaf yellow tea. The characteristic of yellow tea is "yellow leaves and yellow soup." Yueyang in Hunan is known as the hometown of Chinese yellow tea. Yellow tea is a piled tea. During the piling process, it produces a large amount of digestive enzymes, which are most beneficial for the spleen and stomach. Indigestion, poor appetite, lethargy, and obesity can all be alleviated by drinking it. Wenzhou Huangtang can better utilize the original functions of yellow tea. Wenzhou Huangtang can penetrate fat cells more effectively, allowing fat cells to restore metabolic function under the action of digestive enzymes and break down fat. Yellow tea is rich in tea polyphenols, amino acids, soluble sugars, vitamins, and other nutrients, which have significant effects in preventing esophageal cancer. Additionally, yellow tea retains more than 85% of the natural substances from the fresh leaves, and these substances have special effects in preventing cancer, fighting cancer, sterilizing, and reducing inflammation, surpassing other types of tea.

3. Green Tea

Green tea is non-fermented tea. It is made from suitable new tea shoots and processed through typical steps such as de-enzyming (kill-green), rolling, and drying. The dry tea leaves and the brewed tea soup and leaves are predominantly green. Based on different drying and de-enzyming methods, green tea is generally divided into four types: pan-fired, oven-dried, sun-dried, and steamed green tea. Well-known varieties of green tea include: Longjing green tea, Biluochun green tea, Huangshan Maofeng green tea, Lushan Yunwu green tea, Lu'an Guapian green tea, Mengding green tea, Taiping Houkui green tea, Junshan Yinzhen green tea, Guzhu Zisun green tea, Xinyang Maojian green tea, Pingshui Zhu green tea, Xishan green tea, Yandang Maofeng green tea, Huading Yunwu green tea, Yongxi Huoqing green tea, Jingting Luxue green tea, Emei E'rui green tea, Duyun Maojian green tea, Enshi Yulu green tea, Wuyuan Mingmei green tea, Yuhua tea, Mogan Huangya green tea, Wushan Gaimi green tea, Putuo Fo green tea. Green tea is unfermented tea, so it retains more of the natural substances of the fresh leaves. It contains more nutrients such as tea polyphenols, catechins, chlorophyll, caffeine, amino acids, and vitamins. These natural nutrients in green tea have special effects in preventing aging, preventing cancer, fighting cancer, sterilizing, and reducing inflammation, surpassing other types of tea.

4. White Tea

White tea is a lightly fermented tea made by selecting buds and leaves with abundant white hairs and processing them using a unique, delicate method without rolling or frying. The fresh leaves for white tea require "three whites," meaning the tender buds and the two tender leaves all show visible white hairs. The finished tea is covered with fine hairs, white as silver, hence the name white tea. Based on the tea plant variety and picking standards, white tea is divided into bud tea (such as Baihao Yinzhen) and leaf tea (such as Gongmei). Tea made from single buds is called bud tea, known as Yinzhen; tea made from a complete one bud with one or two leaves, with dense white hairs on the back, is called leaf bud, known as White Peony (the best quality comes from the first flush of spring tea from the Da Bai Cha variety). The processing of white tea is very unique and the most natural method. It is neither fried nor rolled, unlike green tea which prevents the oxidation of tea polyphenols, nor like black tea which promotes its oxidation. Instead, freshly picked tea leaves are thinly spread on bamboo mats and placed under weak sunlight or in a well-ventilated and lit indoor area to wither naturally. When dried to about 70-80%, they are slowly baked over low heat. Due to the simple process with minimal steps, white tea largely retains the nutrients in the tea leaves. People in its place of origin have long used white tea to clear heat and toxins, reduce inflammation, induce sweating to dispel dampness, relieve stagnation and summer heat, and treat ailments like fire-induced toothache, high fever, and measles. White tea has health benefits such as "three resistances" (anti-radiation, anti-oxidation, anti-tumor) and "three reductions" (lowering blood pressure, lowering blood lipids, lowering blood sugar), as well as nourishing effects on the heart, liver, eyes, spirit, qi, and complexion.