There is a folk saying, "A pot of tea in the early morning keeps the doctor away." The author also found that veteran tea enthusiasts have the habit of drinking a pot of strong, concentrated tea on an empty stomach after waking up in the morning. They have maintained this habit for years, and if they don't drink enough tea one morning, they have no appetite for other foods.
Observing these tea friends, they are all of advanced age, yet have smooth skin and ruddy complexions. Could drinking tea on an empty stomach in the morning truly have intestinal-cleansing and health-promoting effects? Can ordinary people emulate this? With these questions in mind, we visited some Chinese medicine doctors and tea enthusiasts.
Is drinking tea in the morning good? Dr. Pan: (Doctor, Nanhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine) Generally speaking, drinking strong tea on an empty stomach after waking up can not only cause gastrointestinal discomfort and loss of appetite but may also impair the normal function of the nervous system. However, drinking weak tea in the morning poses little hindrance. It is recommended to discard the first brew and drink the second brew. For elderly people, it is even better to add a little sugar and an appropriate amount of white chrysanthemum to the tea.
What kind of tea is good to drink in the morning? Mr. Shuai: (Owner of Yuanchun Hall, member of Beijing Guangming College of Traditional Chinese Medicine) Everyone's constitution is different, so tea drinking varies from person to person. Not everyone can accept drinking tea in the morning. For those who want to try starting to drink tea in the morning, the strength should be gradually increased. They can choose teas like Pu'er or Wuyi rock tea to drink. Especially Pu'er has stomach-nourishing properties, so even strong tea is not feared to be consumed in quantity. Green tea, such as light-scented Tieguanyin, etc., is cold in nature and is particularly unsuitable for people with a cold stomach.
The author also visited several other doctors and tea enthusiasts. They believe that the question of whether drinking tea on an empty stomach in the morning can cleanse the intestines cannot be generalized; it depends on each individual's constitution. Veteran tea enthusiasts have been accustomed to drinking strong tea on an empty stomach since they were young. This has health-preserving effects for them, such as reducing fat and greasiness. For others with poor gastrointestinal health, especially constipation sufferers, the high tannic acid content in strong tea can easily cause constipation. A cup of light salt water or honey water in the morning is a more appropriate and safer method to cleanse the intestines.