Scientific research shows that drinking tea can reduce the harm caused by smoking. This is because components in tea leaves, such as tea polyphenols and vitamin C, degrade various harmful substances present in cigarettes. There is scientific reasoning behind why many smokers love tea.

1. Reducing the Likelihood of Smoking-Induced Cancer

Tea consumption has anti-cancer effects. Tea polyphenols in tea can inhibit the release of free radicals and control the proliferation of cancer cells. Free radicals are harmful "waste" produced during the respiratory and metabolic processes when the body consumes oxygen. They exist in almost every cell of the human body and are a major hidden danger and "time bomb."

Research indicates that free radicals are also a significant cause of genetic mutations and cancer. Under normal circumstances, the human body maintains a dynamic balance between the continuous production and elimination of free radicals. The free radicals produced by cigarettes disrupt this balance. Excessive free radicals increase the likelihood of cancer. Catechins in tea are antioxidants and potent inhibitors of free radicals, which can suppress tumor formation caused by smoking. Tea polyphenols in Pu'er tea have a strong ability to清除 free radicals and are highly effective in清除 superoxide anion radicals.

Studies confirm that tea can indeed block the synthesis of nitrosamines in the human body. Tea polyphenols can bind with carcinogens upon entering the body, decompose them, reduce their carcinogenic activity, and thereby inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Pu'er tea leaves are rich in anti-cancer substances at concentrations high enough to produce anti-cancer effects in the human body.

2. Helping to Alleviate Radiation Pollution Caused by Smoking

A person who smokes 30 cigarettes a day receives a radiation dose from radioactive substances in cigarettes in their lungs over one year equivalent to about 300 chest X-rays. Drinking tea can effectively prevent radioactive substances from invading the bone marrow and rapidly expel strontium-90 and cobalt-60 from the body. Catechins and lipopolysaccharides in tea can reduce the harm of radiation to the human body and significantly protect hematopoietic function. Clinical trials using tea tablets to treat mild radiation sickness caused by radiation showed a total effectiveness rate of up to 90%.

3. Preventing Smoking-Accelerated Cataracts

Scientific research has found that smoking is becoming a major enemy of eye health and can accelerate the development of cataracts. Compared to those who never smoke, people who smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day are twice as likely to develop cataracts. The more one smokes, the greater the risk of cataracts. Drinking tea frequently can prevent cataracts. Researchers believe that cataracts are caused by free radicals generated from oxidative reactions in the body affecting the lens of the eye. The metabolites produced by the breakdown of tea polyphenols in tea have antioxidant effects and can prevent oxidative reactions that generate free radicals in the body.

Additionally, the incidence of cataracts is closely related to the level and concentration of carotenoids in human plasma. Cataract patients often have very low plasma carotenoid concentrations and an incidence rate 3–4 times higher than normal individuals. Tea contains much higher levels of carotenoids than most vegetables and fruits. Carotenoids not only help prevent cataracts and protect eyesight but also have anti-cancer, anti-nicotine, and detoxifying effects. Drinking tea is beneficial for smokers in protecting their vision.

4. Replenishing Vitamin C Depleted by Smoking

Nicotine in cigarettes increases the secretion of hormones that constrict blood vessels upon inhalation. Vasoconstriction affects blood circulation, reduces oxygen supply, and leads to elevated blood pressure. Heavy smoking also accelerates arteriosclerosis and reduces vitamin C levels in the body, speeding up aging. Tea is rich in vitamin C, especially raw Pu'er tea. Under normal conditions, the leaching rate of vitamin C from tea leaves can reach about 80%, and the vitamin C in tea汤 remains largely intact even at 90°C. Smokers can intake adequate vitamin C by drinking tea, particularly by consistently consuming raw tea, which can fully compensate for the vitamin C deficiency caused by smoking. This helps maintain the dynamic balance of free radical production and清除 in the body, enhancing resistance. Additionally, raw tea has the effect of strengthening blood vessels.