Drinking tea has been a long-standing tradition in China, especially in winter when the atmosphere for tea drinking becomes increasingly strong. Each type of tea has its own characteristics, and different flavors have different effects on our bodies. Drinking tea in winter brings many health benefits, do you know? Let's take a look at how to drink tea in winter to help you stay healthier.

How to choose the right tea for yourself in winter?

1. Drink Red Tea to Prevent Flu

In winter, red tea is the best choice. Red tea is warm and can nourish the body's yang energy; it is rich in protein and sugar, which generate heat and warm the abdomen, enhancing the body's ability to resist cold, and also aiding digestion and removing greasiness. In some regions of China, red tea is also consumed with sugar, milk, or sesame, which can generate heat, warm the abdomen, increase nutrition, and strengthen the body.

Research has found that red tea can reduce the incidence of stroke and heart disease. Stroke and heart disease are common in winter, so elderly people with cardiovascular diseases can brew a warm cup of red tea in winter to warm the body and prevent diseases. In addition, gargling with red tea or drinking it directly can also prevent the flu, which is very necessary in winter. Drinking red tea also has unique effects on preventing osteoporosis and reducing the risk of skin cancer, making it more widely accepted. Since red tea is a fermented tea with mild刺激性, it is especially suitable for people with weak stomachs and bodies.

When drinking red tea, the amount of tea leaves should be controlled at 3 to 5 grams. It is best to drink it hot and brew it fresh. If left for too long, the nutrition and taste will be compromised.

2. Drink Green Tea to Reduce Internal Heat

In winter, the climate is dry, and people tend to eat greasy and spicy foods, making internal heat a common health issue, leading to constipation, dry mouth, and even mouth ulcers. In such cases, green tea can help. Green tea is unfermented, cold in nature, and can clear heat, making it the best choice for reducing internal heat, promoting body fluid production, quenching thirst, aiding digestion, and resolving phlegm. It can also accelerate the healing of mild gastric ulcers and lower blood lipids, preventing vascular hardening. Therefore, people prone to internal heat, smokers, drinkers, and overweight individuals (usually with a solid heat constitution) are suitable for drinking green tea. However, people with weak and cold stomachs should avoid it.

3. Drink Oolong Tea for Dry Mouth and Throat

Oolong tea is a semi-fermented tea, between green and red tea, with a greenish-brown color, hence also called "qing tea". In terms of taste, oolong tea has both the清香 and natural floral fragrance of green tea and the mellow taste of red tea. It is neither cold nor hot, moderately warm, and thus has the effects of moisturizing the skin, soothing the throat, promoting body fluid production, and clearing internal heat, helping the body adapt to natural environmental changes. In winter, indoor air is usually dry, leading to dry mouth and chapped lips. Brewing a cup of oolong tea can relieve these discomforts. In addition, oolong tea has good effects on breaking down protein and fat, preventing liver fat accumulation, making it beneficial for those worried about gaining weight in winter.

4. Drink Herbal Tea to Alleviate Depression

Herbal teas include jasmine tea, magnolia tea, osmanthus tea, and rose tea. They are made by using green tea as a base and adding different scented flowers. Generally speaking, herbal teas can nourish the liver, benefit the gallbladder, strengthen the limbs, and unblock meridians. Taking jasmine tea as an example, it can clear heat, relieve summer heat, strengthen the spleen, and calm the mind, and it has good effects on treating dysentery and preventing stomach pain. Honeysuckle tea can clear heat, detoxify, refresh the mind, and quench thirst, and is particularly effective for sore throats and preventing the flu. Therefore, it is advisable to choose herbal tea in winter, especially for women who experience mood depression and irritability during menopause or around menstruation.

Who Should Avoid Drinking Tea in Winter?

Do not drink tea during menstruation

In winter, the weather is cold, and some women like to drink tea to keep warm. However, if they drink tea during menstruation when they are already losing blood, it can lead to iron loss in the body, causing iron deficiency anemia. Moreover, medical experts have found that compared with non-tea drinkers, women who drink tea are 2.4 times more likely to experience premenstrual syndrome. Those who drink more than 4 cups of tea a day are 3 times more likely.

Pregnant women should not drink tea

Pregnant women often pay attention to their diet, but they may not notice that tea is a common beverage. Since the theophylline in tea has a stimulating effect, it can affect the formation and development of the fetus. Moreover, most of the tea we commonly drink is cold in nature, which is also detrimental to fetal development. Therefore, special attention is needed.

Elderly people should drink less tea in winter

Another cold winter arrives, and elderly people who love tea may increase their intake instead of reducing it. However, this is very dangerous. As mentioned earlier, tea itself is cold. In winter, the elderly's resistance declines, and they are prone to cold hands and feet. Drinking tea can worsen the coldness, leading to disease invasion. Therefore, in winter, the elderly should drink less tea.

However, many elderly people have developed the habit of drinking tea for decades and find it difficult to stop. So what should they do? In fact, red tea can warm the stomach, refresh the mind, and aid digestion, and it is relatively mild. Therefore, they can replace green tea with red tea. If they insist on drinking green tea, adding some red dates is necessary because red dates are warm and can help remove the cold nature of green tea.