Ten Taboos of Tea Consumption
Ten Taboos of Tea Consumption
1. Avoid drinking tea on an empty stomach: China has long held the saying "do not drink tea on an empty stomach." Empty-stomach tea enters the lungs and damages the spleen and stomach. Drinking tea before meals dilutes saliva and gastric juices, reducing appetite and impairing protein absorption.
2. Avoid drinking leftover tea: Prolonged storage causes vitamins to degrade, tea polyphenols and aromatic compounds to oxidize and decompose, leading to discoloration, sourness, and harmful substances. Vitamins C, P, and amino acids also decrease due to oxidation. Leftover tea contains proteins and sugars that serve as nutrients for bacteria and mold, making it prone to microbial growth and health hazards.
3. Avoid drinking cold tea: Cold tea has adverse effects such as stagnating cold and accumulating phlegm.
4. Avoid drinking hot tea: Extremely hot tea intensifies irritation to the throat, esophagus, and stomach. Long-term consumption increases the risk of organ damage. Optimal tea temperature is below 56°C. Experts note that frequent consumption of beverages above 65°C correlates with higher rates of gastric wall damage.
5. Avoid taking medicine with tea: Tannins in tea easily react with drug components, forming precipitates and reducing efficacy, sometimes causing side effects. Medications such as sodium bicarbonate, sedatives, atropine, quinine, ferrous sulfate, ferrous carbonate, ammonium citrate, sugar syrup, and aluminum hydroxide should not be taken with tea.
6. Avoid excessive steeping: Trace harmful elements in tea leach out after multiple infusions, posing health risks. Studies show that the first infusion contains 50% of total water-soluble substances, the second 30%, the third 10%, and the fourth only 1%–3%. Further steeping leads to release of harmful substances.
7. Avoid drinking spoiled tea: During processing, tea may become scorched or acquire strong smoke odors due to excessively high fire temperatures or dense charcoal smoke. Combustion of coal or wood produces benzopyrene (3,4-benzopyrene), a carcinogen, which can contaminate tea. Spoiled or moldy tea contains various molds and toxins, posing serious health risks. Consuming moldy tea may cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, and even life-threatening conditions.
8. Avoid drinking tea before bedtime: Tea components like theobromine stimulate the heart, excite the nervous system, and enhance cardiac function. Drinking tea before bed can lead to insomnia.
9. Avoid drinking tea immediately after meals: Tannins in tea bind with dietary proteins to form tannic protein precipitates, hindering protein digestion and absorption.
10. Avoid drinking overly strong tea: Strong tea contains high levels of caffeine and theobromine, which have strong stimulant effects, causing excessive mental excitement, headaches, insomnia, and occasionally "tea drunkenness."