Things to be Aware of when having Tea for Recreational or Medicinal Purpose

1. Whether you drink tea for recreational or medicinal purposes, it is suggested to understand your own physical constitution first. For example, people with a yin deficiency (deficient in body liquid) should steer clear of drinks conducive to warming and drying effects, whereas people with a yan deficiency (deficient in vigor) should avoid drinks of cooling and bitter characteristics.
 
2. Avoid drinking tea when it is too hot or too cold. Scalding tea irritates the throat, esophagus, and stomach, while icy-cold tea will bring side effects such as stagnation of coldness and phlegm in the body.
 
3. Morning is the best time to drink tea, and it is not advisable to drink tea before or after meals. Having tea before meals makes people feel the food tasteless, in addition to compromising the protein absorption in the digestive system. Because tea is rich in tannic acid, which will form complexes with the protein and iron in the food, having tea right after meals will affect the body's digestion and absorption of protein and iron.
 
4. As tea is irritating to the digestive system, it is best not to drink it on an empty stomach, or to drink strong tea. Drinking tea on an empty stomach is likely to harm the spleen and stomach. On the other hand, the rich caffeine and theophylline in strong tea can easily lead to "tea drunkenness."
 
5. Some medicines cannot be taken with tea because the tannic acid that decomposes from the rich tannin in tea can form precipitation with various kinds of medicines, thereby hindering the absorption and efficacy of medicines. Thus, medications and substances such as baking soda, sleeping pills, and quinine should not be taken with tea.


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Related articles:

The Taste of Chan in Tea

Chan in the Aroma and Color of Tea

Tea Regimen

Things to be Aware of when having Tea for Recreational or Medicinal Purpose

Tea and Buddhist Monasteries

Go Have Some Tea – A Gong'an about Tea

The Art of the Tea Ceremony

How to Brew Chinese Tea?



Resource: Issue 291 of Humanity Magazine (November 2007), Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Translation: Li Siang-ling
Editing: Keith Brown, James
Photo credit: Fan Lee (李東陽)