Many people know that long-term drinking is unhealthy, but there is actually a very "ancient" drink that is very helpful for health. Both doctors and various studies recommend that you drink more! Tea is a traditional drink originating from China and one of the three most widely consumed non-alcoholic beverages in the world besides water(tea, coffee, and cocoa). Especially in summer, drinking tea can relieve heat and greasiness, and many people drink a few cups in their spare time or after meals.
Tea is not just a thirst-quenching drink, it also carries rich cultural connotations and symbolic meanings. In China, people cultivate their sentiments and cultivate their sentiments through tea tasting. At the same time, they also regard tea as a social medium, and enhance friendship and exchange ideas through tea brewing and tasting.
1. Reduce the risk of death
A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2022 followed up 500,000 tea drinkers for about 11 years and found that people who drank ≥2 cups of tea a day had a 9%-13% lower risk of all-cause death than those who did not drink tea.
2. Reduce the risk of cancer
A study published in Advances in Nutrition in 2020 found that drinking tea can really prevent cancer, especially oral cancer. At the same time, drinking various teas is associated with a lower risk of multiple cancers, including gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, biliary cancer, and liver cancer.
3. Reduce the risk of diabetes
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2021 followed up about 500,000 adults in China for 11 years and showed that daily tea drinkers had an 8% lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared with participants who had never drunk tea in the past year.
4. Reduce the risk of stroke
A study published in 2013 in Stroke magazine followed up more than 80,000 Japanese people for an average of 13 years and found that people who drank 2-3 cups of green tea a day had a 14% lower risk of stroke, and those who drank 4 or more cups a day had a 20% lower risk. The reason why drinking green tea can reduce the risk of stroke is mainly because the catechins in green tea can protect blood vessels through multiple mechanisms such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anti-thrombotic.
5. Reduce the risk of hypertension
A study of 76,000 adults in China published in the British Medical Council's journal Public Health in 2023 showed that drinking tea can reduce the risk of hypertension, among which drinking green tea can reduce the risk of hypertension by 6%. Even if you don't drink it every day and the amount you drink each time is not much, as long as you insist on drinking it, it can also reduce the risk of hypertension in the long run.
6. Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in 2018 found that drinking tea helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. People who drink tea for a long time have a slower decline in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (good cholesterol) levels and an 8% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
7. Reduce the risk of dementia
A study published in the Nature journal in 2022 by Yu Jintai's team, chief physician of the Department of Neurology at Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, showed that drinking tea can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 16% compared with people who do not drink tea.
Different teas have different flavors, and you can choose according to your taste. Zhou Li, deputy chief physician of the Department of Oncology and Hematology at Zhoupu Hospital in Shanghai, said in an interview with The Paper in 2017 that different people have different suitable teas. It is best not to be restricted to a certain type of tea when drinking tea scientifically.
1. Green tea: suitable for people with internal heat constitution and stomach heat, not suitable for people with cold body, gastric ulcers, and insomnia.
2. Oolong tea: It is neither cold nor hot, and is a neutral tea suitable for most people.
3. Black tea: fully fermented tea, helps gastrointestinal digestion, promotes appetite, and is more suitable for the elderly.
4. Dark tea: suitable for any group of people, including those with weak and cold constitutions, and is also more suitable for the elderly.
5. White tea: has the effects of invigorating the stomach and refreshing the mind, removing dampness and reducing fever, and is suitable for middle-aged and elderly people to drink.
6. Yellow tea: clears heat and reduces fire, promotes fluid and moisturizes dryness, and aids digestion, suitable for people who need to clear fire.
For the "drinking tea to prevent cancer" that many people are concerned about, how should we choose the type of tea?
Zheng Ronghui, chief physician of the Department of Radiotherapy, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, published an article in the official account of Guangzhou Health and Health Promotion and Education Center in 2023, saying that the anti-cancer effect of tea is mainly related to the tea polyphenols contained in it, and this substance will be oxidized by polyphenol oxidase in tea during the fermentation process, resulting in a decrease in its content.
In terms of anti-cancer effects:
1. Green tea and white tea are best when they are not fermented or slightly fermented;
2. Oolong tea (such as Dancong, Bohea, Tieguanyin, etc.) is the second best;
3. After heavy fermentation, the content of tea polyphenols in black tea and dark tea is low, and their anti-cancer effects are correspondingly reduced.
Many people drink tea every day, but they never thought that drinking tea would have so many health benefits.
Gu Chuanling, deputy secretary-general of the Capital Health Nutrition and Gourmet Society and registered dietitian, said in an article published on the China Science and Technology Public Account that to maximize these health benefits, how should tea be stored and how should tea be drunk?
1. Tea leaves should be sealed and stored away from light
Tea leaves are easy to absorb moisture and taste, and theanine, which makes tea taste "fresh", is easily lost. Antioxidant tea polyphenols are also easily oxidized and lost, and the loss is more serious when the temperature is high. Therefore, tea leaves should be sealed, away from light, and stored at low temperatures. Tea leaves that are not drunk for a short time can also be vacuumed and frozen.
2. Brewing temperature is appropriate
It is generally recommended to brew green tea with water at about 80℃, and black tea and oolong tea with boiling water, so as to balance the dissolution of caffeine, tea polyphenols, theanine and other ingredients, and the brewed tea tastes better.
3. Let the tea cool before drinking
In the Chaoshan area of Guangdong, my country, Gongfu tea is drunk while it is boiling hot, but it is really not recommended, because high temperature can damage the esophagus and increase the risk of esophageal cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer under the World Health Organization believes that drinking hot beverages above 65℃ may cause cancer, so it is recommended to let the tea brewed with boiling water wait until it is not hot before drinking.
4. Drink more light tea and less strong tea
Strong tea contains more caffeine, which can easily cause nausea, heartburn, palpitations and other problems. Drinking it in the afternoon or evening will also affect sleep, so drink less. In addition, the tannic acid rich in strong tea will also affect the absorption of iron, so people with iron deficiency anemia should not drink it.
