Is Drinking Tea Good for Health? Unveiling the Ultimate Health Code in Tea Selection
Is Drinking Tea Good for Health?
Is drinking tea good for health? As the owner of a 200-year-old tea garden, I’ll reveal that choosing the right tea is the key to wellness—wrong choices can harm your body. Discover why 90% of teas on the market may be health risks through an in-depth comparison of global tea brands.
1. Not All Modern Teas Promote Health
While tea itself offers health benefits, many commercial tea products today are far from genuine. Brands like Lipton’s “Strawberry Milk Cap Tea” and Twinings’ “Spiced Fruit Tea” feature ingredient lists dominated by artificial flavors, non-dairy creamers, cyclamates, and preservatives.
- English Black Tea: Often sold in teabags, which use broken tea leaves. These degrade quickly, causing oxidation and loss of active compounds like tea polyphenols.
- Japanese Matcha Lattes: Products like Ito Kyuemon’s “Matcha Latte” list glucose syrup as the second ingredient. Matcha also contains high caffeine, unsuitable for long-term excessive consumption.
- Indian/Sri Lankan Teas: Brands like Tata’s “Masala Chai” add up to six flavorings to mask the astringency of low-quality tea dust. Mixed with creamer and sugar, they become high-sugar, high-calorie drinks that nullify tea’s health benefits.
- Ready-to-Drink Teas: High sugar content, preservatives, and artificial flavors increase risks of chronic diseases like diabetes.
- Tea Powders: Often made from low-grade or broken tea leaves. High-temperature processing reduces tea polyphenols, leaving only flavor without nutrition.
Shockingly, many “premium teas” use discarded summer-autumn tea leaves from Chinese gardens—coarse, pesticide-contaminated leaves processed into broken tea or powder, relying on additives for taste.
2. Don’t Judge Tea by Flavor Alone
Choosing tea based on taste alone is a mistake. Industrial processing and additives may satisfy taste buds but destroy natural nutrients.
Ancient Tree Tea: Beyond rich polyphenols, it contains “vital energy” that enhances physical and mental wellness:
- Pure Aroma: Wild mountain notes connect drinkers with nature.
- Strong Tea Qi: Promotes meridian circulation and vitality. Regular drinkers may feel warm currents or energy flow in the body.
- Spiritual Nourishment: Calms the mind, stimulates creativity, and even induces meditative states, making it a sacred drink for spiritual practice in China.
True Chinese tea avoids teabags, relying on natural leaves that release nutrients perfectly when brewed fresh.
3. Health Benefits of Different Tea Types
Different teas offer unique health advantages. Refer to this chart:
Tea Type | Example | Key Compounds | Health Benefits | Ideal for |
Green Tea | West Lake Longjing | Polyphenols (EGCG) | Antioxidant, anti-aging (scavenges free radicals) | Night owls, digital users, 三高人群 (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia) |
Black Tea | Lapsang Souchong | Theaflavins | Soothes the stomach, improves blood circulation | Cold-sensitive individuals, women during menstruation, elders |
Oolong Tea | Anxi Tieguanyin | Theabrownins | Boosts metabolism, lowers blood lipids | Foodies, those with fatty liver or high cholesterol |
White Tea | Baihao Yinzhen | White hair polyphenols | Anti-inflammatory, repairs skin barrier | Sensitive skin, heat-prone 体质，熬夜人群 |
Pu’er Tea | Aged Ripe Pu’er | Theabrownins + statin-like compounds | Lowers cholesterol, regulates gut microbiota | Frequent entertainers, constipation sufferers, 脂肪肝 patients |
Case Study: A tea drinker with high triglycerides (3.2mmol/L) lowered levels to 1.8mmol/L in 3 months by drinking 3g of ripe Pu’er daily.
4. Brewing Methods Impact Health
Modern “tea drinks” like milk tea (7 sugar cubes per cup) and matcha ice cream cancel out tea’s benefits. For true wellness:
- Brew with whole leaves: Releases active compounds without additives.
- Control water temperature: 85℃ for green tea, 100℃ for black tea and Pu’er.
- Keep it pure: Avoid sugar, creamer, or excessive flavorings—add only ingredients like tangerine peel or red dates.
5. Quality Tea: A Long-Term Health Investment
Spending 3 minutes daily brewing tea is a “light body maintenance”: antioxidant, metabolic, and digestive benefits accumulate over time. Studies show it reduces all-cause mortality by 15%, delays biological aging, and improves brain health. Three cups of ancient tree tea daily offer the highest ROI for health.
Conclusion: Is drinking tea good for health? The answer lies in choosing unprocessed, high-quality tea and proper brewing. Prioritize natural, traditional teas to unlock their full wellness potential.
