Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, according to many analysts. The drink is used for a variety of reasons all over the globe, from teatime in London, to sweet drinks on the go in Taipei, complimentary beverages in China and lunchtime drinks in India. Tea is the easiest solution for making water taste good, and is a daily dietary supplement in many ways that provides health benefits such as reduced heart risk and weight loss.
Despite ongoing popularity for tea and an overwhelmingly large basis of drinkers in Asia, there are a surprisingly large number of people who do not understand certain dos and don’ts for tea such as when to drink it in order to avoid stomach or digestion issues. One of the most captivating elements of tea is its ability to break down fat and increase metabolic activity faster, leading to increased weight loss. For the same reason, it can also cause the stomach to experience discomfort if we drink it under certain conditions. In light of this, we have put together this article to address the times we should avoid drinking tea as well as some unknown tidbits of information regarding the don’ts of tea consumption.
Before Bed
Tea such as black tea contains caffeine, which will likely disrupt your sleeping patterns. Doctors in China usually recommend that all caffeinated drinks should be finished by 6pm and that if you choose to have tea make sure it is lighter and contains less caffeine such as green tea.
Before Breakfast
Drinking tea before meals typically causes a person to eat more once the meal arrives, thus increasing the risk of gaining more fat due to the burn down experienced beforehand. Consuming tea before after you wake up before breakfast meanwhile can upset the stomach and in some cases, cause people to feel nauseous. Therefore it is always best to have tea after a first meal and after other meals throughout the day.
During a Cold
We usually think of drinking hot liquids such as soup when we have a cold and tea bags are usually used with a hot cup of water as a sort of remedy. There are differentiating thoughts on this matter, but many Chinese doctors advocate not using tea when one is ill. Some doctors believe that caffeine and theophylline found in tea and coffee can help ease symptoms from colds such a stuffy noses and sore throats but there is concern that over consumption of caffeine while taking medication can disrupt the effects of the drug. There is also a major point brought up that states caffeine ingestion while sick triggers a person to stay awake when in fact they should get more rest to recover.
In order to avoid any disruption with medicine, Chinese doctors suggest taking tea at least 30 minutes after taking medicine in order to offset the side effects. Caffeine can also cause a person’s heart rate to change among other factors, so it is best to check with your doctor to see if the medicine also has similar side effects. Additionally, there are certain teas that are higher in “Qi” that may cause over stimulation of the central nervous system in the body among stimulation in other parts of the body, which is not beneficial to the body getting rest. If you are going to choose one tea, lightly brewed black tea is considered the best since it is fully fermented and contains less polyphenols, which are known to stimulate appetite. To play it safe, Chinese doctors believe you should simply drink warm or hot water in order to make yourself sweat for the purpose of detoxifying the body.
Other Don’ts
People with fevers should avoid drinking tea if they take medicine, as the effects of the drug may be offset due to chemicals found in tea.
Pregnant women should avoid drinking large amounts of caffeine in general, as it may affect the growth of the child in the mother’s womb as well as impair its mental development growth.
Children with iron deficiency should avoid drinking heavily brewed tea and doctors recommend that children only drink small amounts. Foe elderly people suffering from heart problems, consuming light amounts of tea with low caffeine and quick brewing times is recommended.