Green Tea through the Wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Written by Pavel Adámek
LAM CHUN FAI KUNG FU SCHOOL – CZECH BRANCH (www.hungkungfu.cz)
Part of every training session at our Kung Fu school also includes drinking high-quality, good tea. Therefore, I believe it is worthwhile to learn more about the benefits of drinking tea. Tea in general has many positive effects on the human body. Besides high-quality pure water, which is not only fundamental but also the most beneficial liquid for humans, tea could be said to be the king of all other beverages.
I will mainly talk about green tea. Green tea overall benefits human health. Its regular consumption supports immunity because it contains polyphenols that promote the production of white blood cells. Green tea has traditionally been considered a beverage that prolongs life. It contains antioxidants that slow down cell degeneration and protect them from damage caused by free radicals, and therefore also from aging. Tea is among the greatest sources of antioxidants altogether. According to traditional Chinese medicine, tea refreshes the brain and clears the eyesight. It is also able to balance the body in cases of mild food poisoning, generally supports digestion, drains dampness and transforms phlegm, which also contributes to lowering LDL cholesterol levels and reducing weight. It has antiviral effects and is therefore very suitable, for example, during respiratory illnesses, when green tea can also be used for gargling in case of sore throat. It stimulates Qi 气 (qì), meaning alertness and clarity of consciousness, while at the same time, thanks to the amino acid L-theanine, which increases serotonin and dopamine levels, it calms the spirit, i.e. the psyche and emotions. Thus, it is a stimulant that supports concentration without causing tension and nervousness. At the same time, it detoxifies, clears heat and promotes urination.
Drinking green tea also has an effect on lowering high blood pressure, positively influences healthy blood vessel function and reduces the risk of stroke. Tea also has good effects against tooth decay, benefits bones and last but not least helps in cancer prevention. The effects of green tea are also interesting in skin treatment. Compresses made from cold green tea are very suitable for treating skin after excessive sun exposure, or for diaper rash in small children. Few beverages can boast such a wide range of positive effects, therefore we can say with some exaggeration that whoever drinks a cup of green tea every day is as if they took a handful of medicinal pills daily.
The thermal nature of green tea is mildly cooling and its taste is both bitter and sweet. For its beneficial effects on the body, it is suitable to drink green tea throughout the whole year. However, since it slightly cools, people who tend to feel cold and have weaker digestion can always add a slice of ginger to their cup of tea. Fresh ginger, with its warming nature, balances the cooling effect of green tea without eliminating its positive benefits for the body. The slice of ginger will also warm the center, expel cold, support digestion and benefit the heart. Alternatively, one can prepare black tea (called red tea in China – 红茶 hóng chá), which has a mildly warming nature and is therefore more suitable for people who tend to feel cold. Warm in nature is also Pu-erh tea 普洱茶 pǔ’ěr chá, which has very beneficial effects especially on digestion, as it very effectively drains dampness from the body and is therefore sometimes symbolically called a “fat eater.” Green tea thus slightly cools, black tea slightly warms, and the semi-green tea called Oolong 乌龙茶 wū lóng chá has a neutral thermal nature.
It is good to note that both black and green tea come from the same plant, but different processing methods give them different properties. Green tea does not undergo oxidation after harvesting, while black tea is fully oxidized. Based on this process green tea contains more catechins (EGCG) and L-theanine, and black tea contains more theaflavins, thearubigins and flavonoids. Black tea also gains a darker color and a different flavor through oxidation. Nevertheless, both types of tea processing retain many shared positive effects on the human body.
Unlike hot water, tea, just like coffee, is not suitable to drink immediately in the morning on an empty stomach due to potential stomach damage and injury to kidney energy, but rather at any time during the day or as part of breakfast. Also in the evening, due to its stimulating effect, drinking tea may cause sleep problems for some people.
There are many ways and schools of thought on how high-quality tea should be prepared and consumed. Preparation can be complex or simple. What suits one person may not suit another. However, in my opinion the most important thing is the state of our mind, because calmness and joy from our heart are also transferred into the prepared cup of delicious tea. Green and light teas (green, white, yellow) are infused in water at a temperature of 75–85 °C, dark teas (black, Pu-erh, Heicha) in water at a temperature of 95–100 °C. The water is always boiled first and then allowed to cool to the required temperature.
So let’s have a cup of good tea – enjoy.