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Q: Is Chinese tea as healthy as they say?
I've been informed on the various healthy properties that Chinese tea has, and due to the taste of it I have now gotten into the habit of drinking it daily. But seriously, can someone confirm the health benefits of tea? Which ones are healthier than others? Are they actually not as healthy as they're cracked up to be?
They probably aren't. They will quench your thirst and it's better than nothing. I mean if you were thirsty and you hadn't had a drink for a week of course it would be, but day to day it's no better than drinking water. You get hydrated that's all>!!
GuilinRaf:
In our Forensic Science seminar, we learned "The Rule of Threes".
-3 Minutes: Time the (average) person can live without air.
-3 Days: Time the (average) person can live without water.
-3 Weeks: Time the (average) person can live without food. (this one surprised me!).
There are studies that say drinking tea has real physical advantages. But like everything, there are also studies that say the exact opposite.
Mostly, for me, it is the power of the mind that matters most. If you truly believe something is good for you it quite probably will do good things for you. Unless of course, it kills you, in which case you were wrong.
One of the weakest parts to the 'healthy tea' idea in China is that all tea (that I am aware of) is made using water.
Scandinavian:
I understand your point :) Actually tea has antibacterial properties so you could say tea will help clean the water. Of course the boiling of the water will have killed the bacteria that leaves you with whatever chemicals and heavy metals the water might contain.
Actually it depends on each one's body. The green tea proves to be very antioxidant but as well as the black tea it can dehydrate your body too. Once you reach this point that usually happens after a long tea drinking while you are advised to stop. Plenty of information you can find on Google. All in all, the black and green tea are better than the coffee as to energy and antioxidants but consumed excessively it may incur into side effects. Green tea, unlike the obvious quality to energizing your moods, it can be used as a way to sleep better. This is what I was told when I went to Japan. You need to boil water up to 90 Celsius degrees, never reach the water boiling point and pour on the green leafs for 2 to 3 minutes or less and drink it.
The best tea before sleeping as well as to getting relaxed when you are stressed, angry or too much excited emotionally and/or physically is the red tea. Its origin is African and mixed with some spices it provides you with a pleasant taste and balance on your moods.
As anything in life, the excess is bad so you should know yourself to better prevent it.
I used to excessively consume coffee until I realized how my body perceived it as a poison. No matter how much I love drinking it, I had to stop.
As a teacher I need sources of energy. I only drink tea in the afternoon. Most of the time I drink flower honey infusions that keeps me active and concentrated.
The milk tea is one of my favorite teas and the green tea mixed up with all sorts of flowers.
Scandinavian:
There is no difference between the dehydration cause by tea or coffee. In both drinks it's the caffeine that causes the body to process more water, sending you to the potty more often. The fact that coffee is perceived as a "poison" just means you are not up to date on all the good properties that coffee has. It's pretty much identical to that of tea. But coffee beats tea on one significant parameter. It has lot's of caffeine making it the perfect drink for people with limited staying awake power like myself.
(note. Instant coffee is the devils work and is ruining the environment in the manufacturing process)
(note. the devil doesn't actually exist)
luggi:
I like red tea, is it available in China? and how to call it in china? hongcha is already red tea, but refers to black tea.... hmmm
:
Yes, as far as I know it is possible to buy red tea too and you can check that it is red tea indeed by its unique aroma. I may be wrong although, because we are in China and everything can be easily faked. Otherwise, in the supermarkets they sell products from other countries where you may find it too.
Generally green and black teas have high levels of antioxidants which is an important part of preventing free radicals from causing cells to go cancerous.
In China a lot of the health benefits in tea is based on the properties of the plant used to brew the tea, does it have hot or cold properties and how it affects your "qi". If you take advice from a Chinese medicine man, it may be that some types of tea will have their health benefits over-promoted based on something other than facts.
Well, if you makes you feel good, drink it 
. I love Tieguanyin, Dahongpao and Longjing!
As an avid tea drinker (in China anyway), I've thought about this too.
I agree with Xpat.John that there's research both saying that it's great for you and that it's potentially not so great.
I remember seeing this link a few months back, and thought that it was an interesting comparison: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_effects_of_tea_on_health
I also remember hearing back from my "tree hugger" days that Yerba Mate specifically may not be very good for you. Of course none of this evidence is conclusive I don't think: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_mate#Cancer
I drink mainly tea over coffee and get kidney stones, google it. Not fun.
