How to Choose the Right Tea for Your Health and Season

There are numerous varieties of tea. Different types of tea not only differ in tea leaf color, liquor color, tea aroma, and tea leaves but also have varying effects. Additionally, factors such as geographical environment, seasonal climate, customs and traditions, economic conditions, physical constitution, personal preferences, and health status also play a role. To achieve good health through tea drinking, selecting the right type of tea is a crucial aspect. Generally speaking, flower tea is suitable for spring consumption as it helps disperse the cold accumulated in the body during winter and promotes the ascent of yang qi. Green tea is ideal for summer as it clears heat, generates body fluids, and helps with occasional heat and cools the body. In autumn, flower tea and oolong tea, which moisten the Lungs, generate body fluids, refresh the mind, and provide a sense of coolness, are recommended. In winter, black tea is suitable as it warms the stomach, dispels cold, refreshes the mind, and warms the body. Children should drink light flower tea, and to enhance their intelligence, light green tea is recommended. To helps maintain dental caries in children, coarse tea is advisable. Young people, who are physically active and have vigorous qi and blood, should drink green tea to nourish yin, generate body fluids, clear heat, reduce fire, and calm the mind. Middle-aged individuals should alternate between flower tea and green tea, while the elderly should drink light black tea.

Mental workers are suitable to drink jasmine tea and green tea. Manual workers are suitable to drink black tea and oolong tea. Miners and drivers should drink more green tea. Cooks are suitable to drink oolong tea. Pregnant women are suitable to drink light green tea; one to two months before childbirth, they should switch to black tea, and after childbirth, they are suitable to drink sweetened black tea. Those who often watch TV are suitable to drink green tea and scented tea. Those who are fond of smoking and drinking are suitable to drink green tea; those who like to eat meat are suitable to drink oolong tea.

Individuals with a yin-deficiency constitution are suitable to drink green tea and white tea; those with a yang-deficiency constitution or with cold deficiency of the Spleen and stomach are suitable to drink oolong tea and flower tea; patients with hypertension, diabetes, or pulmonary tuberculosis are suitable to drink green tea; those with constipation are suitable to drink honey tea and kombucha; individuals with prostatitis or benign prostatic hyperplasia are suitable to drink flower tea; those with stomach ailments are suitable to drink oolong tea and daidaihua tea; individuals with emotional depression are suitable to drink flower tea and black tea; those who are restless and agitated are suitable to drink green tea and white tea; adolescent females before and after menstruation and women in menopause are suitable to drink flower tea and black tea to soothe the Liver, regulate menstruation, and harmonize emotions.

For weight loss and beauty enhancement, it is advisable to drink oolong tea, pu-erh tea, and green tea; for cancer helps maintain and anti-cancer purposes, it is advisable to drink green tea; for antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as astringent and antidiarrheal properties, it is advisable to drink green tea; for lowering blood lipids and helps maintain arteriosclerosis, it is advisable to drink oolong tea and green tea; for promoting longevity, it is advisable to drink oolong tea and black tea.

Due to different local customs, habits, and preferences, the types of tea people like to drink also vary. For example, in vast northern regions such as Beijing, Tianjin, Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, and Shenyang, people prefer scented tea and black tea; people in Zhejiang prefer green tea; people in Guangdong love black tea; people in Fujian prefer oolong tea; people in Sichuan prefer tuocha tea; people in Hong Kong and Macau like oolong tea; and herdsmen prefer compressed tea.

In the United States and Latin American countries, people generally prefer black tea, especially iced tea. In Britain, Germany, and France, flower tea is favored. Russians enjoy dark tea for its soothing and refreshing properties and its ability to helps with occasional fatigue. In countries such as India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, black tea is commonly consumed, often mixed with milk and sugar. In African countries and those in desert regions, where the climate is dry and hot, green tea is preferred, often flavored with mint leaves (juice), hence known as mint tea. The Japanese have a preference for green tea, while people in Southeast Asia favor oolong tea. Most Europeans prefer black tea and flower tea.