Why Drinking Tea After a Meal is Not Recommended

Why is it not good to drink tea after a meal? Drinking tea has been a traditional practice in China for a long time, and many people have developed the habit of drinking tea after a meal. However, whether it is good or not to drink tea after a meal is not well understood by everyone. Some experts and scholars have expressed that drinking tea immediately after a meal is not beneficial to health and may even lead to anemia in the future.

Why is it not good to drink tea after a meal?

Drinking tea immediately after a meal leads to a large amount of water entering the stomach where digestion is taking place, diluting the digestive juices and affecting the digestion of food. In addition, tea contains a large amount of tannic acid, and drinking tea after a meal can cause the undigested proteins in the stomach to combine with tannic acid, forming a coagulated substance that is difficult to digest and affecting the digestion and absorption of proteins.

More importantly, tea hinders the absorption of iron in the body. Drinking tea made from 15 grams of dry tea leaves after a meal can reduce the absorption of iron in food by 50%. Over time, this can affect the digestive function and even lead to iron-deficiency anemia.

Many people also like to drink tea after a heavy meal, thinking that it can aid digestion. However, this is also detrimental to health. The large amount of tannic acid in tea can combine with proteins to form tannic acid protein, which has an astringent effect and weakens intestinal peristalsis, leading to constipation.

To avoid symptoms of anemia, it is more appropriate to drink coffee or tea about 1-2 hours after a meal when the stomach is empty. It is also advisable to consume foods rich in iron such as green leafy vegetables, red beans, and pork liver in order to avoid insufficient hemoglobin.

Taboos for drinking tea:

Avoidance 1: Drinking tea on an empty stomach. Drinking tea on an empty stomach has a cooling effect on the spleen and stomach, which is equivalent to inviting trouble. In China, there has always been a saying "do not drink empty-hearted tea".

Avoidance 2: Drinking hot tea. Drinking tea that is too hot can cause strong irritation to the throat, esophagus, and stomach. Drinking excessively hot tea for a long time may cause damage to these organs. According to foreign studies, those who frequently drink tea at a temperature above 62°C are more prone to stomach problems. The temperature of the tea should be below 56°C.

Avoidance 3: Drinking cold tea. Warm or hot tea can make people feel refreshed and clear-minded, while cold tea can cause stagnation and phlegm accumulation in the body.

Avoidance 4: Drinking strong tea. Strong tea contains a lot of caffeine and theophylline, which can cause headaches and insomnia due to its strong stimulation.

Avoidance 5: Brewing tea for too long. If tea is brewed for too long, the tea polyphenols, lipids, and aromatic substances in the tea will undergo automatic oxidation, resulting in a dark color, poor taste, and low aroma, losing its taste value. At the same time, the oxidation of tea will reduce the content of vitamin C, vitamin P, amino acids, and other nutrients, greatly reducing the nutritional value of the tea. Moreover, if the tea is left for too long, it will be contaminated by the surrounding environment, and the number of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) in the tea will increase, making it unhygienic.

Avoidance 6: Brewing tea too many times. Generally, after brewing 3-4 times, there is basically no tea juice left in the tea leaves. According to experiments, the first brew contains 50% of the total soluble substances, the second brew contains 30%, the third brew contains 10%, and the fourth brew only contains 1-3%. Brewing the tea multiple times will also leach out some harmful substances, as the trace harmful elements in the tea are often released in the last brew.

Avoidance 7: Drinking tea before a meal. Drinking tea before a meal dilutes saliva, making food tasteless, and temporarily decreases the ability of the digestive organs to absorb protein.