8 Types of Tea to Avoid for Better Health

8 Types of Tea You Shouldn't Drink

Tea, a Chinese word pronounced as "cha" (scientific name: Camellia sinensis(L.)O.Ktze.), is a famous beverage unique to China and is sold worldwide.

A shrub or small tree with smooth young branches. The leaves are leathery, long oval or elliptical, blunt or sharp at the tip, wedge-shaped at the base, shiny on the upper surface, hairless or initially with soft hairs on the lower surface, with serrated edges, and hairless leaf stalks. The flowers are white, with sometimes slightly longer flower stalks; sepals are broadly ovate to round, hairless, persistent; petals are broadly ovate, slightly connate at the base, hairless on the back, and sometimes with short soft hairs; ovaries densely covered with white hairs; pistil hairless. The capsule is spherical or 1-2 spherical, 1.1-1.5 cm high, with 1-2 seeds per sphere. The flowering period is from October to February of the following year.

This wild species is found in mountainous areas south of the Yangtze River in various provinces in China. It is a small tree-like plant with larger leaves, often exceeding 10 cm in length. Over the years, it has been widely cultivated and has undergone significant changes in hairiness and leaf shape. Tea leaves can be used as a beverage, containing various beneficial substances and have health benefits. However, there are teas that should not be consumed.

8 Types of Tea You Shouldn't Drink

1. First Flush Tea

Modern tea leaves are inevitably contaminated by substances such as pesticides, fertilizers, and dust during the planting, processing, and packaging processes. The first flush tea is actually the water used to rinse the tea leaves. It should be poured out as soon as possible and then brewed with boiling water to ensure the most hygienic tea.

2. Spoiled Tea

Spoiled tea leaves contain various mycotoxins such as aflatoxin, chlorotetracycline, and yellow gentian. These toxins, when ingested, can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, and limb weakness. Long-term consumption can lead to degeneration and necrosis of organs such as the liver and kidneys, and can even cause cancer!

3. Hangover Tea

Tea has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Drinking strong tea after getting drunk can increase the burden on the heart, and the consequences are even more serious for patients with heart disease. Drinking tea also accelerates the diuretic effect, causing toxic aldehydes in alcohol to be excreted from the kidneys without being fully metabolized, making people who often drink strong tea after drinking alcohol prone to kidney disease.

4. Oversteeped Tea, Overnight Tea

If the brewing time is too long, the tea soup will become dark, with poor taste and low fragrance, losing its taste value. Moreover, due to the oxidation of vitamins and amino acids in the tea leaves, the nutritional value of the tea is greatly reduced. At the same time, if the tea is left for too long, the number of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) in the tea soup will increase, which is very unhygienic and can easily cause irritation to the gastrointestinal tract and inflammation.

5. Cold Tea

Tea is best consumed warm or hot. Warm tea or hot tea can make the mind clear and the senses sharp. Cold tea has the side effects of causing cold stagnation and phlegm accumulation in the body.

6. Scalding Tea

Tea is usually brewed with hot water, but it should not be consumed when the water temperature is too hot. Drinking too hot tea can cause strong irritation to the throat, esophagus, and stomach. According to foreign research, people who frequently drink tea at temperatures above 62°C are more prone to damage to the gastric wall and are likely to develop gastric diseases. The temperature of the tea should be below 56°C.

7. Mixed Flavor Tea

This refers to tea leaves that have been mixed with other flavored substances and change in taste after being left together for a period of time. Some flavors may contain toxins, such as paint or camphor.

8. Strong Tea

Tannic acid in tea can cause the iron in food to form precipitates that cannot be absorbed by the body, leading to iron-deficiency anemia. In addition, strong tea contains a large amount of caffeine and theophylline, which are highly stimulating. Drinking strong tea can cause insomnia, headaches, tinnitus, and dizziness, and is also not good for the digestive system. Some people may experience a sense of nausea after drinking it.