Who Should Avoid Drinking Herbal Tea: A Guide for Different Groups of People

Who should not drink herbal tea? Many people enjoy brewing and drinking tea, but do you know who should not drink herbal tea? Herbal tea is not actually tea, but rather a medicinal soup made from Chinese herbs. However, herbal tea is cooling in nature and may not be suitable for everyone. So, who should avoid drinking herbal tea? Herbal tea is mainly used to reduce gastrointestinal heat, but each type of herb has its own unique properties and channels. Different people have different constitutions, including yin and yang, surface and interior, deficiency and excess. If the herbal tea is not suitable for the individual, it may cause side effects. Therefore, it is important to understand who should avoid drinking herbal tea.

　　【5 groups of people who should avoid drinking herbal tea】

　　1. People with wind-cold type of cold

　　People who have caught a cold due to low temperature from air conditioning or getting wet in the rain may experience symptoms such as aversion to cold and runny nose. Drinking herbal tea in this case can easily worsen the symptoms and hinder recovery from the cold.

　　2. People with physical weakness, chronic gastritis, and arthritis

　　Most of the main ingredients in herbal tea are cooling in nature. People with weak constitution often experience symptoms such as aversion to cold, sensitivity to wind, and excessive sweating. Drinking herbal tea can not only worsen these symptoms, but also harm the spleen and stomach. In severe cases, it can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea. People with deficient qi constitution should drink ginseng tea made from American ginseng or Prince ginseng instead of herbal tea.

　　3. Pregnant women and postpartum women

　　To ensure the health of the baby, it is best for expectant mothers to avoid drinking herbal tea. Postpartum mothers are extremely weak, and drinking herbal tea is not only detrimental to the recovery of visceral functions, but also can harm the spleen and stomach, leading to future abdominal pain.

　　4. Women during menstruation

　　Women are in a state of blood loss during menstruation, and their resistance is reduced. If they drink cold herbal tea during this time, it can easily cause stagnation of qi and blood, hinder the smooth discharge of menstrual blood, and lead to dysmenorrhea. In severe cases, it can cause menstrual disorders.

　　5. The elderly and children

　　The elderly have weaker constitutions compared to young people, and their digestive functions are also relatively weak. In addition, they may have common age-related diseases, so they need to be particularly careful when drinking herbal tea. If the concentration of the herbal tea is too high or the ingredients used are not suitable for the elderly, it may cause discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms. Infants and young children have immature spleen and stomach functions. The cold nature of herbal tea containing ingredients such as phellodendron and skullcap can further damage their spleen and stomach, causing indigestion, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.