Many older people like to drink a cup of strong tea on an empty stomach in the morning to refresh themselves and aid digestion. However, experts warn older people who have the habit of drinking strong tea on an empty stomach that not only does it not have the desired effect of refreshing and aiding digestion, but it is also not good for their health.
In the morning, the stomach is mostly empty of residual food. Drinking strong tea on an empty stomach can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and loss of appetite. It may even damage the gastric mucosa, leading to chronic gastritis and potentially impairing the normal function of the nervous system.
Experts say that some older people have short sleep durations and wake up around four or five in the morning to exercise. At this time, although many older people are already awake, they do not feel very energetic. Therefore, they want to use drinking strong tea to refresh themselves. In reality, feeling tired and lackluster after waking up is because the endocrine system of older people at four or five in the morning has not reached an ideal level and lacks the secretion of adrenal corticosteroids. Drinking strong tea cannot refresh them. After six o'clock, the endocrine levels in the morning basically return to normal, naturally eliminating fatigue and eliminating the need to rely on drinking strong tea to refresh themselves.
For older people with constipation, it is especially not recommended to drink tea on an empty stomach in the morning, especially strong tea. This can increase the burden on the intestines and stomach and worsen constipation. It is best to drink warm water, milk, or soy milk after waking up. On the other hand, older people with diarrhea can drink tea after breakfast.
