The Art of Tea: 10 Things to Avoid When Drinking Tea

I love my tea. There’s just nothing quite like a fresh cup of hot tea – the warmth, the subtle and delightful aroma, and the feeling of calm and freshness that often comes with it.

In addition to the intrinsic satisfaction I get out of my tea drinking experience, it’s also nice to know that tea is good for you.

It’s rich in antioxidants, increases your metabolism, and bolsters your immune system. Some researches even say that it protects against cancer and reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.

To reap the full benefits of your tea and avoid any potential harm, though, you need to be aware of the 10 Things to Avoid When Drinking Tea:

1. Avoid drinking tea with an empty stomach.

The acidity and cooling nature of tea can upset your stomach, causing nausea and a feeling of sickness. This is especially true if you have digestive or stomach problems, such as ulcers or acid reflux.

2. Avoid drinking extremely hot tea.

Extremely hot water temperature can irritate or even damage your throat, esophagus and stomach, especially when used over a long period of time. The proper water temperature for tea is 62 C (or 144 F), which means after the water reaches its boiling point of 100 C (or 212 F), you need to wait for a couple of minutes before pouring it over your tea and savoring it.

3. Avoid drinking cold tea.

Cold tea can stagnate your energy circulation and potentially produce phlegm in your body.

4. Avoid exceptionally strong tea.

High caffeine content and tannins in strong tea may cause headaches and insomnia. Besides, it simply tastes too bitter for my liking.

5. Avoid boiling or steeping tea for too long.

If you boil or steep your tea for too long you risk losing not only the clarity and aroma of your tea, but also its nutritive value due to the effect of oxidation. Start with 1-3 minutes and gradually increase the time to your preferred taste. This is especially important when preparing delicate green teas.

6. Avoid diluting tea too many times.

I used to refill my teapot with water over and over. Why waste it, right? Now I’ve learned that after 3-4 pours, your tea has pretty much lost all of its nutritive value. You can tell this by the color of your tea. If it’s so light that it almost resembles plain water, you know it’s time to make another pot with some fresh tea leaves!

7. Avoid drinking tea immediately before meals.

Drinking tea immediately before a meal can dull your taste buds, negatively affecting your ability to enjoy the other flavors in your meal. It’s also not beneficial for digestion.

8. Avoid drinking tea immediately after meals.

The tannic acid contained in tea may affect the proper absorption of protein and iron in food. So it’s best to wait 20-30 minutes after a meal before picking up your teacup again.

9. Avoid washing down medicine with tea.

The tannin in tea may interact with the active ingredients of certain drugs, and reduce their efficacy.

10. Avoid drinking overnight tea.

Tea that was made the day before not only loses its nutritive value due to oxidation, but also might have been attacked by bacteria. Besides, the freshly brewed tea simply tastes the best.

As I’m going through the list, I’ve noted a couple things that I need to be more conscious of, such as drinking tea around the mealtime and avoiding steeping tea for too long.

How about you? What’s your experience? Is there anything you’d like to share with us?