Why has tea drinking become the "first step to health" for the public?

In the fast-paced modern life, "drinking tea" has become the first step for many into the "world of health" due to its convenience, natural gentleness, and strong sense of ritual. Especially with the promotion on social media platforms, various promotional images and texts about different types of tea are emerging endlessly, from "drinking red date and longan tea to replenish energy and nourish blood" to "drinking dandelion tea to protect the liver and detoxify," and "drinking mulberry leaf tea to lower blood sugar and pressure" to "drinking chrysanthemum and goji berry tea to improve vision and calm the mind." This information spreads rapidly in a fragmented manner.

People tend to believe that "natural means safe," thinking that plant-based teas have no side effects, can be consumed long-term, and have a complex function of "regulating body constitution." Especially for office workers, sub-healthy individuals, and the elderly, having a pot of "exclusive formula tea" daily seems to have become a low-cost, high-return health investment.

However, behind the notion of "the more you drink, the better" and "random combinations," there are hidden potential risks such as unclear ingredients, uncontrolled dosages, and confused medicinal properties. Without sufficient understanding and professional guidance, the efficacy of homemade health teas may be overestimated while the risks are overlooked.

Can the active ingredients in "herbal teas" really work?

Many health teas are attributed with pharmacological functions based on the presence of certain active substances in the plant ingredients. However, whether these effects can truly be absorbed by the human body and produce the expected results depends on multiple factors:

Low solubility:

Most effective components in plants (such as flavonoids, polyphenols, and alkaloids) do not have high solubility in hot water. Taking goji berries as an example, the polysaccharides contained can only dissolve about 20% to 30% in water, and they need to be soaked at temperatures above 80°C for a long time to show any effect. However, users often simply brew for a few minutes before drinking, resulting in an actual absorption far below the dosages used in pharmacological studies.

Insufficient dosage:

For example, regarding dandelion, literature indicates that its dried leaves have certain antibacterial and liver-protective effects in vitro, but the dosage of the extracts used in studies is much higher than the 1 to 3 grams typically used for brewing tea. Ordinary drinkers consume very little daily, making it nearly impossible to reach pharmacological intervention levels.

Significant individual differences:

Different populations react differently to plant components. For instance, individuals with pollen allergies may experience rashes or respiratory discomfort after consuming teas containing chrysanthemum, honeysuckle, or rose. Those with liver or kidney dysfunction may have reduced metabolic capacity for certain components, potentially leading to accumulation effects.

Therefore, the presence of "effective components" does not equate to "effective tea drinking," nor can it be directly equated to "having therapeutic effects."

What potential risks are hidden in mixed health teas?

A common practice is to "freely combine" various flowers, herbs, and fruits, even adjusting based on self-assessments of "cold constitution," "damp heat," or "qi deficiency." On the surface, this appears to be "customized," but it may actually lead to "ingredient conflicts."

Plant medicinal properties may counteract or overlap:

For example, both mulberry leaves and mint are cooling; if combined with chrysanthemum and honeysuckle, the cold properties may accumulate, easily causing diarrhea or bloating in those with a weak spleen and stomach. Conversely, red dates, longan, and lychee are warming; if consumed in large amounts when there is excessive damp heat in the body, it may lead to symptoms like heat, mouth ulcers, and insomnia.

"Food and medicine share the same source" does not mean "completely non-toxic":

For instance, licorice is commonly found in teas, but it contains glycyrrhizin, and long-term excessive intake may lead to "pseudoaldosteronism," causing sodium retention, edema, hypokalemia, and even inducing arrhythmias. In medicine, the dosage of licorice is strictly controlled.

Misuse of "health teas" as "medicinal teas":

For example, "blood pressure tea" often contains ingredients like gynostemma, mulberry leaves, and robinia leaves, which do have a mild effect on blood pressure, but improper combinations or excessive consumption may lead to significant blood pressure fluctuations, especially for those already on antihypertensive medications, increasing the risk of hypotensive fainting.

Toxic side effects are underestimated:

Commonly used traditional herbs like five-fingered peach, earth taro, and summer cress, while traditional, may have toxic residues if not properly processed or sourced, potentially burdening the liver and kidneys and even causing liver damage.

Real cases serve as warnings:

A middle-aged woman in Guangdong drank her homemade "detox tea," composed of dandelion, purslane, cassia seeds, and goji berries daily, and after three months, she experienced persistent diarrhea and elevated liver enzymes, which were diagnosed as drug-induced liver injury, confirmed to be caused by long-term intake of certain hepatotoxic components in the plants.

Drinking tea ≠ "treating illness," efficacy claims should be wary of exaggeration

A prominent issue in the current health tea market is the rampant use of functional labels and vague efficacy statements. For example:

"Chrysanthemum tea can clear the liver and improve vision, alleviating visual fatigue";

"Honeysuckle tea can detoxify and beautify, reducing heat and relieving fever";

"Lotus leaf and hawthorn tea can reduce fat and slim down";

"Oolong tea can lower fat and regulate blood sugar."

Although these claims seem "scientific," they are often based on animal experiments, small sample studies, or summaries of traditional Chinese medicine experiences, lacking large-sample, double-blind clinical evidence.

Even if certain components show some activity in vitro experiments, it does not mean that daily consumption will achieve the same effects. The core difference between food and medicine lies in: food emphasizes "safe and sustainable intake," while medicine emphasizes "effective and controllable side effects."

When beverages are mistakenly regarded as "having therapeutic functions," it can easily lead to consequences such as "drinking tea instead of seeking medical treatment" and "delaying illness." Especially for chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, fatty liver, insomnia, and gout, if users rely solely on tea for adjustment without regular medical intervention, the long-term harm cannot be underestimated.

Tea drinking should be matched with constitution, season, and medical history

Health teas are not entirely useless; their value lies in nurturing, assisting, and daily health maintenance. However, the principles of their combinations must follow scientific and individualized guidelines:

Constitution matching:

Those with yang deficiency and cold intolerance should avoid cold teas (such as mint, chrysanthemum, and mulberry leaves);

Those with yin deficiency and heat should not frequently drink warming teas (such as longan, red dates, and goji berries);

Those with excessive liver fire can moderately drink rose, jasmine, and chrysanthemum to regulate emotions.

Seasonal adaptation:

In spring, it is advisable to use sweet and neutral herbs to soothe the liver (rose, mint);

In summer, it is advisable to clear heat and relieve summer heat (honeysuckle, green tea, lotus leaf);

In autumn, it is advisable to nourish the lungs and moisten dryness (lily, dried pear, ophiopogon);

In winter, it is advisable to warm yang and replenish qi (longan, red dates, ginger).

Medical history screening:

Individuals with chronic diseases or those on medication should consult a doctor before selecting tea to avoid ingredient interference with medication efficacy;

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid teas containing stimulating or purgative components like musk, hawthorn, and cassia seeds;

Those with stomach diseases or kidney dysfunction should stay away from strongly stimulating or diuretic herbal teas.

Recommended practice:

If there is indeed a need for tea to nurture health, it is advisable to consult a registered dietitian or traditional Chinese medicine practitioner to clarify individual constitution and health goals, and then tailor a formula, rather than blindly trusting internet celebrity recommendations or "universal tea recipes."

Return to the essence of tea drinking, establish a rational "tea nurturing view"

Tea is essentially a form of drinking water. Clean, warm water rich in polyphenols or aroma can indeed soothe emotions, increase water intake, and assist metabolism. If reasonably blended with flowers, herbs, and fruits, its health value is undoubtedly significant.

However, we should be more aware that:

Tea is not medicine and cannot replace treatment;

Tea is also not water and should not be consumed indiscriminately;

The components of tea are complex and should not be "drunk whenever desired" or "mixed randomly";

The effects of tea are limited and should be combined with lifestyle interventions and medical guidance.

The key to health lies in scientific understanding, continuous execution, and comprehensive balance, rather than relying on a single "magical formula." When we transform health from "superstition" into "rational practice," tea drinking can truly return to its original warmth and tranquility.