The renowned nutritionist Ruomo Yu said: "Many beneficial ingredients that can regulate human metabolism are mostly present in tea. The mechanisms by which tea fights cancer, prevents aging, and enhances human physiological activity have also been basically figured out. Therefore, tea is the best beverage gifted to humans by nature." Lu Xun once said: "Having good tea to drink and knowing how to enjoy good tea is a kind of pure happiness."
Tieguanyin not only has a high fragrance and rich flavor, making it a naturally delicious drink, but its health-preserving functions also stand out among teas. Modern medical research shows that besides possessing general health benefits of tea, Tieguanyin also has effects such as anti-aging, anti-cancer, preventing arteriosclerosis, treating diabetes, weight loss, preventing tooth decay, clearing heat, reducing fire, countering the effects of smoking, and sobering up from alcohol.
Chemical components in tea
Drinking tea has many benefits, this is well-known. But why does drinking tea have so many benefits? For most people, they know the fact but don't understand the reason behind it. With the development of science, by the early 19th century, the composition of tea gradually became clear. Through modern scientific separation and identification, there are over 450 organic chemical components and more than 40 inorganic mineral elements in tea. Both organic chemical components and inorganic mineral elements in tea contain many nutritional components and medicinal efficacy components. The main organic chemical components include: tea polyphenols, plant alkaloids, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, pectins, organic acids, lipopolysaccharides, sugars, enzymes, pigments, etc. The content of organic chemical components in Tieguanyin, such as tea polyphenols, catechins, various amino acids, etc., is significantly higher than other types of tea. Inorganic mineral elements mainly include: potassium, calcium, magnesium, cobalt, iron, manganese, aluminum, sodium, zinc, copper, nitrogen, phosphorus, fluorine, iodine, selenium, etc. The content of inorganic mineral elements in Tieguanyin, such as manganese, iron, fluorine, potassium, sodium, etc., is also higher than other types of tea.
In recent years, studies by domestic and international scientists, especially Japanese scientists, have confirmed that the chemical components and mineral elements in Tieguanyin have special functions for human health, roughly including the following aspects:
One, the anti-aging effect of Tieguanyin. Some scientific researches both at home and abroad show that human aging is related to the excessive oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids in the body, and the excessive oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids is related to the action of free radicals. Chemically active free radicals can cause excessive oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids, leading to sudden changes or decline in cell function, causing tissue proliferation and necrosis, and generating fatal diseases. Excessive lipid oxidation is the demon of human health, but the culprit is free radicals. As long as the free radicals are removed, cells can gain normal growth and development, thereby achieving healthy longevity. Commonly used antioxidants include vitamin C and vitamin E, both of which can effectively prevent the excessive oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. However, recent studies by Japanese researchers show that the polyphenolic compounds in Tieguanyin can prevent excessive oxidation; purine alkaloids can indirectly play a role in removing free radicals, thus achieving the purpose of delaying aging.
Two, the anti-cancer effect of Tieguanyin. Cancer is a serious threat to people's health and is known as an "incurable disease". Therefore, in recent years, the study of tea's anti-cancer properties has aroused great interest and attention. A few years ago, there was a report stating that the incidence of esophageal cancer in Shanghai citizens had decreased year by year due to drinking tea, which caused a great reaction worldwide. Nowadays, the fact that drinking tea can prevent and fight against cancer has been widely recognized, and among all teas, Tieguanyin has the best effect on preventing and fighting against cancer. As early as 1983, Professor Takao Okada of Okayama University in Japan screened dozens of plant polyphenolic compounds for their anti-cancer effects and found that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has strong anti-cancer activity. Other scientists have confirmed in their studies on the anti-mutagenic effects of Tieguanyin that tea polyphenols in Tieguanyin are the main active components of this effect. In studies on chemical substance-induced carcinogenesis, the inhibitory effect of Tieguanyin tea polyphenols on cancer transformation has been confirmed. Moreover, vitamins C and E in Tieguanyin can block the synthesis of carcinogens - nitrosamines, playing a significant role in preventing cancer.
Three, the anti-arteriosclerosis effect of Tieguanyin. On May 31, 1999, at the Fourth International Conference on Oolong Tea and Health held in Tokyo, Japan, Vice President Ling Chen of Fujian Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine reported on their clinical observation of 25 obese patients with hyperlipidemia, exploring the inhibitory effect of drinking Tieguanyin oolong tea on the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein in blood and improving lipid metabolism in blood. Studies have shown that tea polyphenolic compounds and vitamins in Tieguanyin can inhibit the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein in blood. Dr. Haruhiko Hara of Mitsui Forestry Research Institute in Japan also confirmed through long-term research that tea polyphenolic compounds can not only lower cholesterol in blood, but also significantly improve the ratio of high-density lipoprotein to low-density lipoprotein in blood. Caffeine can dilate blood vessels, accelerate breathing, lower blood lipids, and plays a certain role in preventing coronary heart disease, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis. According to a survey conducted by the Coronary Heart Disease Prevention Research Group of Fujian Medical University in 1974 on 1080 farmers in Anxi tea country, the incidence rate of those who did not drink Tieguanyin tea was 3.1%; occasionally drank was 2.3%; regularly drank (for more than 3 years) was 1.4%. It can be seen that people who regularly drink Tieguanyin have a lower incidence of coronary heart disease.
Four, the preventive and curative effect of Tieguanyin on diabetes. Diabetes is a world-wide disease. Currently, about 200 million people around the world suffer from diabetes, and more than 30 million people in China suffer from diabetes. Diabetes is a systemic chronic progressive disease mainly characterized by metabolic disorders of sugar. Typical clinical manifestations are "three more and one less", namely increased thirst, increased urination, increased appetite, and weight loss, accompanied by general weakness. This disease is referred to as "consumptive thirst syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine, belonging to the category of damp-heat in the lower burner. The main reason for getting this disease is the lack of polyphenolic substances in the body, such as vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, phosphate, methyl salicylate, etc., leading to metabolic disorders of sugar, a sharp increase in blood glucose levels in the body, and weakened metabolic functions.
Clinical experiments conducted by Dr. Goro Ogawa and others in Japan have proven that regular tea drinking can timely replenish vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, phosphate, methyl salicylate, and polyphenolic substances in the human body, preventing the occurrence of diabetes. For mild and moderate diabetic patients, it can reduce blood glucose and urine glucose to very little or completely normal; for severe diabetic patients, it can reduce blood glucose and urine glucose, alleviating various major symptoms.
Five, the weight loss and beauty-enhancing effect of Tieguanyin. Obesity is a nutritional disorder that occurs alongside the continuous improvement in people's living standards. It is caused by excessive nutrient intake or insufficient utilization of stored energy within the body. Obesity not only brings inconvenience to daily life but is also a cause of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. In 1996, Fujian Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine conducted a study on the weight-loss effects of Tieguanyin on 102 adult men and women suffering from simple obesity. The study showed that Tieguanyin contains a large amount of tea polyphenols, which can not only enhance the effect of fat-decomposing enzymes but also promote the metabolic activities of neutral fat enzymes in tissues. Therefore, drinking Tieguanyin can improve the physique of obese individuals, effectively reduce subcutaneous fat and waist circumference, thereby reducing their weight. Quanzhou People's Hospital in Fujian Province treated 164 obese patients using Tieguanyin weight-loss tea. Patients consumed 12-14 grams of weight-loss tea daily, with each course lasting 15 days. After two courses of treatment, the patients' blood lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol were significantly reduced, and their weight also decreased, with a total effective rate of over 70%.
Six, the caries-preventive effect of Tieguanyin. People generally believe that there are two major dental diseases that harm people: cavities and periodontitis. Cavities, commonly known as tooth decay, are common dental problems. There are many reasons for cavities, one important reason being: poor calcification of teeth, resulting in insufficient hardness, making them susceptible to damage. Drinking tea can protect teeth, a practice that has been applied in ancient China. Su Dongpo of the Song Dynasty wrote in "Tea Talk": "Rinsing the mouth with concentrated tea not only removes grease but also strengthens teeth and eliminates decay." Modern scientific analysis shows that Tieguanyin contains a relatively abundant amount of fluoride, while fluoride content in general foods is minimal. About 40% to 80% of fluoride compounds in Tieguanyin dissolve in hot water, easily combining with calcium in teeth to form a layer of calcium fluoride on the surface of teeth, playing a role in preventing acid erosion and cavity formation. Japan conducted a survey on the cavity rate of schoolchildren in two neighboring villages, showing that drinking Tieguanyin has good effects on preventing cavities. Each schoolchild drinks a cup of Tieguanyin daily, calculated based on a fluoride content of 0.4 milligrams per day, continuing for a year, half of the children originally suffering from cavities recover. Japan statistically analyzed 100 primary schools with students suffering from cavities, and after switching to drinking Tieguanyin, 55% of the students with cavities showed significant improvement in their condition. Therefore, drinking Tieguanyin has a preventive effect on those who do not have cavities and a therapeutic effect on those who already have cavities.
Seven, the antibacterial and antidiarrheal effects of Tieguanyin. In Anxi folk practices, Tieguanyin has long been used to treat dysentery and stomachaches. Ancient Chinese medical books also contain numerous records of using tea to treat bacterial dysentery, red dysentery, white dysentery, acute enteritis, and acute gastritis. Why does Tieguanyin have antibacterial and antidiarrheal effects? This is mainly due to tea polyphenolic compounds. Since tea polyphenols enter the gastrointestinal tract, they can relax the tension function of the intestines, alleviating intestinal movement; simultaneously, they can coagulate intestinal proteins because bacteria themselves are composed of proteins. When tea polyphenols encounter bacterial proteins, the bacteria die, thus protecting the intestinal mucosa and having the effect of treating enteritis.
Eight, the cooling and detoxifying effects of Tieguanyin. Tea is a good beverage for preventing summer heat and lowering body temperature. Li Shizhen wrote in "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Tea is bitter and cold... most capable of lowering fire, as fire causes all kinds of diseases, and when fire is lowered, the body becomes clear... drinking warm tea allows fire to descend due to coldness, while drinking hot tea disperses fire through heat." During the scorching summer days, drinking a cup of refreshing Tieguanyin or a cup of hot Tieguanyin makes one feel refreshed and quenches thirst. This is because the tea infusion contains tea polyphenols, sugars, amino acids, pectins, vitamins, etc., which undergo chemical reactions with saliva in the mouth, moistening the oral cavity, thereby playing a role in quenching thirst. Simultaneously, due to the caffeine in Tieguanyin, a large amount of energy is released from the pores of the skin. It is reported that drinking a cup of hot tea releases heat through sweating from the skin pores, equivalent to 50 times the heat of the tea itself, thus making one feel cool and refreshed.
Nine, the invigorating and enhancing thinking effects of Tieguanyin. The invigorating and enhancing thinking effects of drinking tea are almost universally known. Historical medical records in China document this extensively, and literary figures, monks, and scholars throughout history have all praised the invigorating and enhancing thinking effects of tea. Bai Juyi wrote in his poem "Gift to Neighbor Wang Thirteen": "Walking by the pool under the moon, opening the robe in the wind. Driving away worries with the power of wine, breaking sleep with the efficacy of tea." The poem clearly mentions the invigorating and sleep-breaking effects of tea. Su Dongpo wrote: "Thirty pieces of Jian tea, uncertain of its taste, presented to Master Bao, to battle the sleep demons." He gave Jian tea to Master Bao, allowing him to avoid drowsiness during meditation. Drinking tea can enhance thinking, hence its popularity, especially among writers, poets, and other intellectuals. Famous French writer Balzac, American-Chinese female writer Han Suyin, and famous Chinese writer Yao Xueyin all loved drinking tea to assist their creative thoughts.
Tieguanyin can invigorate and enhance thinking, its function mainly lies in the caffeine in tea. Caffeine has the effect of stimulating the central nervous system, enhancing thought, and improving efficiency. Therefore, drinking tea can break sleep, invigorate, relieve annoyance, eliminate fatigue, refresh the mind, and enhance thinking, significantly improving verbal response ability and mathematical thinking reactions. At the same time, since Tieguanyin contains polyphenolic compounds and other substances, it counteracts the adverse effects of pure caffeine on the human body. This is also one of the important reasons why the history of tea drinking is long-standing, flourishing continuously, and developing constantly.
Ten, the sobering and tobacco-countering effects of Tieguanyin. It is a well-known fact that tea can sober up and counteract the effects of smoking. Ming dynasty philosopher Wang Yangming's famous line, "Just like waking up from drunkenness, tea is needed to sober up," indicates that the Chinese people have long recognized the effects of drinking tea to sober up. The ancients often "used wine to drown sorrows" and "tea to sober up." Tang dynasty poet Liu Yuxi, one day after getting drunk, remembered that Bai Juyi had "six class tea" that could sober up, so he sent someone to exchange goods for tea to sober up, which became a famous story in tea lore. The main component of alcohol is ethanol, and a cup of wine contains 10%-70% ethanol. The tea polyphenols in Tieguanyin can offset ethanol (the main component of alcohol), so drinking tea can sober up.
Not only can Tieguanyin sober up, but it can also counteract the effects of smoking. Tieguanyin contains a phenolic acid substance that can make nicotine in tobacco precipitate and excrete it from the body. At the same time, the caffeine in Tieguanyin can enhance the liver's ability to metabolize drugs, promote blood circulation, and excrete nicotine from the bloodstream through urine, reducing and eliminating the side effects brought by nicotine. Of course, this effect is not solely due to caffeine but rather the result of collaborative actions with tea polyphenols, vitamin C, and other components.