Xu Cishu of the Ming Dynasty said in "Tea Treatise": "Tea is nourished by water and contained in vessels, and soup is made by fire. The four are interlinked and none can be dispensed with." The four elements - tea, water, vessel, and fire - are closely connected, which echoes our discussion on how to brew good tea. Brewing tea may seem easy: place the tea in a pot, pour hot water, wait for a moment, and then pour it out, completing the process of "brewing tea"! On the surface, Tieguanyin tea can be brewed as described above to get a good tea infusion! However, observing and understanding tea carefully, studying the characteristics of tea, is the first step to brewing good tea! Beyond the written records mentioned above, more careful distinctions must be made during the actual brewing process, especially when facing different teas and tea wares, to achieve the best taste.
Tieguanyin is not only a precious natural beverage but also has excellent beauty and health care functions. Scientific analysis and practice have proven that Tieguanyin contains higher levels of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, tea polyphenols, and alkaloids, providing various nutrients and medicinal components. It has effects such as refreshing the mind, killing bacteria and reducing inflammation, aiding weight loss and beauty, delaying aging, preventing cancer, lowering blood lipids, cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, making it famous far and wide. It is widely sold in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Japan, Europe, America, and other places, deeply loved by consumers. In summary, there are five significant effects:
1. Detoxifying, aiding digestion, and removing greasiness
Zheng Daoxi, moved by the long history of Anxi Tieguanyin, refers to Anxi Tieguanyin in his article as the "old brand" in the Chinese tea family. He lists its first value as "able to detoxify, aid digestion, and remove oil." The article states that tea has long been recognized as the best health drink for humans. As early as the Western Han's "Shennong Herbal Classic," there is a record saying, "Encountering seventy-two poisons in a day, tea can resolve them." Entering the 20th century, scientists discovered a compound called flavonoids in tea, which have antibacterial and detoxifying effects.
2. Preventing cancer and enhancing intelligence
The article cites relevant scientific research results, stating that Anxi Tieguanyin has a very high selenium content, ranking among the top six types of tea. Selenium can stimulate immune proteins and antibodies to resist disease, inhibiting the occurrence and development of cancer cells. At the same time, Anxi Tieguanyin also enhances intelligence. The article mentions that British scientists found that the acidity or alkalinity of human brain fluid is related to IQ. Tea is an alkaline beverage, and Anxi Tieguanyin is significantly alkaline. Therefore, drinking it regularly can regulate the body's acid-base balance, improving one's IQ. Additionally, the article says that Anxi Tieguanyin is rich in vitamins, caffeine, amino acids, minerals, and tea polyphenols, all of which have been scientifically proven to be closely related to brain development and positively affect the enhancement of human intelligence.
3. Beautifying, slimming, and anti-aging
The article says that medical research shows that the coarse catechins combination in Tieguanyin has strong antioxidant activity, eliminating active oxygen molecules in cells, thereby protecting the body from the ravages of aging-related diseases. The article mentions that the manganese, iron, fluoride, potassium, and sodium content in Anxi Tieguanyin is higher than in other teas, especially fluoride, which ranks first among all teas, effectively preventing cavities and osteoporosis in the elderly. In 1979 and 1984, Japan experienced two "oolong tea fever" waves, and Anxi Tieguanyin was hailed as a "beauty tea" and "weight loss tea."
4. Enhancing social bonds and cultivating inner peace
The article also analyzes the social attributes of Anxi Tieguanyin, believing that as a quality tea, Anxi Tieguanyin has unique effects in entertaining guests, making friends, and cultivating personal character. The article says that Anxi Tieguanyin requires brewing, and when entertaining guests, water needs to be boiled and cups washed, creating a warm atmosphere between host and guest; guests sip tea while chatting with the host, fostering a harmonious and friendly interaction. Thus, the ritualized process of brewing and drinking tea calms the mind, helping to cultivate inner peace and joy.
5. Stimulating mental alertness
It is almost universally known that drinking tea can stimulate mental alertness. This is well-documented in ancient Chinese medical texts, and poets, monks, and scholars throughout history have praised tea's ability to enhance thought and focus. Bai Juyi wrote in his poem "Gift to Neighbor Wang Thirteen": "Walking by the pool under the moon, opening the robe in the wind under the bamboo. Driving away worries with the power of wine, breaking sleep with the effect of tea." The poem clearly mentions tea's ability to refresh the mind and break sleep. Su Dongpo wrote: "Thirty pieces of Jian tea, I do not know how it tastes. I offer it to Master Bao, to battle sleep demons in the monk's room." He gave Jian tea to Master Bao so that he could stay awake during meditation. Drinking tea enhances thinking, which is why people love it, especially writers, poets, and other intellectual workers who deeply enjoy tea to boost their creativity. Famous figures like French novelist Honoré de Balzac, Chinese-American writer Han Suyin, and renowned Chinese writer Yao Xueyin all passionately enjoyed drinking tea to assist their creative thoughts. Tieguanyin can stimulate mental alertness, primarily due to the caffeine in the tea. Caffeine has the function of stimulating the central nervous system, enhancing thought, and improving efficiency. Therefore, after drinking tea, one can overcome drowsiness, refresh the mind, clear the head, enhance thinking, and significantly improve verbal response ability and mathematical thinking reactions. Meanwhile, due to the presence of polyphenolic compounds in Tieguanyin, 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, enduring, and continuously developing.