5 reasons you can't refuse! My recommendation for autumn's first cup of health tea: Pu'er tea

The pace of time is getting faster and faster. The distance from the peak summer to deep autumn is only one rainstorm away.

Just a couple of days ago, it was so hot that we hated being here. A cool breeze blew over and the heat went out with the dew, so many people all put on an extra layer, by now no one needed to be reminded to wear long underwear, autumn had come.

It is said that even if you're healthy in the summer, you'll be three parts empty after it passes. This is because of the hot weather during summer, which causes a lot of sweat to leave our bodies and take away the body's original vital energy. So as everyone knows, autumn is a season for taking care of one's health.

A long time ago, the first cup of milk tea in autumn ignited the enthusiasm of countless netizens. People flocked to check-in and some even called it "the first lesson in autumn health care." But actually, the high-calorie beverage has nothing to do with health care at all. Therefore, I prefer drinking "autumn's first cup of health tea" more than "autumn's first cup of milk tea".

Tea is the national drink of Chinese people, and one of the seven necessities in a person's life (grains, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea). We have been drinking it for thousands of years. It not only contains ancient wisdom but has also passed modern scientific tests.

However, China has six major tea categories, and even the number of varieties is over a thousand, with more than 100 types being commonly seen on the market. This is enough to drive anyone crazy! Allow me to be pretentious for a moment: having an abundance of products can also be troublesome! In any case, while there are many tea varieties available, each shop has its own strengths and weaknesses. But when it comes to the first cup of health-promoting tea in autumn, I recommend pu-erh. And I'll give you five reasons why you won't refuse.

Autumn is the best time for drinking Pu'er tea.

Ancient people said “not season, not eat”, because only seasonal things can present the best flavor. Drinking tea is the same.

We all know that Pu-erh tea becomes more aromatic with age, because it naturally ferments during the storage process. Fermentation requires moisture, and tea leaves absorb water molecules from the air. Summer is the season when the humidity in the air is highest, allowing for the fastest fermentation of Pu-erh tea. However, this is also the time when its tea flavor is at its least stable as high humidity will reduce the aroma of Pu-erh tea, and it becomes less mellow with a stronger bitter taste. Once autumn arrives, with drier air, the flavors accumulated by Pu-erh tea during a summer's fermentation and settling process are released in their strongest form.

2, in autumn it's good to use Rou Enao and Puer tea to resolve dampness and aid digestion.

In Dream of Red Mansions, when someone has indigestion and can't digest their food, they often recommend drinking some Puerh tea.

The Imperial Wardrobe Records states that when the Qing dynasty served tea to Cixi, Pu-erh was always served first as it is both warm and helps to ease one's greasiness.

We have a tradition of "adhering to the pig's fat". In autumn, we eat more greasy food that is not only irritating to our stomachs and causing digestive problems but also leads to a variety of gastrointestinal diseases.

Pu'er tea is the strongest in digestion and absorption of all teas. It is rich in vitamins and dietary fiber, making it the best intestinal cleanser. After eating "gluttony", drinking a cup of pu'er tea can promote peristalsis, not only strengthen the absorption of nutritional substances but also accelerate the excretion of harmful substances from the body, warm the heart and nourish the stomach! Moreover, the tea polyphenol in Pu'er tea can strongly dissolve fat, increase the solubility of fat by 40,000 times, activate lipase, promote fatty acid oxidation, scrub oil and relieve greasiness!

As early as hundreds of years ago, Pu-erh tea was transported to the Tibetan region via the Tea-Horse Ancient Road and became a staple for people in the region. The Tibetans, whose main staple food consists of meat and dairy products, would rather go without meat for three days than without tea for one day, since they are drawn to pu-erh's strong ability to aid digestion and dissolve grease.

During autumn when the human body tends to lose more water, Pu'er tea is even better at replenishing it.

Every time it's autumn, our lips become dry and chapped, and our skin becomes rough and dull. All these are caused by dehydration of the body. The doctor advised us each to drink 1,500 to 2,000 milliliters of water every day. However, a considerable part of people who dislike drinking or feel no thirst can never meet this amount. In other seasons, it might not be serious, but in autumn with its dryness, it may bring about all sorts of health problems.

Pu-erh tea is more beneficial to the human body than plain water. First, compared with plain and thin water, pu-erh tea has a thick and mellow taste, a sweet and smooth aroma, and a richer natural health value than other beverages, making people love drinking water. Secondly, compared with large mouthfuls of rapid consumption, slow drinking is more effective in replenishing water. The warm and elegant Pu-erh tea will make the drinker involuntarily slowly savor it, achieving better rehydration effects. Finally, the amount of water to be drunk should be small and multiple times, each time controlled at 200 to 500 milliliters, just like a cup of tea.

4, Autumn dryness harms lungs, Pu-erh tea can moisten the lungs.

Dryness of autumn damages the lungs, which usually shows as a dry and sore throat, coughing, respiratory infections, severe cases may trigger tracheitis. This is due to the drying climate in autumn, elasticity of the trachea, pharynx, lung etc decreases and small fissures are formed, further leading to reduced activity of cilia, degeneration of ability to discharge foreign bodies, greatly increased risk of contracting diseases of the respiratory system.

The Bencao Gangmu Zhiyi records that Pu-erh tea can enter the lungs to transform phlegm, clear stale air, stop digestive diseases, and has a moistening effect on the lungs. Modern medicine also proves that the catechins in Pu-erh tea can ease respiratory discomfort and have anti-inflammatory antibacterial effects; The beta-carotene content of Pu-erh tea is higher than that of carrots, which can maintain the normal function of respiratory tract cells. In addition, the alkaloids in Pu-erh tea can clear nicotine from the lungs and have a strong lung protective effect.

5. Pu-erh tea can be accompanied by various additives and has a hundred flavors.

Pu-erh tea + honey

This method of drinking was popular in the Tang Dynasty. The concentrated fragrance of tea and the pure sweetness of honey, the perfect blend of two extreme tastes, can't be stopped by those who taste it. Drinking regularly can prevent colds.

②Pu'er + flowers ( likely referring to a type of tea that combines Pu'er with floral flavors or scents)

Adding osmanthus, jasmine, chrysanthemum and rose in Pu-erh tea, the aroma of tea rises and falls with that of flowers, not only enriching the taste but also adding a touch of elegance.

③Pu-erh + dried tangerine peel

This combination has given birth to the very popular Qing Xin Gan Lu! It tastes sweet and both Pu-erh and dried tangerine peel are rich in dietary fibre which can speed up metabolism, and long term consumption is good for beauty care.