As we all know, any kind of tea has a refreshing effect.

In fact, tea also has a soothing effect.

Why does the same tea have two contradictory effects?

When do we drink tea to refresh ourselves, and when do we drink tea to calm our nerves?

The two contradictory effects of Pu'er tea, which is made from Yunnan large-leaf tea with rich connotation, are more prominent. How should we choose the appropriate Pu'er tea according to our own physical condition?

Drinking tea can refresh you

Tea has had the function of "making people sleep less" since ancient times. The effect of tea on sleeping less has been discussed in the poems and articles of ancient literati. For example: Lu Shusheng's "Cha Lao Ji" in the Ming Dynasty said that tea "can remove troubles and snow stagnation, wake up and break sleep. Tan (the ancient style of Tan) is thirsty and tired of reading, so this is the time to do something good". Zheng Ao's "Tea Poems" of the Tang Dynasty: "It is the most precious, it can make people sleep and have a clear mind" and Lu Yan's "Under the Snowy Mountain": "Send the sleep demon off a few seats to add fresh air to the skin"; Huang Tingjian's "Ji Gongjing Tencha" of the Song Dynasty: "The sand demon Zheng Yang tea cuisine, "Ji Zao Xi Tong Grinds the Jade Dust" and Lu You's "Daytime Lie and Smell the Tencha": "What's the need for the seven bowls of Yuchuan, there is no sleep in the sound of copper grinding" etc... The theory of traditional Chinese medicine believes that "the heart governs the gods", so "making people sleep less" is called "refreshing" in modern times, which is the result of nervous excitement.

Drinking tea has an exciting effect on the central nervous system of the human body, and its pharmacological effects are mainly produced by the xanthine derivatives, caffeine and theophylline it contains. The caffeine and aromatic substances in tea are stimulants that can excite the central nervous system of the brain.

The effect of tea in "making people sleep less" not only refreshes and refreshes the mind, keeps people in an excited state, and has a good awakening effect on physiological and pathological sleep and good sleep, it can also be used to treat coma and dizziness caused by diseases. In the "Chinese Medical Dictionary", there is a "recipe for treating phlegm-heat and lethargy", which is to decoct tea with Ligusticum chuanxiong and scallion in appropriate amounts.

Drinking tea can calm the mind

The ancients also recorded many records of another effect of tea: "Yinshan Zhengyao", "Compendium of Materia Medica" and "Chinese Medical Dictionary" called it "Qingshen"; "Dongpo Miscellaneous Notes" and "Tea Book" (Qian's ), "Compendium of Materia Medica", "Suixiju Diet Manual" and "Oujiang Yizhi" call it "removing troubles"; "The Book of Tea", "Supplement to the History of the Tang Dynasty" and Liu Yuxi's "Dai Wuzhong Cheng Xie Xincha" call it "cleansing troubles"...

In ancient poems and articles, tea’s calming effect was often discussed. For example: Zhao Ji's "Daguan Tea Theory" of the Song Dynasty said "remove the stagnation and bring clarity and harmony", and Xu Jueshu's "Cha Shu" of the Ming Dynasty said "regular drinking will cool the heart and lungs and relieve depression". "Tea sent to Zhou Anru" by Su Wu of the Song Dynasty: "The mind is as refreshing as a fairy, and the head is as fast as a shower" and Shen Liao's "Xie Dexianghui New Tea": "The tongue is moistened once it is sipped, and the heart is more comfortable after sipping. It not only opens up the mind, but also relieves the spies" and so on.

From the perspective of pharmacological effects, when the tea leaves are brewed for the first two times, most of the caffeine in the tea leaves has been dissolved into the tea water. At this time, the tea has obvious refreshing effects and makes people excited. After a few brews, the amount of caffeine gradually decreases, and at the same time, the tannic acid in the tea leaves gradually dissolves into the tea water, which offsets the effect of caffeine, and it is no longer easy for people to have obvious physiological excitement. At this time, it is the turn of another substance in tea - theanine to appear. Theanine can inhibit the excitement of the human body caused by caffeine, calm people, promote concentration, and also help the brain enter the state, and has a good auxiliary effect on people's thinking, memory, learning and other mental activities.

Of course, the effects of theanine on calming the nerves, promoting sleep, and enhancing memory will only appear after a period of accumulation. Therefore, drinking tea can refresh you in the short term, while drinking tea can calm you down in the long term.

　How to choose tea according to your needs?

Knowing the medicinal mechanism of these two effects of tea, we can make targeted choices according to our needs. For example, if we want to stay up late and refresh ourselves, we choose to drink it just after brewing; if we want to calm the mind, we should leave the tea for a longer time, try to avoid the first few brews, and only drink the remaining few brews.

Regarding Pu'er tea, two points need to be noted: First, it contains more substances, and the refreshing function of the first few brews will be more significant and long-lasting. If you need it to soothe the mind, you should increase the number of brewing passes in the first part to reduce the amount of residual caffeine in the subsequent passes; second, Pu'er tea can be divided into raw and cooked teas, and the refreshing function of raw tea is more obvious. After ripe tea is fermented, a large amount of caffeine is converted, which can soothe the nervous system during the day and has little impact on sleep. So if you need a calming effect, cooked tea is the best choice. Of course, if you choose cooked tea, you don’t have to waste the first few brews, and you can start drinking from the first brew.

In addition, when choosing tea products, you cannot just do it arbitrarily for the purpose of refreshing and calming the mind. You also need to make flexible choices based on your age, physique, health status, living environment and other factors.

　 (Editor: Bonnie)

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