drinking alcohol makes you drunk but did you know drinking tea can also make you drunk

Lu Tong, known as the Sub-Sage of Tea, wrote in 'A Poem Thanking Meng Jianyi for New Tea':“The first bowl moistens my throat and lips; the second bowl breaks my loneliness. The third bowl searches my dry entrails, only to find five thousand volumes of writing. The fourth bowl makes me sweat lightly, all the injustices of life run out through my pores. The fifth bowl purifies my flesh and bones; the sixth bowl connects me to the divine. The seventh bowl I can drink no more, I only feel a cool breeze rising under my arms.”From the first bowl to the seventh, such descriptions push the pleasure of drinking tea to the extreme.

In the morning, there are seven things to do: firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea. These are the seven essential items for the daily life of ancient Chinese people, also known as the seven daily chores. Tea, being one of them, shows its significant place in Chinese history and culture.

As everyone knows, drinking alcohol can make you drunk; but did you know? Drinking tea can also make you drunk. Tea drunkenness is similar to alcohol drunkenness but not entirely the same, and the feeling of tea drunkenness can be just as uncomfortable as being drunk on alcohol.

Why can drinking tea make you drunk?

The main causes of tea drunkenness are drinking strong tea on an empty stomach or drinking too much tea for those who rarely drink it. Tea can make people drunk due to its caffeine and fluoride content. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, and drinking several cups of strong tea can cause 'tea drunkenness' reactions: palpitations, allergies, insomnia, headaches, nausea, unsteady standing, and decreased work efficiency. Medically, it causes an imbalance of electrolytes in the body, leading to abnormal enzyme activity, metabolic disorders, accelerated blood circulation, rapid breathing, and other adverse reactions.

If tea drunkenness symptoms appear and are not severe, you can eat some sweets or snacks, such as red dates, candies, cakes, nuts, chocolates, or drink a cup of yogurt. However, severe cases can lead to muscle tremors, irregular heart rate, and even convulsions. In such cases, you shouldimmediately go to the hospital for emergency treatment.Additionally, tea contains a lot of fluoride, and excessive accumulation of fluoride in the body can lead to chronic poisoning.

Under what circumstances is tea drunkenness likely to occur?

1. People who rarely drink tea and consume too much tea at once can easily experience 'tea overdose' and get drunk.

2. Drinking tea with too much caffeine.

3. Drinking tea on an empty stomach or at night.

4. People with low blood sugar or weak bodies should avoid drinking tea or drinking large amounts of tea at once.

How to drink tea healthily

1. Drink tea in moderation, do not overindulge

Drinking tea can help clear oil, enhance nerve excitement, and aid digestion and diuresis. However, drinking more is not always better; tea should be consumed in moderation. Generally, 1-2 times a day, with 2-3 grams per serving, is suitable. People with neurasthenia, stomach diseases, and intestinal ulcers should not drink tea, and breastfeeding women, pregnant women, and infants should also avoid tea.

2. Do not drink new tea

New tea has a short storage time and contains more caffeine, alkaloids, and aromatic oils, which can strongly stimulate the stomach lining and easily induce stomach diseases. Therefore, new tea should be consumed sparingly and stored for more than half a month before drinking.

3. Avoid drinking tea on an empty stomach, before bed, or around meals

An empty stomach contains a lot of stomach acid, and drinking tea on an empty stomach can dilute gastric juice, reduce gastric acid secretion, and cause tea drunkenness symptoms like palpitations, irritability, dizziness, and trembling. Drinking tea before meals can also dilute gastric acid, making food tasteless and affecting the digestive system's absorption function. The correct method is to drink tea one hour after meals.

4. Do not drink tea after alcohol

Drinking tea after alcohol can cause the tea's theophylline to quickly act on the kidneys, causing the undecomposed acetaldehyde to enter the kidneys prematurely. Acetaldehyde stimulates the kidneys and affects kidney function. Additionally, ethanol from alcohol strongly stimulates the cardiovascular system, and tea also excites the heart, combining to increase heart stimulation.

5. Avoid taking medicine with tea

The tannic acid in tea can combine with many medications to form precipitates, affecting the efficacy of the medicine.

6. Avoid drinking tea immediately after exercise

Drinking tea immediately after exercise can increase the burden on the heart. After intense exercise, tea's diuretic function is not suitable due to the large loss of body fluids. However, drinking a small amount of tea one hour after exercise can effectively relieve fatigue and protectthe skeletal muscles.

7. Tea is not suitable for everyone

People with neurasthenia, insomnia, hyperthyroidism, tuberculosis, heart disease, stomach diseases, and intestinal ulcers should not drink tea. Breastfeeding women, pregnant women, and infants should also avoid tea. If you like tea, it is recommended to drink light tea or aged tea.