Health benefits

In Chinese history, initially tea was drunk precisely because of its healthful benefits.  It was seen as a healing herb, a medicine. Owing to many factors the different tea kinds have different benefits. Yet some general healthful benefits mentioned in ancient texts are an increase in blood flow, acceleration of metabolism, strengthening immune system, stimulation of clear thinking, cleansing effect upon the skin, assisting the digestion, elimination of toxic substances in the body, banishing fatigue and raising the spirit, etc. Modern science has done much research that confirms the validity of most of these claims

The tea leaf itself is not harmful but beneficial but an improper production process and  preparation method can of course have a negative influence. Therefore tea of inferior quality or improper handling and preparation should be avoided. It is our responsibility to assure that the tea leaves we provide are of good quality. In preparing the tea one should use common sense and follow the basic guidelines.

What have ancients to say about this?  

“Generally speaking, if the skill of planting is not grasped well, the tea tree can seldom flourish. The way of planting is similar to that of planting melon.  After three years tea the first harvest can be reaped. The Quality of tea which grows in the wild is better than that which grows in garden. A purple bud is better than a green bud when it grows on a southern slope and in the shade. Slender leaves with the shape of a bamboo shoot are better than thin leaves. Curled leaves are better than flat leaves. Tea which grows on a shady slope or valley is of low quality and does not deserve to be picked. It's sluggish quality can cause lumps in the stomach.

 For medicinal purpose, tea is cold in nature. For the purpose of drinking, tea is best for attentive, devoted, frugal and virtuous people. When a person suffers from a fever, thirst, distress in the chest area, a headache, dry eyes, tired limbs or uncomfortable joints, four or five sips of tea can refresh one’s spirit, alike sweet deHowever, untimely picking, coarse handling or intermingling grass can cause a person to fall ill.

The quality of tea is to a great extent determined by its origin. The same holds true for ginseng. Superior ginseng is produced in Shangdang*, Average ginseng is produced in Paekche and Silla*. Inferior ginseng is produced in Corea. Ginsengs that grow in Zezhou, Yizhou, Youzhou and Tanzhou don’t have the curative effects of medicine, those more inferior even less. When Adenophora trachelioides Maxim is taken as ginseng, disease cannot be cured. As one understands the example of ginseng, one can also understand the effects of tea.”
Lu Yu, Cha Jing, chapter 1