Do people with excessive dampness drink black tea or green tea?

Generally speaking, people with excessive dampness in their bodies are more suited to drinking black tea. The detailed explanation is as follows:

Black tea is fully fermented tea with a mild nature. After fermentation, its polyphenol content decreases while caffeine and aromatic substances are preserved. Drinking black tea can promote blood circulation, help dispel internal dampness, and warm the stomach and spleen due to its warming characteristics. It can improve poor water metabolism caused by deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach, normalize bodily metabolism, and reduce dampness accumulation. Moreover, black tea has a mellow taste that does not strongly irritate the gastrointestinal tract, making it suitable for individuals with excessive dampness and weak digestive systems.

Green tea is unfermented tea rich in polyphenols and vitamins. It has a refreshing taste but possesses a relatively cold nature. If individuals with excessive dampness consume too much green tea, it may worsen spleen and stomach deficiency-cold conditions, impairing the spleen and stomach's ability to metabolize water and dampness, thus making dampness more likely to accumulate in the body. Particularly for those with inherently weak digestive systems, drinking green tea may cause discomfort such as bloating and diarrhea, which is not conducive to eliminating dampness. However, if dampness accumulation is accompanied by obvious heat symptoms such as bitter taste in the mouth, bad breath, or dry and hard stools, a small amount of green tea may be consumed, though intake should be carefully controlled.

When using tea to regulate dampness, one should choose the type according to individual constitution and also pay attention to the timing and strength of tea consumption. Avoid drinking tea on an empty stomach or consuming overly strong tea, as this may negatively affect health.