"What Advantages Does Adding Sugar to Tea Provide?"

China boasts a profound tea culture, with numerous individuals habituated to regular tea consumption. Nevertheless, novices to the tea-drinking realm might opt to sweeten their brew to temper its inherent astringency. Moderate sugar addition can indeed facilitate digestion, bestowing health benefits. Yet, given tea's cooling nature, frequent sugaring is discouraged, lest it undermine one's wellbeing.

I. Merits of Tea Sweetened

1. Tea, with its bitter taste and cooling properties, stimulates digestive glands, fostering juice secretion and bolstering digestive processes. It also facilitates heat dissipation and detoxification. Sugar, when added, may hinder these salutary effects. However, historical recipes employing tea and sugar for therapeutic purposes exist, albeit not ideal for daily tea intake.

2. Echoing the sentiments of the "China Food Newspaper," it is prudent to avoid sugar in tea. The bitter, cooling attributes of tea stimulate digestion and detoxify, whereas sugar may diminish these benefits. Though ancient remedies marry tea and sugar for healing, daily sugaring is not advocated.

3. Generally, green tea is best savored unsweetened, whereas black tea welcomes sugar or milk to enhance flavor. Winter sweetened beverages can soothe emotions, mitigating aggression. Researchers posit that sudden sugar intake energizes the brain, curbing impulsive behavior under stress. Morning tea with rock sugar is folklorically believed to quell internal heat and acne, though its efficacy varies, and the stimulant effect may not suit all.

The Hui-favored Ge Wan Baobao tea blends sugar, dried longan, goji berries, sand dates, tea leaves, and dried fruits, offering a delicious, nutritious experience. Ancient recipes blend tea and sugar for therapeutic purposes, while sugar in flower tea enhances taste.

II. Benefits of Tea Drinking

1. Enhanced Muscle Endurance: Catechins, potent antioxidants in tea, bolster fat-burning, endurance, and combat fatigue, prolonging physical exertion. Green tea consumption yields the most pronounced effects.

2. UV Resistance: Tea polyphenols, water-soluble, cleanse skin, tighten pores, disinfect, and retard aging, minimizing sun-induced UV damage, akin to a natural sunscreen.

3. Body Shape Maintenance: Ancient texts and modern science concur that long-term tea consumption aids weight loss. Tea's caffeine stimulates gastric juice secretion, aids digestion, and accelerates fat breakdown. Regular tea intake reduces waist circumference and BMI, guarding against diabetes and cardiovascular/cerebrovascular diseases.

4. Radiation Resistance: Studies reveal that tea polyphenols and their oxides absorb radioactive substances, shielding cells from radiation damage and aiding in repair. Tea extracts effectively mitigate radiotherapy-induced mild radiation sickness, minimizing blood and white blood cell depletion.