Tea (Camellia sinensis): traditional uses, brewing and cautions

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Tea is the dried leaf of Camellia sinensis, a frost-tender evergreen shrub from south-east Asia. One plant gives green, white, oolong and black tea, depending on how the leaf is handled after picking. This page covers which leaves to use, how long to steep them, what they taste like, the cooled-tea compress trick, and who should go carefully.

What it is credited with

• Tea is valued above all as a stimulant of the central nervous system: its caffeine content is a plain fact, and drinkers the world over reach for it to feel more alert and to hold their concentration.
• Herbal tradition credits an unfermented (green) infusion with a diuretic action on the kidneys, and it has long been drunk for the heavy, waterlogged feeling that comes with sluggish days.
• Tea has a reputation as a digestive drink, taken after a rich or fatty meal — one reason it is served at the end of the table across much of Asia.
• In traditional herbalism, a strong green tea was given to settle mild passing looseness of the bowels, the tannins being thought to tighten the gut.
• Traditional use also turned to a cup of strong tea for the dull headache that follows long hours of intense mental work.
• Naturopathy credits the catechins of green tea with an antioxidant reputation, and green tea is a fixture of naturopathic advice on so-called cell ageing.
• Externally, tea is a classic cosmetic compress for tired-looking eyes, and tea lotion has a long folk reputation for deepening and prolonging a summer tan.

How to use it

The everyday infusion

• Green tea: one rounded teaspoon of leaf per cup. Water at about 70–80 °C (just off the boil, lid off for a minute), steeped 2 to 3 minutes. Longer than that and it turns harshly bitter.
• Black tea: one teaspoon per cup, freshly boiled water, 3 to 5 minutes. The longer it sits, the more tannic and drying it tastes.
• When: morning and early afternoon. Because of the caffeine, most people stop drinking it six hours before bed.
• How long: tea is a daily drink, not a course of treatment. Two to three cups a day is the usual habit; leave it off if it makes you jittery or keeps you awake.

The digestive cup

• Brew a light green tea and drink it plain, hot, at the very end of a heavy meal.
• No milk, no sugar — the point is the clean astringency that cuts through fat.
• A slice of fresh ginger or a mint leaf dropped into the pot is the traditional pairing.

Cold brew, for a gentler drink

• One tablespoon of green leaf in a jug of cold water, left in the fridge overnight, then strained.
• Much sweeter and far less bitter, because the tannins extract slowly.
• Drink it within 24 hours and keep it refrigerated.

Compresses for tired eyes

• Brew two bags or two teaspoons of leaf, then let the liquid cool to lukewarm.
• Soak two cotton pads, squeeze lightly, lie back and leave them on closed eyelids for 10 minutes.
• For puffy eyes after crying, alternate a warm pad and a cold one, two or three times each.
• Keep it out of the eye itself, and use freshly brewed tea each time.

Tea lotion for skin

• Brew a strong black tea, cool it completely, and pat it over clean skin with cotton wool.
• It leaves a faint golden tint, which is why it has long been used to warm up a fading tan.
• It is not a sunscreen and gives no protection at all against the sun.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: green leaf, water just off the boil, two to three minutes — and drink it before mid-afternoon so the caffeine does not follow you to bed.

What is the difference between green tea and black tea?

Both come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. Green tea leaf is heated quickly after picking so it does not oxidise, while black tea is left to oxidise fully, which is often called fermentation. Green tea tastes grassy and fresh; black tea tastes malty and more tannic.

How long should I steep tea, and why does mine taste bitter?

Bitterness almost always comes from water that is too hot or a steep that is too long. Use water at about 70–80 °C for green tea and take the leaves out after 2 to 3 minutes. Black tea takes boiling water and 3 to 5 minutes, no more.

Can I drink tea in the evening?

Tea contains caffeine, so most people find it disturbs their sleep if drunk late. Keep it to the morning and early afternoon, and stop about six hours before bed. A cold brew is gentler in flavour but still caffeinated.

Does tea really help with tired or puffy eyes?

Cooled tea compresses are a long-standing cosmetic habit for shadowed or puffy eyelids, and they are credited with a soothing, tightening effect. Soak two cotton pads in lukewarm tea, lie back for ten minutes, and alternate a warm and a cold pad for eyes that are puffy after crying. Keep the liquid out of the eye itself.

Who should be careful with tea?

Anyone sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or breastfeeding women, young children, and people low in iron, who should drink tea between meals rather than with them. If you take prescription medication or have a heart, thyroid, digestive, kidney or liver condition, check with a pharmacist or doctor first, especially before using concentrated green tea extracts.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.