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Traditional Chinese Medicine and Tea

Tea has been intertwined with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for over two thousand years. In TCM, tea is classified according to its effects on the body’s energy (qi), its thermal nature (cooling or warming), and its interactions with the organ systems. This medical lens continues to influence how many Chinese and Taiwanese tea drinkers select and drink tea today.

Tea in TCM Theory

TCM classifies foods and herbs according to five flavours (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, pungent), thermal nature (hot, warm, neutral, cool, cold), and organ affinity. Tea:

  • Is considered bitter in flavour, which is associated with the heart and small intestine
  • Has a cooling thermal nature — particularly green and white teas
  • Is believed to clear heat, support digestion, calm the mind, and promote fluid metabolism
  • Is associated with the liver and gallbladder in some TCM frameworks

This is why green and white teas are often recommended in summer and warm weather, while aged or roasted teas (such as aged puerh) are considered warmer and better suited to colder conditions.

Medicinal Uses Through History

The Shennong Bencao Jing (Divine Farmer’s Classic of Materia Medica), one of the foundational texts of Chinese herbal medicine, lists tea as a medicinal substance. Early Chinese physicians used tea to treat headaches, fatigue, digestive issues, and as a general health tonic.

Herbal Tea Blends in TCM Context

Many drinks considered “tea” in Chinese culture are actually TCM herbal infusions: chrysanthemum tea, licorice root tea, ginseng tea, and others. These are prescribed or recommended according to the patient’s constitution and presenting imbalances.

Modern Research

Biomedical research has identified compounds in tea — particularly catechins, L-theanine, and theaflavins — with demonstrable effects on metabolism, cognition, and cardiovascular markers. While the mechanisms differ from TCM theory, the traditions share some practical overlap.

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