Teas to curb the Chinese New Year bloat

It’s never too early to start planning ahead, so apart from what you’re going to eat, drink, and wear during Chinese New Year, you might want to start thinking about what to do after the festive season. As we all know but hate to admit, it is far too easy to overindulge in Chinese New Year goodies – leading to indigestion, bloating, and a bigger waistline after.

Fret not – the teapasar team has put together a list to help combat the Chinese New Year bloat.

Post-CNY is the perfect time to pick up the habit of drinking green tea every day. Not only is it delicious, studies have shown that green tea may have a positive effect of weight-loss [1]. According to the science, catechins, which are present in the greatest amount in green tea, “significantly decreased body weight and significantly maintained body weight after a period of WL (Weight Loss)”.

Additionally, a meta review of the effects of green tea concluded that green tea is full of components with antioxidant activity and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer [2]. All this and it helps with weight loss!

Taiping Houkui, Daorenhang (prices range from $20)

If you’re wondering which green tea to get, we recommend Daorenhang’s Taiping Houkui. Not only is this one of the ten best teas in China, you also don’t need any special equipment to brew it; all you need is a tall, preferably clear, glass. The green tea is very flavourful, with orchid and chestnut notes.

Alternatively, Jasmine Pearls are a reliable go-to green tea – delicious and healthy! Take your pick of Jasmine Pearls from three different brands – Tea Chapter, Yixing Xuan Teahouse, or Pin Tea.

If you’re suffering from indigestion or other gastric issues, you may want to avoid caffeine, which can irritate gastric, and reach for ginger instead. A meta-review of the effects of ginger concluded that “[g]inger and many of its chemical constituents have strong anti-oxidant actions” [3] and that it is effective in combating nausea with very little side effects. Traditionally, ginger has also been used to treat indigestion, making it a fantastic post-festive tisane.

Left: Lemon Ginger Mint, Gryphon Tea ($20.33 for 20 teabags). Right: Deep Cleanse, Tily Tea ($15.90 for 10 teabags)

We recommend Gryphon Tea’s Lemon Ginger Mint for those looking for a straightforward fix to curb bloat. We also like Tily Tea’s Deep Cleanse – which will do just that! A blend of burdock root and the fresh cleansing petal power of rose, peach and apple flowers, this wholesale blend will gently detox the system. 

If you’re still hyped up from all the new year festivities, why not treat yourself to a bottle of kombucha? A meta-review of the drink says that it may help to improve sleep and reduce pain [4]. Kombucha is also popular with people trying to improve their gut health, as the tea is said to be full of probiotics.

Calmboocha, Fizzicle ($8)

For those of you looking to wind down, try Calmboocha – Fizzicle’s latest blend of rooibos, rose, blueberries, cinnamon and lavender – making it the perfect beverage for all hours of the day as it does not contain caffeine. 

And there you have it, our top three recommendations for the post-Chinese New Year season. We wish you a very happy and prosperous year ahead!

References

[1] Hursel, R et al. The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis. Int J Obes. 2009;33:956–61

[2] Cabrera, Carmen, Reyes Artacho, and Rafael Giménez. “Beneficial effects of green tea—a review.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition 25.2 (2006): 79-99.

[3] Ali, Badreldin H., et al. “Some phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): a review of recent research.” Food and chemical Toxicology 46.2 (2008): 409-420.

[4] Greenwalt, C. J., K. H. Steinkraus, and R. A. Ledford. “Kombucha, the fermented tea: microbiology, composition, and claimed health effects.” Journal of Food Protection 63.7 (2000): 976-981.