Chrysanthemum Tea: Benefits, Effects, and the Best Time to Drink It - Can You Drink It Every Day?

Chrysanthemum tea is a common type of herbal tea. In rural areas, the most commonly seen kind is usually wild chrysanthemum, but very few of these can actually be used to make chrysanthemum tea. Chrysanthemums are generally harvested in early November, then sun-dried to make chrysanthemum tea. They are also quite sought after on the market, because many friends now drink chrysanthemum tea for health, so what benefits and effects does chrysanthemum tea have? Can you drink it every day? When is the best time to drink it?

I. Introduction to Chrysanthemum Tea

1. How is chrysanthemum tea made?

Large-scale harvesting is generally carried out in November. Tea farmers usually choose to harvest on sunny days, when the flowers have a relatively low water content and are very easy to dry. The main processing methods for chrysanthemum tea are sun-drying, oven-drying, and shade-drying. Oven-drying means using a machine to process them; shade-drying means placing them in a cool, well-ventilated place to dry. Sometimes, for convenience, tea farmers choose oven-drying more often.

2. Where are the main production areas of chrysanthemum tea?

Chrysanthemums are relatively common throughout China, with main production areas distributed across Hubei, Zhejiang, Anhui, Sichuan, Henan, and other places.

3. What varieties of chrysanthemum tea are there?

Chrysanthemum is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. The main varieties include Hangzhou chrysanthemum and bud chrysanthemum, Bozhou chrysanthemum, Huai chrysanthemum, wild chrysanthemum, tribute chrysanthemum, Chuzhou chrysanthemum, Sichuan chrysanthemum, Dezhou chrysanthemum, and Xinjiang Tianshan snow chrysanthemum. Among them, the Xinjiang Tianshan snow chrysanthemum is the highest grade and the best variety.

II. What Benefits and Effects Does Chrysanthemum Tea Have?

Chrysanthemum tea tastes sweet and bitter, and belongs to the cold-natured category of teas. Its main benefits and effects are as follows:

1. Chrysanthemum tea benefits and effects: dispersing wind and clearing heat

Dispersing wind and clearing heat is mainly used for colds caused by externally contracted wind-heat, such as headaches and sore throats. Drinking chrysanthemum tea has a certain effect on treating this aspect, because chrysanthemum tea is a cold-natured food and has a certain heat-clearing effect.

2. Chrysanthemum tea benefits and effects: brightening the eyes and clearing the liver

Clearing the liver and brightening the eyes means that after eliminating liver heat, it helps protect the eyes. Drinking chrysanthemum tea has the effect of clearing liver heat. Generally, liver heat causes symptoms such as dry eyes, redness and swelling, and blurred vision, so drinking it regularly can help protect eyesight.

3. Chrysanthemum tea benefits and effects: reducing inflammation and detoxifying

Chrysanthemum tea can help you reduce inflammation and detoxify, which is also one of its major effects. Drinking chrysanthemum tea can help reduce inflammation and detoxify acne caused by excess internal heat.

4. Chrysanthemum tea benefits and effects: resisting pathogens

The chrysanthemum tea we usually see is golden yellow. The yellow color contains Staphylococcus and Salmonella typhi, which have a certain effect against viruses. So when influenza is spreading, you can drink chrysanthemum tea to resist pathogens and prevent yourself from being infected.

5. Chrysanthemum tea benefits and effects: treating insomnia

Some teas in daily life have a refreshing effect, but chrysanthemum tea has a calming effect on our central nervous system. If you often suffer from insomnia, you can drink chrysanthemum tea to help relieve it.

6. Chrysanthemum tea benefits and effects: preventing radiation

Now many office workers face either a computer or a mobile phone every day, so many people keep chrysanthemum tea on hand in the office. The specific purpose is to prevent the radiation brought by computers and mobile phones. Radiation is harmful to our bodies, and drinking a cup every day has a resistance effect.

7. Chrysanthemum tea benefits and effects: eliminating puffiness

The main cause of eye puffiness is not sleeping well at night or drinking water late at night. When you get up the next morning, it affects your complexion. At this time, you can use chrysanthemum tea to eliminate puffiness. The main method is to brew chrysanthemum tea, let it cool, then use a cotton swab to apply it around the eyes. It has the effect of eliminating puffiness.

8. Chrysanthemum tea benefits and effects: weight loss

Whether drinking chrysanthemum tea can actually help with weight loss is a question many women care about a lot. It is said that drinking chrysanthemum tea has a certain weight-loss effect, but do not drink it in excess, because chrysanthemum tea is a cold-natured food, and drinking too much can cause stomach cold.

III. Can Chrysanthemum Tea Be Drunk Every Day?

As for whether chrysanthemum tea can be drunk every day, we consulted Dr. Zhang Jing. She said, “It should be decided according to your own physical condition. If you have a hot constitution, drinking more has a heat-clearing effect; if you have a cold constitution, drinking more will harm the stomach, because chrysanthemum tea is a cold-natured tea. But no matter what kind of constitution you have, it cannot be drunk every day. Long-term drinking will damage the spleen and stomach, so you should stop after drinking it for a period of time. For girls, drinking plain water is best.”

Through Dr. Zhang Jing's guidance, we should all clearly understand that chrysanthemum tea cannot be drunk every day.

IV. When Is the Best Time to Drink Chrysanthemum Tea?

1. In which season is it best to drink chrysanthemum tea?

Summer and autumn are the best seasons to drink chrysanthemum tea, because chrysanthemum tea is cold-natured. In summer it is often used to clear heat and reduce internal fire; in autumn the weather is dry and it is easy to get internal heat, so it can replenish water and reduce internal heat.

2. What time of day is best to drink chrysanthemum tea?

Around 2 to 3 p.m. is the best time of day to drink chrysanthemum tea. This is exactly one hour after finishing lunch, and it can cleanse the stomach and intestines.

3. How much chrysanthemum tea is suitable to drink in a day?

When brewing chrysanthemum tea with water each day, it is best not to use more than five flowers. At most, you can only drink three cups a day. Drinking it in large amounts is not suitable, otherwise it will harm the spleen and stomach.

V. Who Should Not Drink Chrysanthemum Tea?

1. People with a weak and cold spleen and stomach should not drink chrysanthemum tea. Chrysanthemum tea is cold-natured and can harm the spleen and stomach.

2. People with a yang-deficiency constitution should not drink chrysanthemum tea. Chrysanthemum is slightly cold, and people with a yin-deficiency and fire-excess constitution who drink it may experience internal heat.

3. People with chronic colitis should not drink chrysanthemum tea. Chrysanthemum tea is a cold and cooling substance and can cause diarrhea.

Note: Eating chrysanthemum together with pork or chicken can cause poisoning, and it also cannot be eaten together with celery.

VI. What Is Best to Pair with Chrysanthemum Tea?

1. Chrysanthemum + goji berry tea is best drunk together

Generally, five goji berries and five chrysanthemum flowers are chosen and brewed together in water. It has a protective effect on the eyes.

2. Chrysanthemum + honey tea is good drunk together

Generally, five chrysanthemum flowers and one spoonful of honey are chosen and brewed for drinking. It has a weight-loss effect.

3. Chrysanthemum + hawthorn tea is good drunk together

Generally, five chrysanthemum flowers and an appropriate amount of hawthorn are chosen and brewed for drinking. It has a weight-loss effect

Summary: Through the above, I believe everyone has gained some understanding of the benefits, effects, and contraindications of chrysanthemum tea. One thing to be sure of is that chrysanthemum tea should not be drunk too much.