2023-09-12 14:56:00
By Julia Freiberger | September 12, 2023, 4:56 p.m
Attention tea lovers! Do you already have yellow tea on your shelf? If not, you should stock up as soon as possible. Its yellow color is not the only thing that is so unusual about it. But what is it that makes it so special? FITBOOK takes a close look and explains what effects yellow tea has and how to prepare it correctly.
Can tea not only be delicious, but also protect against illness? The healing ingredients of yellow tea are said to have performed such miracles that the Chinese emperor once had its production kept secret and used its cultivation exclusively for his court. Even in the times of the Ming Dynasty, yellow tea (Huang Cha) was known for relieving ailments and containing many vitamins. It was said to have “healing powers” and could help prevent cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
What is yellow tea?
Yellow tea is known as a rarity. Because of its low degree of fermentation, it can be classified between oolong tea and green tea. Due to the fact that yellow tea varieties were originally only reserved for the Empire, most of the harvest remains in China to this day. The dried yellow leaves of the tea have a magical effect on the viewer. And its sweet aroma and nutty taste also delight many people. Sometimes it can even remind you of chocolate.
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The rarity: the tea from Hunan
A lake is the birthplace of tea. To be precise, Dongting Lake in Hunan. The cultivation of tea takes place around it. This location is perfect for this as the lake is shrouded in fog in three seasons. There are good climatic conditions that have a positive effect on the growth of the tea plant
The secret of production
The trick is to use only the tender tips of the tea leaves when harvesting the plant. Then it comes to the rest phase: the picked leaves must first wither. You then wrap the yellow tea in a special paper or cloth and then heat it carefully. This results in the so-called “yellow seal”, in which the tea oxidizes slightly. This step ensures that the bitter taste that many people know from green tea disappears. Heating and resting the tea is repeated over a period of three days. Due to the slight fermentation, the tea also gets its typical yellow color.
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Traditional Chinese Medicine: How does yellow tea work?
Anti-inflammatory
Tea has always had a magical meaning in Chinese medicine. Different types of tea have different effects on the human body. The special thing about yellow tea is that it is said to have the ability to be anti-inflammatory and rich in vitamins. Since little or no fermentation takes place, yellow tea has valuable ingredients.
Relaxing
In addition to its use in traditional Chinese medicine, it is also drunk to relax during Tai Chi or yoga exercises. The caffeine content varies depending on the type of tea. In our case, the yellow tea is harvested particularly early and contains a lot of caffeine. Fortunately, it has a kind of “antagonist”, theanine. This has a relaxing and anti-anxiety effect, which means that the tea wakes you up when consumed, but does not cause any inner unrest.
Good for the intestines and digestion
Yellow tea is often taken for digestive problems because it stimulates the production of stomach acid. But it can also be used for intestinal cleansing, diets, fasting or detoxification. Yellow tea releases enzymes that stimulate the stomach, spleen, kidneys and liver and activate the entire metabolism.
Strengthens the immune system
Also worth knowing: Antioxidants found in tea work against free radicals that arise from metabolic processes during digestion. Drinking yellow tea strengthens the immune system because it contains vitamins, trace elements, minerals and folic acid. Tea also contains catechins: They delay the storage of dietary fats and also have a protective effect on the liver.
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Which effects are scientifically proven?
Positive effect on blood sugar and glucose levels
The effects of the tea, which initially seemed like a small miracle, can actually be partially proven by a number of studies. One of them examined the use of yellow tea as a dietary supplement in male mice. The results showed that a reduction in blood sugar levels and an increase in glucose tolerance were observed in the test animals. In contrast to the untreated animals, the formation of fatty liver was prevented and instead a normal liver structure was restored.
A poor diet with too much fat can increase the glucose level in the blood – whereas taking yellow tea can counteract this. It not only has a positive effect on fat metabolism and fat burning, but can also be a good prevention against cardiovascular diseases.
Anti-inflammatory and good for the stomach
Another study looked at the antioxidant activity of yellow tea and its preventive effect on the stomach.2 The research showed that the damage to the stomach (which was tested on an animal model) could be reduced by yellow tea. The anti-inflammatory properties attributed to it could therefore be confirmed.
Certain effect on colon cancer
Apart from the antioxidant effect, another study has shown that yellow tea can slow down the growth of colon cancer cells and has a potential preventative effect.3
Antimicrobial effect
The antimicrobial effects of tea were also investigated. Polyphenols (plant substances) contained in yellow tea inhibit the growth of microorganisms.4 At the same time, they also have a protective effect on the human body.
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Yellow tea doesn’t cure, it can prevent
But does this mean that you can avoid all visits to the doctor in the future?
No, unfortunately not. Yellow tea cannot necessarily cure illnesses. However, due to its ingredients, it can have a preventative effect. The vitamins, minerals and trace elements, for example, strengthen the immune system. And the amino acids contained in tea also contribute enormously to maintaining various functions of the organism. They are indispensable for building muscles and skin and provide important support for the human immune system. They also give the tea a mild and sweet taste. Theanine already mentioned is also one of them.
The correct preparation of yellow tea
In fact, the choice of teapot is crucial. Depending on what you choose, a different taste may develop. You can choose from the Gaiwan, which is a bowl with a saucer and a lid. If you prepare the tea in it, it is more similar to green tea in strength and intensity. On the other hand, there is also preparation in a teapot. In this way the tea develops a slightly milder taste. One thing is different in both forms of preparation, but not: you must not pour boiling water over yellow tea! Otherwise the aroma may be lost.
As a rule, yellow teas can be brewed several times, with the first three infusions only needing to steep for 10 to 30 seconds. The brewing time itself depends on several factors: the amount of tea, the type of tea and the amount of water. The water should not exceed 90°C. Yellow tea cannot become bitter even if it is steeped several times. However, it is advisable to only let the tea steep for a short time so that the delicate taste comes out better. The rule for the ratio of water and yellow tea leaves is 10 to 12 grams of tea per liter of water. The tea is often served in a white cup so that the yellow color creates an even stronger, beautiful contrast, which almost looks majestic. No wonder the Chinese emperor fell in love with him…
Sources
1. Teng, Y., Li, D., Guruvaiah, P. et al. (2018). Dietary Supplement of Large Yellow Tea Ameliorates Metabolic Syndrome and Attenuates Hepatic Steatosis in db/db Mice. Nutrients.
2. Wang, Q. Zhao, X., Qian, Y. et al. (2013). In vitro antioxidative activity of yellow tea and its in vivo preventive effect on gastric injury. Exp Ther Med.
3. An, R., Sun, L., Xiang, L. et al. (2019). Effect of yellowing time on bioactive compounds in yellow tea and their antiproliferative capacity in HepG2 cells. Food Sci Nutr.
4. Horia, Shaukat., Anwar, Ali., Yang, Zhang. et al. (2023). Tea polyphenols: extraction techniques and its potency as a nutraceutical. Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
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