Understanding TCM properties of sheng

[m2193]

There's probably just a fundamental lack of understanding that's impeding my grasp of how TCM and sheng works together, particularly in the realm of cha-qi/body effect or however we want to call it. I was told by my relatives to drink more roasted oolongs and shou and less of the greens and sheng puer (some even saying to swear off sheng entirely!) that I usually drink. They mentioned something about roasted or aged oolongs and shous being more neutral or warm leaning, whereas green teas and sheng, especially when young, are cold by nature.

Not too many teas have made me feel anything, but of the ones that have, reactions generally follow a similar pattern. For some of the young sheng (<5 years old) I've tried, sometimes it's warming, but some have also made me feel chills. For older sheng, some of it has made me sweat and feel warming in my upper body and sometimes tingling in my back, but never chills. If sheng is cold by nature, is it the conflict with my body that causes me to sweat or to feel particularly warm? Aged oolong seems to have the same effect however, of being warming even when by TCM considerations, it is not of a cold nature.

If anyone has read anything on TCM and teas that they'd particularly recommend, I'd also love to hear your suggestions for reading material too!

[teanik]

Hello @m2193. TCM and tea is not a line of inquiry for me (so I'm sure a lot of people here can be more informative), but Leo Kwan at Tea Hong mentions the TCM properties of his teas.
https://www.teahong.com/a-few-ways-to-s ... 8d115eb4b3
He also discusses it at some length in his blog, Tea Guardian.
https://www.teaguardian.com/tea-health/tcm-tea/
https://www.teaguardian.com/?s=tcm
https://www.teaguardian.com/tea-health/ ... al-change/

[Andrew S]

I suspect that you might find some articles in the archives on Global Tea Hut (http://archive.globalteahut.org/) or The Leaf (http://www.the-leaf.org/Issues.html).

General tea blogs sometimes post things about the nature of tea as well. For example:
http://www.marshaln.com/2014/09/dont-drink-shincha/
https://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/search?q=%22cha+qi%22
http://theguidetopuerhtea.blogspot.com/ ... sonal.html

I assume that you're looking for information from a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, but without looking for medical advice as such (which I don't think anyone here would be able, willing or qualified to give, and which I certainly wouldn't pretend to give).

I don't practice or understand traditional medicine, daoism, qigong, or similar concepts, but my own experience has been consistent with what others tend to write about with respect to tea through those lenses, and I treat such descriptions as reflecting how tea affects people in a general sense, without ascribing to the concepts of "qi" or traditional medicine.

That is, my body tends not to enjoy green styles of tea nearly as much as roasted or aged teas, and, as I often say, I find young raw puer to be poisonous to my constitution. I also enjoy the feelings that good quality roasted tea and old tea can give me, whereas I find that young tea and 'green' tea can make me feel uncomfortable. Young puer in particular could make me feel physically unwell.

I couldn't say whether someone else might feel the same way that I do, of course, but I do feel that there is some merit in appreciating that different teas can affect us in different ways, and to bear that in mind to some extent when deciding what to drink. It's not just about the flavour.

Andrew

[LeoFox]

I tend to like green things on an everyday basis - but it is a funny thing that young sheng is simply described as "cooling". Drinking that stuff sometimes feels as if someone is shoving a hot, blunt piece of metal into my brain.

[Stephen]

To understand the TCM properties of sheng pu er you can think of it as herbal medicine. Actually green tea (lu cha) is commonly categorized as a herbal medicine to be used in formulas. Chinese herbs are described with a specific taste, temperature, meridians entered, actions, indications and contraindications. To be brief lu cha is considered to be sweet, bitter, and cold. Because of it's bitter and cold nature it is contraindicated in Stomach Deficiency or Cold, and can damage the Stomach or an overall Deficient or Cold constitution in TCM. Young sheng pu er is similar to lu cha, but perhaps stronger in effect. Shou pu er, hong cha, and even older sheng pu er have more of a warm nature because of "cooking" from oxidation or fermentation. That makes them more suitable for some constitutions.

[m2193]

Thanks all for the replies and the links! Excited to go through them