Sober Up

Life is full of instances where, if you’ve had too much to drink, friends often suggest drinking dark tea to sober up. After drinking tea, urine output increases and a distinct smell of alcohol can be detected in the urine, giving the impression that the alcohol is being easily expelled. Indeed, after drinking tea, we tend to feel better, but relying on tea as a way to sober up can actually cause significant harm to the body. ▲ The dangers of drinking tea after alcohol are recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica The idea that tea can help sober you up is a commonly held belief passed down through generations, and many people often drink strong dark tea to wake themselves up after a night of drinking. However, this method not only fails to sober you up but can also damage your kidneys! Li Shizhen, in his Compendium of Materia Medica, specifically describes the harm of drinking tea after alcohol: “Drinking tea after alcohol harms the kidneys, causing heaviness in the waist and legs, cold pain in the bladder, and diseases such as phlegm, water swelling, thirst, and cramping pain.” Modern medicine has confirmed that drinking tea after alcohol, especially…