Do you love tea? Here are some surprising "don'ts" we have picked up over the years.
1. Do not drink yesterday’s tea. Tea, standing for several hours, quickly loses vitamins and other nutrients. The Chinese consider old tea poison. But leftover tea is fine used as an external agent for therapeutic purposes. It can also be used as a mouth rinse, to soothe a sore tongue, treat inflammation of the mouth or bleeding gums. It can be applied to damaged or inflamed skin. See this Blog post for more: How to Diminish Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles.
2. Do not drink scalding hot tea. If the tea is too hot it can irritate the throat, esophagus, and stomach. According to doctors, who studied this problem in different countries, the constant use of tea at a temperature above 160 degrees increases the sensitivity of the stomach wall. This is one reason we like Green and White teas as they are brewed at ~180 degrees. Here is how you can optimize your water temperature for those teas: 
3. Do not drink very strong tea. High concentrations of tannin and caffeine can cause insomnia and headache.
4. Do not drink tea to help swallow medications. Tannins in tea can reduce absorption of the medication and destroy some of its properties.
5. Do not drink tea immediately before a meal. Tea taken before a meal leads to dilution of the saliva. Flavors will be subdued. If you really want to take tea before meals finish your cup at least a half hour or more before eating.
