How Hot Should You Make Your Tea?

Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world after water. Tea has many benefits, which include antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Some studies have shown that tea may help with diabetes, heart disease, weight loss, cancer, cholesterol and mental alertness.There are many different types of tea, and there are different methods of preparing it. A recent study published by the Journal of Food Science compared white, green, and black tea to determine if the temperature and length of steeping time affected the antioxidant properties in tea. The study found that the longer white tea was steeped in water, the higher the antioxidants regardless of temperature. Black tea was reversed; the longer the time in hot water, the lower the antioxidant activity. Green tea was found to have the greatest antioxidant content with prolonged cold steeping. Additionally, white and green tea had a higher antioxidant capacity than black tea. So next time you drink tea, think about how you are preparing it so you get the most out of what you drink!