| Drinking tea especially green tea is associated with | | | | saucer or put the lid on the teapot to prevent the |
| numerous health benefits, ranging from cancer | | | | escape of the polyphenols into the air. Never bring |
| prevention to weight loss. However, most people are | | | | the tea and water to a boil together. |
| not familiar with the proper method of tea | | | | 4. The time that the hot water is in contact with the |
| preparation to maximize the health benefits of tea. | | | | tea is very important. This is called the steeping time: |
| This article tells the tea drinker how to squeeze the | | | | A steeping time of less than 5 minutes extracts only |
| most from tea's legendary benefits and refers only | | | | 20 percent of the good stuff that would be |
| to tea made from the leaves of the plant, Camellia | | | | extracted after 8 to 10 minutes of steeping time. |
| sinensis, and not to other herbal teas. | | | | Furthermore drinking piping hot fluids is an unhealthful |
| Think of your tea preparation as a chance to play at | | | | practice whether it is tea or soup as this can lead to |
| being a chemist in the lab or shaman in the rain forest | | | | irritation of the mouth and throat and possibly to |
| working to extract the maximum amount of | | | | cancer of these regions. |
| beneficial compounds. The main compounds of | | | | However, don't let your tea sit too long on the |
| interest here are called polyphenols. Follow these | | | | counter top before drinking since the polyphenols will |
| steps: | | | | start to degrade and you will lose the health benefits |
| 1. Selection of your "reaction vessels" for tea | | | | of tea. Therefore it is best to drink it following 10 |
| preparation is very important. You should pick a pot | | | | minutes of steep time. |
| to boil the water for the tea and any vessels used | | | | Following steeping, always squeeze the tea bags or if |
| to steep the tea that will not react with the tea | | | | using loose tea leaves press down on the mash for |
| polyphenols. Ideally a pot made of heat resistant | | | | maximum extraction of the polyphenols into your cup |
| glass would be ideal. Avoid pots made of metals since | | | | 5. Finally, how your tea is taken is very important. |
| these can react with the tea components especially | | | | Taking tea with milk reduces the ability of the body |
| ones made of aluminum. | | | | to absorb the good components of the tea. I |
| 2. Start with a good quality water for your tea | | | | personally feel like adding milk to a high quality green |
| preparation. Your water should be free of the water | | | | tea in terms of taste is like adding ketchup to a fillet |
| hardening minerals since these will interfere with the | | | | mignon! |
| taste and more importantly with the extraction of | | | | However, adding lemon to your tea is a good |
| the beneficial compounds. Water that has gone | | | | practice which can significantly aid in the extraction |
| through a Brita filter is suitable. | | | | and the prevention of the degradation of the |
| 3. Next, heat the water to the boiling point (212F) | | | | polyphenols. Lemon also reduces the astringency of |
| then let settle for a few seconds. The trick here is | | | | black teas and prevents discoloring films from forming |
| to not have the water so hot that the good | | | | in the teapots and cups. |
| components of the tea are driven out in the air | | | | Drink a cup or two or more of tea prepared and |
| (volatilized ) and not too cool as to not render them | | | | consumed in this manner today to derive the full |
| soluble. Pour the hot water into the vessel containing | | | | health benefits of tea. |
| the tea bags or loose tea. Cover the cup with a | | | | |