How to Have a Healthy Cup of Tea

If you've ever been to England, you know that you might as well forget about finding a good cup of coffee unless you hit a Starbuck's. Tea is the drink, so what do the English know that Americans don't when it comes to their tea? Tea contains polyphenols which act like antioxidants. No wonder, tea is healthy for us.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Black tea or Green tea? Which makes the healthiest cup of tea? It really doesn't matter. Green tea is the freshest and least processed. Black tea is green tea that has been fermented. The polyphenols are just transformed into other kinds of polyphenols such as theaflavine and thearubigen. They are still good antioxidants.
2. Hot tea or Ice tea? It doesn't matter. Even bottled teas and teas made with mixes have some benefits. Real ice tea is best if used within a few days. Decaffeinated tea is fine too. The removal of the caffeine has little effect on the polyphenol content.
3. How is tea best? Tea that is steeped for three minutes is at its best. The compounds have had time enough to be released but not so long as to make the tea bitter.
4. Loose tea or tea bags? Actually, tea bags release more polyphenols than loose leaves.
5. Tea helps protect arteries, helps prevent the formation of carcinogens, and stops bacteria that causes tooth decay. What more could you ask from a beverage? So go have a healthy cup of tea.

Tips & Warnings

• If using loose tea leaves, always wash your teapot with soapy water to remove the bitter residue. This goes for your tea or coffee cups. Wash them thoroughly.