How You Brew Your Tea Could Be the Secret to a Surprising Health Benefit

Your daily cup of tea might do more than just wake you up—it could help filter out toxic heavy metals, new research has suggested.

### Research Findings

Scientists at Northwestern University in the US have found that brewing tea naturally adsorbs heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, effectively filtering these dangerous contaminants out of water. The heavy metals are absorbed onto the surface of the tea leaves, where they remain trapped.

The researchers estimate that typical tea preparation can reduce about 15% of lead from drinking water. This applies to a standard cup of tea brewed with a tea bag for three to five minutes. Interestingly, steeping for longer than five minutes can absorb even more lead, according to the study.

### Potential Health Benefits

Benjamin Shindel, the study’s first author, highlighted the potential health benefits of this discovery. “Across a population, if people drink an extra cup of tea per day, maybe over time we’d see declines in illnesses that are closely correlated with exposure to heavy metals,” he said. He added, “It’s possible that on the margins, tea consumption is reducing metal intake by a very small amount, and perhaps over the population of the UK, that’s reducing diseases associated with metal consumption by another commensurately very small amount.”

### Types of Tea and Brewing Methods

The researchers explored how different types of tea, tea bags, and brewing methods affected heavy metal removal. Varieties tested included black, green, oolong, white, chamomile, and rooibos teas. They also compared loose-leaf tea with typical supermarket tea bags.

The study found that finely ground tea leaves, particularly black tea leaves, removed slightly more metal ions than whole leaves. This was attributed to the greater surface area of the ground leaves. Cotton and nylon tea bags absorbed small amounts of contaminants, while cellulose bags absorbed much more. However, the researchers are not suggesting people start using tea leaves as a water filter.

### Conclusion

Vinayak P. Dravid, the study’s senior author, emphasized the significance of their findings. “For this study, our goal was to measure tea’s ability to adsorb heavy metals. By quantifying this effect, our work highlights the unrecognized potential for tea consumption to passively contribute to reduced heavy metal exposure in populations worldwide,” he said.

The results of this study have been published in the journal ACS Food Science & Technology, highlighting the surprising health benefits of how you brew your tea.

Stay tuned for more updates on the latest health research and findings.

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