Tea is often consumed at social events, such as afternoon tea or at the tea party. Tea drunk in the wee hours of the day heightens alertness. Traditionally, tea is prepared in a pot whereas dunking a bag in a cup is the modern way of preparing it.
Now researchers have found that the traditional way of preparing tea is healthier to the modern one. The previous research shows that antioxidants present in tea helps to protect against cancer and heart diseases. Now with further studies on tea, scientists in Aberdeen have come to the conclusion that a cup of tea gets maximum antioxidants only if it is properly brewed. The researchers also discovered that adding milk to a cup of tea has no effect on its cancer-fighting properties.
The scientists tested the levels of Polyphenols (antioxidants naturally occurring in plants) in the volunteers’ blood, who took black tea brewed for up to 10 minutes. The findings of these tests showed that the volunteers who drank tea that was brewed for five minutes had 60 % higher antioxidant level than those who consumed a one-minute infusion.
Within an hour of drinking the five-minute brewed tea the level of antioxidants in volunteers’ bloodstreams increased up to 45%. The findings remained same when milk was added to the drink. However brewing tea for more than five minutes does not give extra health benefits.
Source:BBC