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Get More Benefits From Your Cup Of Tea By Using This, Study Finds

Elizabeth Gerson
Author:
January 19, 2019
Elizabeth Gerson
By Elizabeth Gerson
mbg Contributor
Elizabeth Gerson is a former mindbodygreen intern and a student at Stanford University studying Psychology and Communication with a specialization in Health & Development.
Image by Alita Ong / Stocksy
January 19, 2019

Want to get the most out of your morning matcha? You should be brewing your tea using only purified water, according to a recent study.

Researchers out of the Cornell Sensory Evaluation Center found that green tea brewed with bottled water had more than double the amount of a certain type of antioxidant than green tea brewed with tap water.

This antioxidant, called EGCG, is always found in green tea but not always in the same concentrations. When consumed regularly, antioxidants can improve your skin, reduce inflammation1, and even be used for anti-aging purposes, making green tea a go-to for many of the wellness-obsessed.

The catch? What you gain in antioxidants you may lose in taste. Researchers found higher levels of EGCG result in a slightly more bitter cup of green tea, so it's no wonder that study participants preferred the taste of the tea brewed with tap water. Researchers also tested whether subjects had a taste preference when it came to black tea but found that there was no noticeable difference when it came to what type of water was used.

Our average glass of water straight from the sink contains tons of different minerals2—calcium, sodium, and magnesium, just to name a few—that can affect the antioxidant presence of our final cup of tea. The researchers believe that these minerals block the ability of EGCG to be extracted from the tea leaves, resulting in a slightly less antioxidant-rich cup.

Now, we're not suggesting you make every cup of tea with water from a small plastic bottle, but if you're a daily tea drinker, investing in a reusable water filter may be your best option. If you can't quit the convenience of tap, fear not: There are tons of other ways to get your antioxidants throughout the day.

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