Avoid These Common Mistakes While Drinking Tea

Tea is an extremely beneficial drink when consumed in the right quantity. The flavanoids and polyphenols found in this beverage is good for your health and provide necessary anti-oxidants to the body. Anti-oxidants are said to slow the aging process while strengthening the immune system. Lipopolysaccharides are also present in tea and they reduce harm caused by toxins, while caffeine present in the tea clears the mind and reduces fatigue. Fluoride in tea helps prevent tooth decay.

However, to get the fullest benefits of tea, one must avoid making these common mistakes while drinking tea:

·         Avoid drinking tea on an empty stomach as tea causes the suppression of the secretion of gastric juices and reduces the amount of bile and acid in the stomach. This in turn affects the body’s absorption of proteins and other nutrients. Loss of appetite may also occur if you drink tea on an empty stomach.

·         When steeping tea, one common mistake everyone tends to make is to over-steep the tea which results in a dark, murky brew which is also high in caffeine. Tea is best prepared light and steeped only for as long as instructed on the packets to get optimal benefit out of it. An overload of caffeine may cause headaches and insomnia.

·         Over steeping of the leaves also causes the leaves to lose their nutrients such as vitamins, anti-oxidants, and amino acids. Hence it is best to keep steeping time according to packet instructions.

·         While some teas are made for re-steeping multiple times, most leaves cannot stand to be steeped more than twice and lose all their flavour and nutrients. To avoid such an error always do your research about the teas that you are drinking and make sure that the teas can be re-steeped multiple times, if desired.

·         Keep the temperature of the water below boiling point- not only will this ensure that the tea leaves do not burn but it also makes sure that you do not irritate and inflame your throat, oesophagus, and stomach lining.

·         Do not drink tea immediately following a meal because the tannic acid in the tea will bind with protein and iron in the food and prevention absorption of these in the body if you drink tea following a meal.  Therefore you should wait approximately a half hour after eating to drink your tea.

·         If your tea is left sitting for a long time, it is best to avoid consuming it. This tea has no nutrients left in it and the cold tea may have bacteria growing on it.

·         The tannic acid in the tea can cause a hindrance in the absorption of certain medications and it is thus best to avoid taking any medicines with your tea. There is a saying in China that states, “tea makes medicine fail”, and so it is not wise to take your medication while drinking tea.

By avoiding these common errors, you can get the best out of your teas in terms of flavour as well as its health benefits!