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

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.