Healthy Temperature to Drink Tea

by Brenda S.
(KS)

Temperature to Drink Tea - Hot Tea

Question:
Dear Tea-Party Guide,

Love your site. I have always wondered what Temperature to Drink Tea at. I usually like to poor the water once it boils, then steep, then I let it cool down.

Is this a matter of preference or is there a "best temperature".
Thanks,
Brenda

Answer:
Hello Brenda and thank you for your inquiry. There has been lots of studies done concerning 'Is tea healthy for you?' But not many of them have mentioned much about temperature.

When I mention the temperature of tea when talking about tea etiquette, I tell the girls that if the tea cup feels too hot to touch or hold comfortably, then it is most likely too hot to drink. I have found this method helps prevent the dreaded 'scalded tongue"!

You will find a handy chart that indicates how to brew tea here on our site. It gives recommended temperature of water and length of steeping times. Keep in mind these are just recommendations. Try different times and temperatures until you find a taste you like.

I have read about one study done in Iran where there is an uncommonly high degree of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)and have included a quote from the article for you to reference.

"They studied tea drinking habits among 300 people diagnosed with OSCC and a matched group of 571 healthy controls from the same area. Nearly all participants drank black tea regularly, with an average volume consumed of over one litre a day.

Compared with drinking warm or lukewarm tea (65°C or less), drinking hot tea (65-69°C) was associated with twice the risk of oesophageal cancer, and drinking very hot tea (70°C or more) was associated with eight-fold increased risk.

Likewise, compared with drinking tea four or more minutes after being poured, drinking tea less than two minutes after pouring was associated with a five-fold higher risk.

There was no association between the amount of tea consumed and risk of cancer.

To minimize errors between reported and actual tea temperatures, the researchers then measured the actual temperature that tea was consumed by nearly 50,000 residents of the same area. This ranged from less than 60°C to more than 70°C and there was a moderate agreement between reported tea drinking temperature and actual temperature measurements."

The full account of the article can be found here: http://www.physorg.com/news157315385.html

I hope this helps answer your question. If any of you Dear Readers have further information, please share in the comment section below.

Sheila
Your Tea Party Guide