Thread: Fancy a Cuppa? How to get the best out of the old bag.

Wasn't sure about putting this in the Kitchen or the Health Forum.

Soooo ...

Microwaving tea the best way to brew and extract health benefits



The microwave is now a standard in most kitchens, used to heat up leftovers or even make a pavlova — if you feel adventurous.

But zapping your food has the potential to unlock many more culinary and health benefits as food scientist Dr Quan Vuong has found during years of research.

Dr Vuong, who works at the University of Newcastle on the New South Wales Central Coast, specialises in finding ways to "add value" to natural products by extracting bioactive compounds with antioxidant capacities.

His 2012 research on extracting compounds in tea has recently garnered much interest across ABC Radio.
The discussion followed online outcry from UK audiences of TV drama Broadchurch last month, when actor David Tennant microwaved his cup of tea.

In Dr Vuong's study though, to extract, isolate and purify the important components of green tea and black tea, he found that the following method activated 80 per cent of the caffeine, theanine and polyphenol compounds, and generated the best taste.

1. Put hot water in the cup with your teabag.
2. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on half power.
3. Let it sit for a minute.

Polyphenols are antioxidants which are linked to good health properties like lowered cardiovascular disease and lower cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes.

Theanine is an essential amino acid that promotes relaxation and can be found in tea, some other plant foods and mushrooms.


It's an interesting article and the rest of it is here.
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