Health
Brewing tea removes harmful toxins from water, study finds
Tea is known to be one of the healthiest beverages — and the benefits aren’t just what’s in the cup, but what’s not in it.
The process of brewing tea was shown to remove toxic heavy metals from drinking water in a new study from Northwestern University in Illinois.
For a typical cup of tea — one mug of water and one bag of tea, brewed for three to five minutes — the preparation could remove about 15% of lead from drinking water, the researchers stated in a press release.
STUDY LINKS MENTAL HEALTH RISKS TO THIS TOXIN FOR THOSE BORN IN ’60S OR ’70S
During brewing, heavy metals like lead and cadmium are absorbed by the tea leaves, keeping them from entering the water, according to researchers.
The findings were published in the journal ACS Food Science & Technology this week.
The process of brewing tea was shown to remove toxic heavy metals from drinking water in a new study from Northwestern University in Illinois. (iStock)
“It appears quite likely that the way most people brew their tea can have a measurable impact on lead consumption,” Benjamin Shindel, the study’s first author at Northwestern, told Fox News Digital.
The longer tea is brewed, the more reduction in metal content, he noted.
WHY PAIRING CHOCOLATE WITH TEA IS BENEFICIAL TO YOUR HEALTH
“Any tea that steeps for longer or has higher surface area will effectively remediate more heavy metals,” Shindel said.
“Some people brew their tea for a matter of seconds, and they are not going to get a lot of remediation. But brewing tea for longer periods or even overnight – like iced tea – will recover most of the metal or maybe even close to all the metal in the water.”
The longer tea is brewed, the more reduction in metal content, the researchers said. (iStock)
During the study, the researchers tested different types of tea, tea bags and methods of brewing to gauge how well they absorbed lead, chromium, copper, zinc and cadmium.
The absorbent effect was seen across a range of tea types, Shindel noted, even from wood-derived tea bags.
Cellulose tea bags were found to absorb much more than cotton and nylon bags, the researchers found.
For a typical cup of tea, the preparation could remove about 15% of lead from drinking water.
Tea leaves have a “high active surface area” that makes them ideal for absorbing material, according to the researchers.
“Tea leaves with greater surface area, through processing or grinding, may see slightly more metal remediation as well,” he added. “Just put the leaves in your water and steep them, and they naturally remove metals.”
“Lead contamination of drinking water is widespread, even in schools and childcare centers,” one expert told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
The team was surprised by the effects seen after just a short time.
“We weren’t sure whether to expect any meaningful reduction in metal content during the short times that most people brew their tea,” said Shindel.
“We were surprised that even after just a couple of minutes, we were able to see a small but significant amount of metal remediation during the preparation of tea.”
Despite these findings, the researchers cautioned that people should not rely on tea to clean their water.
“We were surprised that even after just a couple of minutes, we were able to see a small but significant amount of metal remediation during the preparation of tea.” (iStock)
“We’re also not public health researchers, so it remains to be seen if the levels of lead reduction we’ve observed in our study will translate to population-wide health benefits,” said Shindel.
“However, I think it’s useful for people to know that brewing tea will, on the margins, reduce one’s consumption of lead content — and perhaps other toxins — from drinking water.”
“After just a couple of minutes, we were able to see a small but significant amount of metal remediation.”
The findings could help explain why populations that drink more tea may have lower incidence rates of heart disease and stroke than populations that have lower tea consumption, Shindel noted.
“Across a population, if people drink an extra cup of tea per day, maybe over time we’d see declines in illnesses that are closely correlated with exposure to heavy metals,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
John Rumpler, lead author of the study and clean water program director for Environment America, noted that lead is highly toxic for kids.
“Yet lead contamination of drinking water is widespread, even in schools and child care centers,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Brewing tea for longer periods or even overnight – like iced tea – will recover most of the metal or maybe even close to all the metal in the water.” (iStock)
“While I can’t quite read the tea leaves on this new study, we know there are filters certified to remove lead from drinking water,” Rumpler went on.
“Schools and child care centers should be replacing old fountains with lead-filtering water stations and replacing lead pipes wherever they can.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
The Northwestern study was partially supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy.
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Top stories
→ Some 80-year-olds still have razor-sharp brains — and now scientists know why
→ One father’s nightly bathroom habit was missed sign of common cancer
→ 5 ways to preserve vision as you age, according to an ophthalmologist
SuperAger Ralph Rehbock sits with his wife in his home. (Shane Collins, Northwestern University)
On the lookout
→ Heart disease threat projected to climb sharply for key demographic
→ Heavy snow is recipe for serious heart attack risk, experts say
→ Flu season could linger into spring as doctors warn of second wave
A doctor says the second wave of flu season may be worse than previous years. (iStock)
Conversation starters
→ One type of olive oil has a surprising effect on brainpower in aging adults
→ Common vision issue linked to type of lighting used in homes
→ Some supplements may pose risks for people with diabetes, experts say
Medical advances
→ Alzheimer’s symptoms could be predicted years in advance through one simple test
→ Combination nasal spray vaccine could protect against COVID, flu and pneumonia
→ Weight-loss medications could impact sexual health in unexpected ways
Stat of the week
More than 59% of women may have high blood pressure by 2050, according to a new report from the American Heart Association.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
NEARLY 90% OF AMERICANS AT RISK OF SILENT DISEASE — HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW
“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
DOCTOR SHARES 3 SIMPLE CHANGES TO STAY HEALTHY AND INDEPENDENT AS YOU AGE
“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
Related Article
Google dismantles 9M-device Android hijack network
A new delivery bot is coming to L.A., built stronger to survive in these streets
Soho House sued after bartender alleges she was ‘drugged and raped’ by her supervisor
How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Andy Richter
Why Iran resists giving up its nuclear program, even as Trump threatens strikes
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Israel strikes two schools in Iran, killing more than 50 people
Anthropic CEO says he’s sticking to AI “red lines” despite clash with Pentagon
ICE blasts Washington mayor over directive restricting immigration enforcement
Did the EU bypass Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s €90 billion loan?
How the federal government is painting immigrants as criminals on social media
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Louisiana5 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Denver, CO3 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT