Tea...Is it better for you hot or cold???

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flippy1234
flippy1234 Posts: 686 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have heard that drinking green tea, detox teas, whatever kind is better for you when it's hot for some reason. Anyone know what the deal is one way or another?

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  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    It is better to MAKE green tea using lower temperature water (70 degrees C) as the leaves are delicate and will burn with boiling water and taste bitter.

    I doubt the actual temperature you drink it at makes a difference though
  • nikkinoellemary
    nikkinoellemary Posts: 119 Member
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    Mmm. I'm not sure one way or another and I don't think it matters. Though, I can say I've heard the same thing. My Chinese Literature professor told us a few years ago that it's believed in Chinese culture that drinking hot beverages (like tea or plain hot water) is better for the digestion, and that mixing hot foods and cold beverages, for example, is poor for the stomach.

    I'm really not sure of the science or the truth in it, if any. I just know I really like drinking both hot and cold tea and I've never noticed if it affects me one way or another. XD
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    Doesn't matter what the temperature is. By the time it gets to your stomach, it'll all be the same temp anyways. The only time temp matters is when brewing it, since different blends need different temps and times to brew properly.
  • coreyreichle
    coreyreichle Posts: 1,039 Member
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    girlinahat wrote: »
    It is better to MAKE green tea using lower temperature water (70 degrees C) as the leaves are delicate and will burn with boiling water and taste bitter.

    I doubt the actual temperature you drink it at makes a difference though

    Disco!

    Extraction temperature matters for teas and coffee. Temp at which you drink it doesn't. ie, you can cold-brew coffee, and it'll taste better than most drip machines. But, and expertly brewed french press pot will taste just as good as a cold-brew, because it's all about not extracting too many acids.
  • ExRelaySprinter
    ExRelaySprinter Posts: 874 Member
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    I personally prefer Hot drinks (and Hot Food too, come to think of it) as i feel it gets better digested.
    Salads and cold cereal ain't really my thing. Lol
    Not sure of the Science behind it, but that's my thoughts anyway.
  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
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    I wondered the same thing and looked it up. The warmer the tea, the more antioxidants you get. That's the only difference. I drink mine between lukewarm and cool. You really only get major benefits from green tea if you drink like 8-10 cups a day so I would advise to drink it how you like it and not worry about it.
  • Chewitz
    Chewitz Posts: 217 Member
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    Not keen on tea but when I do drink it is has to be hot.... when it's cold I spit it out yucky
  • TiffanyR71
    TiffanyR71 Posts: 217 Member
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    Hot tea is great when it's cool/cold out; iced tea is better when it's hot out... Just drink it how you like it!
  • LovingLife_Erin
    LovingLife_Erin Posts: 328 Member
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    If hot tea is wrong, then I don't want to be right!
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    Majoring in the minors.

    Drink it whatever way you like the best, if you even like it at all.

    Fretting over whether it's "better for you" hot or cold is like fretting over whether it's better to arrive to your 9:00 meeting at 8:54 or 8:55
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,671 Member
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    girlinahat wrote: »
    It is better to MAKE green tea using lower temperature water (70 degrees C) as the leaves are delicate and will burn with boiling water and taste bitter.

    I doubt the actual temperature you drink it at makes a difference though

    QFT
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    I prefer ice tea, but whichever would have to have some sugar in it.
  • Oneironaut
    Oneironaut Posts: 43 Member
    edited May 2015
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    I'm copying this from the tea discussion site I use. Basically, don't worry about maximizing health benefits because there is very little concrete evidence in that field, and there's a whole lot of nonsense used to sell low quality teas for exorbitant prices. Just drink the type of tea you like the way you like, and enjoy the fact that there are probably some health benefits in there somewhere.
    There are many helpful and healthful compounds in tea. It’s probably a good thing to drink tea, so it’s not exactly a myth in the sense that these health claims are completely false. Where the misinformation creeps in is the idea that brewing up a cup and drinking it will give you the benefits found by the scientific study.

    If you read many of the studies that send health-conscious people to the tea shops in droves, the “tea” is not what you’d think. For example, a recent study on how tea inhibits bacteria in the mouth was based on brewing tea for up to an hour, then using it as a mouthwash. They referenced another study that showed a similar result by holding tea leaves in the mouth for several minutes. The studies might be on rats, not humans. They might use tea extract, not brewed tea (which might or might not make a difference). The application might not be drinking, but injection or capsule, or merely looked at a test tube in the lab. One recent study decidedly did not get its results from drinking tea: “...green tea extract was subjected to a simulated gastrointestinal digestion and a 'colon-available' extract (CAGTE) prepared...“ While the study may eventually help preventing Alzheimer’s, artificially pre-digested extracts of tea are not the same as your afternoon cuppa.

    The best advice, then, is probably to drink tea that you enjoy and know that your health is probably better off because of it.

    The Inhibitory Effects of Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis) on the Growth and Proliferation of Oral Bacteria: http://www.depts.drew.edu/govschl/NJGSS2010/Journal/TeamPapers/Team3.pdf

    Increased Plasma Concentration of Epigallocatechin in Mice after Orally Administering a Green Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Extract Supplemented by Steamed Rice: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21228465

    In vitro protective effects of colon-available extract of Camellia sinensis (tea) against hydrogen peroxide and beta-amyloid (Aβ((1-42))) induced cytotoxicity in differentiated PC12 cells. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21183323

  • MisRka
    MisRka Posts: 27 Member
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    Drinking hot liquid can aid with digestion/constipation. That being said its not better for you hot or cold-it's just whatever your preference.
  • harpsdesire
    harpsdesire Posts: 190 Member
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    They're both good for you, but not magically so. Still, a calorie-free beverage made from plants and water is pretty much a diet winner however you slice it.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    Depends on the weather... if it's cold I'll drink it hot. If it's hot I'll drink it cold.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    MisRka wrote: »
    Drinking hot liquid can aid with digestion/constipation. That being said its not better for you hot or cold-it's just whatever your preference.

    No, actually, it doesn't. It can be helpful for a sore throat, but by the time it gets to your digestion, it's cooled down to body temperature. That's like saying drinking ice water after eating makes the fat congeal in your arteries faster.
  • fr3smyl
    fr3smyl Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Chewitz wrote: »
    Not keen on tea but when I do drink it is has to be hot.... when it's cold I spit it out yucky

    Same :D
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Oneironaut wrote: »
    I'm copying this from the tea discussion site I use. Basically, don't worry about maximizing health benefits because there is very little concrete evidence in that field, and there's a whole lot of nonsense used to sell low quality teas for exorbitant prices. Just drink the type of tea you like the way you like, and enjoy the fact that there are probably some health benefits in there somewhere.
    There are many helpful and healthful compounds in tea. It’s probably a good thing to drink tea, so it’s not exactly a myth in the sense that these health claims are completely false. Where the misinformation creeps in is the idea that brewing up a cup and drinking it will give you the benefits found by the scientific study.

    If you read many of the studies that send health-conscious people to the tea shops in droves, the “tea” is not what you’d think. For example, a recent study on how tea inhibits bacteria in the mouth was based on brewing tea for up to an hour, then using it as a mouthwash. They referenced another study that showed a similar result by holding tea leaves in the mouth for several minutes. The studies might be on rats, not humans. They might use tea extract, not brewed tea (which might or might not make a difference). The application might not be drinking, but injection or capsule, or merely looked at a test tube in the lab. One recent study decidedly did not get its results from drinking tea: “...green tea extract was subjected to a simulated gastrointestinal digestion and a 'colon-available' extract (CAGTE) prepared...“ While the study may eventually help preventing Alzheimer’s, artificially pre-digested extracts of tea are not the same as your afternoon cuppa.

    The best advice, then, is probably to drink tea that you enjoy and know that your health is probably better off because of it.

    The Inhibitory Effects of Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis) on the Growth and Proliferation of Oral Bacteria: http://www.depts.drew.edu/govschl/NJGSS2010/Journal/TeamPapers/Team3.pdf

    Increased Plasma Concentration of Epigallocatechin in Mice after Orally Administering a Green Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Extract Supplemented by Steamed Rice: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21228465

    In vitro protective effects of colon-available extract of Camellia sinensis (tea) against hydrogen peroxide and beta-amyloid (Aβ((1-42))) induced cytotoxicity in differentiated PC12 cells. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21183323

    There's a tea discussion site :open_mouth:

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