Brewing Tea Found to Remove Harmful Toxins from Water, Study Reveals

Tea lovers, rejoice! Not only is tea one of the healthiest beverages out there, but it turns out the simple act of brewing it could help cleanse your drinking water, too.

In a groundbreaking study from Northwestern University, researchers found that brewing tea can remove toxic heavy metals like lead from water. Using just a single tea bag and one mug of water brewed for three to five minutes, the process was shown to reduce lead content by approximately 15%, according to the study.

During the brewing process, heavy metals such as lead and cadmium are absorbed by the tea leaves, preventing them from entering your water. The findings, published in the journal ACS Food Science & Technology, suggest that the longer you brew your tea, the greater the reduction in harmful metals. Overnight steeping, like for iced tea, could even remove close to all the metals, noted Benjamin Shindel, the study's lead author.

"Any tea that steeps for longer or has a higher surface area will effectively remediate more heavy metals," Shindel told reporters. While the researchers tested multiple tea types, tea bags, and brewing methods, cellulose tea bags were found to be much more effective at absorbing metals than cotton or nylon bags.

Shindel emphasized the natural ability of tea leaves to act as an absorber, thanks to their high active surface area. This means that even tea leaves that have been ground or processed can effectively reduce metal content in water. Notably, the team was pleasantly surprised to see measurable reductions within just a couple of minutes of brewing.

While this discovery is exciting, the researchers cautioned against relying on tea as a primary method to purify water. "We're not public health researchers," Shindel said. "It remains to be seen if the levels of lead reduction we've observed will translate to significant population-wide health benefits." Still, the findings could offer clues as to why populations with higher tea consumption often experience lower rates of heart disease and stroke, conditions closely linked to heavy metal exposure.

John Rumpler, clean water program director for Environment America, weighed in on the study, reminding the public that lead contamination in drinking water remains a widespread issue, particularly in schools and childcare centers. He urged institutions to adopt certified lead-removing filters and replace outdated pipes and fountains.

The research was partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy. While tea alone might not be the ultimate solution to cleaner water, it’s fascinating to think that your daily cup could be doing more than just giving you a caffeine boost.