Brewing Tea Might Help Clean Your Water—Here’s How
If you love tea, here’s another reason to enjoy it: a new study, shared by Parade, suggests that brewing tea could help remove harmful heavy metals from water.
Researchers from Northwestern University found that tea, especially black tea, can pull out metals like lead, cadmium, and copper when steeped for a few minutes.
According to Parade, the study tested six types of tea—black, green, oolong, white, chamomile, and rooibos—and found that tea brewed for 3 to 5 minutes removed about 15% of lead from water, even at high levels.
The longer the tea steeps, the more metals it can remove. For example, brewing tea overnight (like iced tea) could clean the water even more.
The type of tea bag also matters. As Parade explains, paper (cellulose) tea bags work best because they absorb more metals and don’t release microplastics like some other materials. Black tea, with its wrinkled leaves and larger surface area, was the most effective at purifying water.
But don’t throw out your water filter just yet! The researchers, as reported by Parade, say tea isn’t a replacement for proper water filtration.
However, drinking tea regularly could help reduce your exposure to harmful metals over time. This is important because long-term exposure to metals like lead can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney damage.
Parade also highlights that this might explain why people who drink more tea tend to have lower rates of heart disease and stroke. So, while tea won’t solve water contamination, it’s a simple, tasty way to potentially protect your health.
Next time you brew a cup, remember: you’re not just enjoying a cozy drink—you might also be giving your body a little extra protection.
Source: Parade
https://parade.com/health/tea-purify-water-study-february-2025?utm_source=pushly