Black tea is more than just one of the nation’s favourite hot beverages. It can provide numerous health benefits, such as reducing stress levels and improving memory, and may even contribute to a longer life.
According to a 2024 study, adults who drink up to two cups of tea a day for more than seven years have a 19 per cent lower risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke than those who drink less, or no tea at all.
Every extra cup of tea a day lowered their risk by four per cent, suggests the research published in March in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition.
But new research on microplastics in tea bags has cast a shadow on the nation’s favourite brew, leading to many wondering if tea is still good for you. We’ve spoken to dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine to find out how to maximise the health benefits of your cuppa, including the best time of day to drink it.
Microplastics in tea bags
Researchers have found that microplastics, tiny plastic fragments too small for the naked eye to see, may be lurking in your humble cuppa. A recent study by scientists at the University of Birmingham, published in Science of the Total Environment, showed that hot black tea may be a major source of microplastics.
The study examined more than 150 hot and cold drinks and found that hot tea contained the highest levels of microplastics. The team, led by Professor Mohamed Abdallah, found that hot tea contains 60 microplastic particles per litre (MPs/L), or around 12 to 15 per cup. By comparison, a litre of soft drink averaged 17, suggesting that higher temperatures accelerate the release of microplastics from the tea bag into the beverage.
How these tiny particles may affect our health is not yet clear, but various studies have linked them to inflammation, hormone disruption, gut problems, and even an increased risk of cancer. However, these studies have primarily taken place in animals, and human research is lacking.
How to avoid microplastics in tea
According to the UK Tea and Infusions Association, 97.5 per cent of the tea purchased in the UK comes in tea bags. Traditionally, these bags were made mostly from natural plant fibres, with a small amount of plastic called polypropylene used to seal the edges. This conventional plastic will never fully break down, even in industrial compost. Instead, it disintegrates into smaller and smaller microplastics, which are often damaging to the environments they end up in.
Nichola Ludlam-Raine, dietician and author of How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed, says that if you are concerned about microplastics, loose-leaf tea brewed in a metal or ceramic infuser is likely the safest option. “Choose paper tea bags or those made from natural plant fibres rather than those made from nylon or polyethene,” she says. “It’s also sensible to brew tea in non-plastic mugs or cups, as repeated exposure to heat can increase plastic leaching over time.”
How best to prepare tea to maximise the health benefits
How your cup of tea is prepared and what you add to it may have an effect on the health benefits, too.
New research has revealed that up to two cups of unsweetened tea a day reduces the risk of heart problems and stroke by up to 21 per cent.
The study by Nantong University, China, used data on more than 177,000 adults. Over 13 years, researchers tracked their health outcomes and found that those drinking two unsweetened cups a day had a 21 per cent lower risk of heart failure, a 14 per cent lower risk of stroke, and were seven per cent less likely to be diagnosed with coronary heart disease.
The study found that the benefits disappear when you add sugar or another sweetener to your tea, but researchers say further studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms linking tea consumption to cardiovascular health.
Ludlam-Raine says to maximise polyphenol (a potent antioxidant) extraction, black tea should ideally be brewed for around three to five minutes. She explains: “Shorter brewing times result in fewer antioxidants, while much longer brewing can increase bitterness without significantly increasing benefits.”
Does it matter if you add milk to tea?
Many of us like to add milk to our tea, so you may be wondering whether that affects its benefits.
According to Ludlam-Raine: “Adding milk doesn’t completely ‘cancel out’ the health benefits, but it may slightly reduce the bioavailability of some polyphenols due to protein binding. That said, it doesn’t need to be avoided if that’s how you enjoy it.”
Research has found that consuming black tea increases blood levels of antioxidants, and adding milk does not seem to inhibit this effect.
Of course, herbal teas don’t require milk, so swapping out regular black tea for a herbal one can still mean you get a diverse range of powerful antioxidants without having to worry about the benefits being diluted.
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Does tea inhibit mineral absorption?
Research suggests that the tannins in black tea may interfere with the absorption of non-haem iron (the form found in plant foods), which is particularly relevant for people with low iron intake or iron deficiency.
For practical ways to minimise this, Ludlam-Raine suggests drinking tea between meals, rather than with iron-rich meals (such as those containing beans, lentils, spinach or fortified foods), pairing iron-rich foods with vitamin C (including fruit, vegetables or a splash of lemon), which significantly enhances plant-based iron absorption, and avoiding very strong or long-brewed tea around main meals if iron status is a concern. Although she says: “For most people with a balanced diet, tea doesn’t pose a major issue, but timing can be helpful for those at higher risk of iron deficiency.”
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