In this post, I want to analyse some common tea myths that may prevent us from enjoying the wide range of extraordinary loose leaf teas out there.

1. Herbal or fruity teas

I hear this all the time from people unfamiliar with true tea. Tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. Everything else is an infusion or tisane, e.g. camomile infusion, rooibos infusion.

2. Tea can help prevent cancer

Unfortunately, there is no clear evidence in this regard. Although there is some evidence from early studies to suggest that green tea might reduce the risk of some cancers, at the moment, the evidence is not strong enough (Cancer Research UK). If you search through the web, many websites claim that tea helps against cancer, but I am taking that with a pinch of salt.

3. Green tea will help you lose weight

Green tea can help to slightly accelerate your metabolism, but it won’t have a visible effect on your silhouette (Healthline). Losing weight requires much more than drinking tea.

4. Green tea is bitter

Nope… Green tea is not bitter by default, it gets bitter only if you steep it for too long in hot water. Properly brewed, green teas can have a lovely sweet, nutty or vegetal flavour. Just follow the brewing instructions and you will be delighted.

5. Black tea has more caffeine than green tea

No correlation has been found between the type of tea and the caffeine content. The latter depends largely on the leaf quantity brewed, the brewing time, the water temperature and the number of brews. The leaves plucked (tender vs mature), the season of the tea, the plant variety and roasting also have an impact. More on that in this blog post.

6. The caffeine in tea has a diuretic effect

Caffeine does cause us to urinate more, but the 99% water content of a tea cup has a much higher hydrating impact which outweighs the negligible dehydrating effect.

7. Slurping tea is not polite

Yes, on the face of it. But in reality, it’s recommended to slurp the tea to cool it down instantly and enhances its flavour and aroma. However, I do suggest you tell your tea companions who don’t know that before doing so. You know – just to avoid ‘surprising’ them.

8. Matcha is best kept in the fridge

Yes and no. If you use that Matcha frequently, it is best to keep it in a cool, dark and dry place. Otherwise, opening and closing the jar placed in the fridge may change the taste of the tea since it is likely to absorb the smell of the food. Plus, the powder can turn humid, which will compromise its quality.

9. Organic tea is better quality than regular tea

Firstly, although some farmers grow their teas organically, most of them won’t necessarily be organically certified, because it is too expensive to apply for certification. So, knowing where the tea is coming from is more important than just looking for the organic certification on the label. Secondly, even if a farmer grows its tea organically but their neighbour is not, then contamination is inevitable. And finally, the taste has nothing to do with the tea being organic.

10. The older the pu-erh tea, the better the taste

This claim could be just a marketing strategy. If the tea has not been fermented in optimal conditions, it could either smell or taste musty or stale. Various times I enjoyed more the younger pu-erh than the older pu-erh. It’s a matter of taste in the end. So, it’s better to have a tester before buying too much tea.

11. Tea made from old or wild tea trees or bushes are better

That could be true given the fact that these trees/bushes have deeper roots that absorb more nutrients. But, at the end of the day, the quality of a tea depends on its processing, from plucking to sorting. The skills of the tea master matter the most. Plus, are you willing to pay the price tag of a wildly-grown tea when a farm-grown tea is just as lovely tasting?!

12. Green tea is healthier than black tea

Not necessarily. Each type has its own beneficial properties. According to Healthline and Livestrong, green tea and black tea can both protect our heart, boost our cognitive function, support healthy bones and teeth. But they also have supplementary properties, according to Healthshots. Hence, the better thing to do is to drink both. Plus, if you are a true tea lover, would you want to limit yourself to only one type of tea? I guess not.

One general caveat to add – over time, medical studies have revealed an array of findings about the health benefits of tea consumption, some complementary some contradictory. And my key take from all these findings is that tea should be part of a healthy lifestyle and have a positive effect on our bodies and mood. But I do not expect tea to be miraculous and you should not either.