Does microwaved green tea produce more polyphenols (EGCG)?

Question

Hello all,

I just wanted to know if microwaving the green tea bags in the water used to make the green tea will extract more polyphenols (EGCG) and caffeine.

Thanks

Answer 1

No.

Just the heat from hot water will extrat the EGCGs. It does not matter if it is from a stove or a microwave.

Just make sure the water is not boiling. That is too hot and can damage the tea and you won't get many of the healthy benefits from it.

Answer 2

The microwaves themselves will not extract more EGCG, but the heat will usually draw a little bit more of the nutrients out of the leaves. EGCG is a somewhat fragile compound that doesn't react well to being brutally handled (too much heat, for instance), and nuking it may well ruin some if it.

I would suggest just heating the water, then putting the leaves in to steep. The original way is probably the best one.