I steep my green tea then refrigerate it for "iced green tea". Does this practice change the benefits?

Question

I steep my green tea then refrigerate it for "iced green tea". Does this practice change the benefits?

Answer 1

Iced Green Tea

You should never brew Green Tea with hot water and then cool it to prepare cold, or iced tea.  Instead, please double the amount of the Green Tea leaves used to brew it in cold water in a sealed container.   This way you keep the aroma, the natural color and the medicinal health benefits of the Green Tea.  The reason this way is better, is that you avoid oxidation that can occur if the tea is left open to the air in an attempt to cool it after hot brewing.   The brewing time is actually very short.  For example, 10-15 cups of tea can be brewed in a jar in the ice box in just 30-45 minutes.  Please note that you can refill the jar with water to brew more tea when the level reaches one third full.   You may repeat the same procedure up to 3 times using the same Xianju Green Tea leaves.

http://www.worldconsortium.com/brewing.h...

1. Pour 500cc (16 ounces) of room temperature water into the container.

2. Add the teabag. Move it back and forth slowly several times. Please note that you move the teabag back and forth, unlike preparing hot tea.

3. After 15 seconds or so of moving the teabag back and forth place the container in the refrigerator. Leave the teabag inside.

4. Chill for one hour. Take the container out of the refrigerator, remove the teabag, then pour yourself a glass of the finest iced green tea you can make with a bag

http://www.japanesegreenteaonline.com/ic...

Answer 2

Hot or cold doesn't affect the benefits of green tea. Brewing mothods, though, can affect the taste and make it more or less tannic. Tannins are negative for the most part. Hot water extracts more tannins and even creates tannic acid. Too much tannic acid is hard on kidneys. I put green tea in room temp water and set it in the fridge overnight. Voila! Cold tea next morning.

Answer 3

The benefit comes from the substances that give the tea its color.  So no.  However, any colored food gives the same benefits.

Green tea = spinach is the issue.  These substances are called phytochemicals.  They have anti-oxidant qualities.