Make Tea the Right Way -- In the Microwave

If the headline alone was enough to send you into a tizzy, hold onto your teacup (pinky up!): an Australian researcher has proven that microwaving your morning cuppa tea is the healthiest and tastiest method. Don't look at us, look at science!

Dr. Quan Vuong of the University of Newcastle has spent years researching how microwaving food can actually unlock both culinary and health benefits. And, yep—this goes for zapping tea, too. According to The Guardian, Dr. Vuong's tea study found that microwaving both green and black tea activated 80 percent of the caffeine, as well as "theanine and antioxidant compounds—properties that are linked to lower cardiovascular disease and cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes." 

ABC notes that using a microwave also generates the best tasting cuppa tea. So, what's the method to this madness? 

1. Put hot water in the cup with your teabag.

2. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on half power.

3. Let it sit for a minute.

How exactly is this possible? It turns out that the exact reason the microwave might not make the tenderest meat or veggies is the same one that makes it so good at extracting all the nutritious compounds in tea: it breaks down the cell walls. According to Vuong's study, "the microwave treatment can disrupt the structure of the cells and aids the extraction process due to a rapid increase in the internal cell temperature and pressure. When the cells are disrupted, the tea constituents can be more quickly extracted into the solvent."

So, there you have it. If you're a serious tea drinker who sips more than three cups a day, Dr. Vuong claims that the health benefits are even greater. Would you ever switch from kettle to zapped tea? Give it a try, and let us know what you think.