Drat. Those self-satisfied tea (cat?) people may be right again.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m decidedly a cat person and do finding myself staring at all those teas in the tea aisle, enticed by different kinds I rarely drink. But the ritual seems a lot in the morning.

A quick call-out to two of my favorite Tea Queens, oddly enough both named Julie, one of whom was our first Women’s Health Circle supporting member! You know who you are…thank you!!!

Today: The Tea Edition

Brewing tea naturally absorbs heavy metals like lead

Researchers at Northwestern University demonstrated that brewing tea naturally adsorbs heavy metals like lead and cadmium, effectively filtering dangerous contaminants out of drinks. Heavy metal ions stick to, or adsorb to, the surface of the tea leaves, where they stay trapped. The author is an expert on sorbent materials and a sponge entrepreneur¹; he was at Northwestern at the time of the study and is now (an unemployed?) contractor with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, which contributed funding for the study (bye-bye).

Tea in tea bags works, not just loose teas. In fact, finely ground tea leaves, particularly black tea leaves, absorbed slightly more metal ions than whole leaves. And cellulose tea bags—the most common kind—work the best. Nylon tea bags release microplastics, so just don’t go there. Steeping time played the most significant role in tea leaves’ ability to adsorb metal ions: the longer the steeping time, the more contaminants were adsorbed. The magic formula: one mug of water and one bag of (preferably black) tea brewed for three to five minutes.

A separate Chinese study says boiling and filtering water can reduce up to 90% of nanoplastics and microplastics in drinking water, particularly in ‘hard’ water. Boiling water for at least a full minute at a full rolling boil (three minutes at high altitudes) also kills microbe, parasites and viruses, but you do need to wait 5 to 10 minutes before drinking it to let the solids settle. (Unanswered questions: Does steeping at the same time get you where you want to be? What happens if you reheat? Can I get half the benefit with a microwave boil? If DOGE has its way, these and other questions will remain a mystery.)

Need to know how to boil water? Here you go.

Of course, more study is needed to see how much drinking tea matters over time. “Or it could help explain why populations that drink more tea may have lower incidence rates of heart disease and stroke than populations that have lower tea consumption.” You knew that was coming, right?

Other research confirms tea may lower heart attack risk…and a bunch of other nasties

There’s growing evidence from other studies that those who regularly drink true teas—black, green or white—may have a lower risk of a heart attack, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, cognitive decline and other health problems. Keep in mind tea was lauded as healthful as far back as third century Asian texts; they may know something here.

Herbal teas like chamomile, peppermint, and ginger are created from a wide variety of herbs and other plants. Technically, these aren’t teas (they’re officially called tisanes), but they offer similar pleasure and comfort, with flavors that can range from sweet to peppery. Click here for the research and a helpful guide to the different types of teas, including benefits and dose.

Correlation between dog people and coffee, and cat people and tea?

Naturally, all of this led me (in the shower, of course, after that cup of joe) to wonder if there are studies showing dog people prefer the quick jolt of coffee (so much like those uber-responsive, happy-slobbering dogs) and cat people prefer the slower, more subtle tea processes and hit (approximately the same time it takes to be sure your cat is purposefully ignoring you). Searching that, I found I was hardly the first to ponder this deep issue. In fact, IDR Labs—an outfit that specializes in personality tests² —has this nice, simple “Cat/Dog, Coffee/Tea Test,” arguably better for your blood pressure while drinking your coffee/tea these days than reading at the news.

Spoiler: There are dozens of studies that say there’s not much correlation there, and the test was only off on my reality if not my mind meanderings. But go with your mood. Lord knows we need some personal gratification right now.

1. See? There’s always a job opportunity for the kids or grands you hadn’t considered.

2. Eyeroll.