On Apr 8, 3:12*am, Jenn wrote:
Many notes have been written about the caffeine levels in different
brews but I would like to ask if the good stuff in tea remains in
subsequent brews? I was just thinking that I had brewed a very nice
little cup of Gyokuro last night and then to sleep. This am saw the
little gaiwan with the pretty green leaves and and rebrewed it. It was
mighty fine in taste. I was wondering if all the good poly..
catche..etc things are still there in the brew?
Jenn

According 2 a professor Herve Huang, an environmental cancer
researcher, a tea that is brewed 3 times would have about 90% of its
beneficial contents leeched out. If you brew it only once, we might
assume that only 30% is leeched out, with 70% more in the leaves.

However, he also cautioned that once the leaves are brewed & left
aside, bacteria will fester on the leaves, & some of these might not
be beneficial 2 us.

After you brewed the tea, polyphenols, essential oils, vitamins &
proteins will continue 2 leech from the leaves, if you do not drain
the gaiwan dry, these would leech in2 the water left over in the
gaiwan & aid in oxidizing the leaves while turning the liquor in2 a
bacteria pool. When you brew the tea again, you are drinking from this
full flavored but not so healthy cup of tea. It might taste heavenly
because of all the stuff in it, but it might not be beneficial.

I know of people who leave a gaiwan of brewed leaves in the
refrigerator overnight, I doubt this does any good 2 the tea leaves or
the health, anyway.

Best 2 drink the tea as fresh as it is brewed. You dont want 2 find
out years later that instead of keeping you healthy, tea is killing
you slowly.

Kevo