Is Sun Tea Good For You?
Sun tea is a type of sweetened, flavored tea made by allowing brewed tea to steep in the sun instead of being heated on a stove. But is sun tea good for you?
Pros of Sun Tea
Sun tea is a great alternative to using a traditional tea kettle when you don’t have access to a stove or electricity. Sun tea can be made without the use of electricity or added heat, making it more natural and flavorful. Here are some of the benefits of making sun tea:
- Natural Flavoring: Sun tea helps bring out the natural soft flavors of the tea that don’t need heat to be extracted.
- Simple To Prepare: It takes no skill or time to set up sun tea.
- Most Flavors Retained: It takes several hours of steep time to make sun tea but its worth it because there is less of caffeine and tannic content loss.
Cons of Sun Tea
Although sun tea has its advantages, it does come with some disadvantages, mainly when it comes to bacteria growth due to the warm temperature. Here are some of the drawbacks of making sun tea:
- Potential Bacteria Growth: The combination of warm temperatures and standing water makes sun tea vulnerable to bacteria.
- Time Consuming Process: Sun tea takes much longer to brew than stove top tea.
- Loss of Some Valuable Antioxidants: Sun tea won’t give you the same antioxidants and nutrients you’d get from heating the tea, since some of its antioxidants evaporate with heat.
Conclusion
In conclusion, sun tea can be a great way to prepare tea if you don’t have access to a stove or electricity. However, there are some drawbacks as sun tea can take much longer to brew and is more prone to bacteria growth. It is also important to note that some of its beneficial antioxidants evaporate with heat, which you may be missing depending on how you prepare the tea. Thus, consider all these factors before deciding if sun tea is right for you.
