Summertime tea – 21.05.2025 International Tea Day

Tea is a universal beverage: it may stimulate, relax, quench thirst and be beneficial for the body. Its properties depend on the type of leaves, manner of brewing and what is added to it. With the summer approaching, it is worth considering some rules that will help to prepare the perfect brew for the hot days: not only refreshing but also aiding the body in its struggle with heat and sunlight.

The inhabitants of countries with a hot climate are experts in the art of drinking tea when it is hot. For example, the Moroccans drink highly sweetened hot tea with the addition of fresh mint. The situation is similar for the Bedouins in the desert, the inhabitants of Kazakhstan or the Russians who prepare their çay in the constantly heated samovar. Why do they choose hot tea when it seems that the cold version is more effective in cooling down?

The hot infusion raises the body temperature, and thus the surrounding air seems cooler. That is why we sweat less and are thirsty less frequently. Despite being more refreshing at a first glance, cold tea causes the opposite effect: suddenly cooling down the body leads to intensive sweating and consequently a loss of water and mineral salts, which may exacerbate thirst even more.

When it is hot, the best teas are those strongly brewed, with antiseptic and antioxidant effects. Black teas that are brewed for a long time are rich in tannins with astringent and disinfecting properties. The purine and rutin contained in them support the flexibility of blood vessels. Such an infusion may alleviate digestive system problems such as diarrhoea, which often occur in the summer.

Green tea, on the other hand, when brewed briefly, is rich in antioxidants that help the body to fight free radicals produced, for example, by excessive exposure to UV rays. Another important component of tea is theanine (equivalent of caffeine) which is released in the first minutes of brewing. It stimulates the body for action by increasing the levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline, which gives a temporary influx of energy and reduces thirst. However, one has to remember that theanine is a diuretic: such tea will not hydrate the body and may actually increase dehydration.

So, when you drink tea in the summer, it is worth consciously choosing its type, manner of brewing and temperature. A properly prepared beverage may bring relief in the heat and aid bodily functions. You also need to remember that no tea will ever replace water: even if you are not thirsty at a given moment, your body still needs proper hydration.