Since steeping time won the top spot in determining how much of the metal was removed from the water, regardless of what type of tea you’re brewing, allow it to steep longer. If you don’t like your tea that strong, make a larger pot with more water and allow it to sit longer. You can always reheat it if it cools down too much.

That comforting hot cup of tea—or refreshing glass of iced tea on a hot summer day—could help reduce the amount of toxic metals in drinking water, according to a new paper published in the journal ACS Food & Science Technology.

Researchers from Northwestern University have found that tea leaves absorb certain harmful metals from water, such as lead and cadmium, preventing us from ingesting them. The researchers emphasize that tea leaves shouldn’t replace water filters,

Among other things, tea has already been shown to reduce depression, reduce the risk of diabetes, and possibly even extend its drinkers' lifespans. New research now indicates that tea also removes toxic heavy metals from the water in which it's being brewed.