Simple: Just squeeze a bit of lemon into your tea. “Most people don’t know this, but if you have green tea and you squeeze lemon into the tea, you can potentiate the catechins and make the catechins actually work better in your body,” says Minich. Of course, more research is needed to back up the claim, but science does approve of the relationship at large.
Specifically, one study found that green tea with lemon had more polyphenols than green tea on its own. This doesn’t mean that green tea doesn’t have its own impressive list of antioxidants—it definitely does!—but when you compare the two, green tea with lemon does have its slight differences. Another theory, as depicted in the Journal of Food Processing and Technology, is that lemon’s high-acid content enhances green tea’s antioxidants, which then makes them more easily absorbed by the body.
Plus, lemon boasts its own antioxidant profile already, with significant amounts of immune-supporting vitamin C, so it can’t hurt to squeeze a bit of the juice into your morning cup of tea. Better yet, add the zest, too: Lemon zest contains compounds called salvestrol Q40 and limonene, which are known to have antioxidant properties, and lemon peels may have five to 10 times more vitamins than the juice itself.
You’re probably thinking: Green tea with lemon? That’s the trick? To which we say: Sure is! And that’s exactly what makes this hack so great. It’s simple, accessible, and familiar—yet, according to Minich, a little citrus can significantly enhance the benefits of your tea.