Tea has a well-deserved reputation as a healthy beverage. Teas of the black, green, and white varieties contain polyphenols, which combat free radicals, naturally occurring chemicals in the body that do damage to healthy cells and may even cause cancer. Researchers have explored how to get the most health benefits out of your tea, and, according to the Cleveland Clinic, here’s what they’ve learned:

White tea: Time matters more than temperature. Steep it hot or cold — but the longer you do so, the more polyphenols you’ll get (up to a point, anyway). Researchers steeped it for two hours.

Black tea: Time and temperature matter. Steep it too long, and the polyphenols dwindle. Aim for five minutes in piping-hot water.

Green tea: Prolonged steeping (up to two hours) in cold water yields the most polyphenols. If you’re not crazy about the flavor, choose a blend that has herbs such as peppermint. Iced mint green tea sounds like just the thing for a warm spring day!

Sound good? Put on the kettle and enjoy!