Tea is a healthy addition to the diet, however it’s important to note that not all tea is created equally and there are a few things that you should consider when buying it.
First and foremost,
Beware of Traditional Tea Bags
Unfortunately, the majority of tea bags and silk pyramid infusers are made from materials such as bleached paper (containing dioxin), petrochemical based nylon, PVC, rayon, polypropolene and thermoplastic, which when immersed in boiling water may release potentially harmful chemicals into your healthful brew.
Then you have either a staple or some type of chemical adhesive holding your teabag together, which you also don't want polluting your healthy tea. This is a concern for daily tea drinkers using traditional tea bags, who think they are doing something good for their health. This is one fantastic reason to switch to loose leaf teas.
Always buy Organic
As with most things, choosing organic tea is a bulletproof recommendation and much better for your health and for that of the environment. The tea plant ‘camellia sinensis’ and herbs, absorb pesticides readily, so choosing to buy organic means no hidden nasties in your healthy cup of tea. When purchasing organic tea look for the certified organic bud logo to ensure the organic integrity of your tea. If more people choose to buy organic tea, more farmers will be encouraged to grow it, which means less toxic chemicals on and in our tea and less harm caused to the earth.
Use Full Leaf Teas
Traditional tea bags, due to their limited space, also usually contain lower grade, broken down tea ‘dust’. When you brew whole leaves and herbs you get a richer, more full-bodied flavour and often more health benefits.
Choosing to drink loose leaf tea, or tea packed in natural biodegradable pyramid infusers, is the best way to get a fuller flavour, enhanced health benefits and avoid any unexpected nasties ending up in your cuppa.
Lisa Guy is a popular Sydney based naturopath who has been practicing for over 15 years. Lisa has recently created her own organic wellness tea range which contains a variety of beautiful, unique tea blends that help promote good health and wellbeing. You can see the Bodhi Organic Tea range here: http://www.bodhiorganictea.com
