Are you a tea fan? I love drinking lots of different teas – green, white, oolong, jasmine…and particularly enjoy steeping loose leaf tea in my iron tea pot.
If you typically use tea bags, you might want to consider some of the information below. Always look for good brands that are organic (I recommend Numi or Yogi brand) and they will most likely not have the issues mentioned in this article.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Nearly all tea bags contain plastic woven through the paper to increase the durability of a product designed to stay together inside a cup of hot water for many minutes. The heat releases minute pieces of plastic from the bag, as well as phthalates
- Since the bags contain plastics, they are not completely biodegradable or compostable and a spokesperson from Twinings Tea recommends tea bags should not be used in compost piles or added directly to soil
- Dangers from consuming plastics include an increased intake of phthalates, associated with hormone disruption, increased risk of miscarriage and low vitamin D levels
- By using loose leaf tea, steeped in fresh, pure water with a reusable infuser or tea strainer, you can enjoy the many benefits of tea while avoiding plastic exposure
From Mercola
