Read on what kind of tea contains toxic heavy metals that are not good for our health. Check out the article we found over at Top 10 Grocery Secrets.
Many people drink tea solely for its health benefits. This popular beverage is known for being loaded with antioxidants that combat cancer and aging. Because of tea’s well known health benefits, you may be surprised to find out that many teas actually contain toxic metals. For example, lead can be absorbed by the tea’s leaves. You may be wondering how lead ever got into the tea in the first place. Well, industrial areas and active roadways can create environments with high lead that gets absorbed by the tea plant.
Keep reading to find out how other toxic heavy metals find their way into tea.
Green tea
Many people consider green tea to be a miracle beverage thanks to its high concentration of polyphenols and other antioxidants. Studies have shown that drinking two to three cups of green tea a day may lower the risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. It’s highly promoted as a weight loss aid as well.
Most people would be hard-pressed to find fault with this popular beverage, but new research shows that certain green teas are actually contaminated with heavy metals. A recent ConsumerLab.com study found lead in a number of popular green tea brands, particularly those that hail from China. Most of the lead stays in the leaves, however, and does not necessarily get into the tea itself. Don’t chew the teas leaves if you are unsure of the country of origin of your tea, or at the very least use a tea bag or filter.
Black tea
Black tea is more oxidized than green, white and oolong teas, and is one of the most common teas consumed throughout the world. Unfortunately, studies have found that brewed black tea contains cadmium, lead and arsenic. This is likely due to the use of coal-fired power plants in China, which are in the vicinity of tea plants. These coal plants provide 70 percent of China’s energy. The pollutants from the coal plants have been adversely affecting the development of Chinese children. Would you drink a tea if you knew it was grown in an environment ridden with deadly pollutants? Didn’t think so.
White tea
White tea comes from the new growth buds and young leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. Since buds are picked early, the tea is less likely contaminated by aluminum. Consuming aluminum regularly can lead to pulmonary, neurological and skeletal problems. It’s still susceptible to contamination by other heavy metals, particular if it comes from China. Tea plants grown near industrial areas or highways can absorb lead from the environment, and this is particularly problematic in places like China.
Organic tea
If you think that choosing organic tea will erase your possibility of imbibing heavy metals, think again. Organic tea is often a better choice than regular tea, but you should doesn’t mean it’s devoid of heavy metals. Even if the tea plants were not coated in pesticides, they could still be tainted by heavy metals in the water and soil. Organic tea from China and India is particularly vulnerable. Moreover, Canadian researchers found that the organic teas were no less contaminated by heavy metals than their counterparts, even when they came from the same company. Choosing organic is a good first step to a healthier life, but it’s not the end of the road.
Next article: Prevent cancer and lower your cholesterol levels with Matcha Tea
Read full article: Top 10 types of tea contaminated with toxic heavy metals
All About Natural Health And wellness
Sep 08. 2015
Thanks for the post :
Louise Mazzola
Mar 05. 2016
What’s left that is safe?
Charlene Cortese
Mar 05. 2016
I give up
Sinead Tones
Mar 05. 2016
Check labels of tea bags before you purchase
Cherie Sheahan
Mar 05. 2016
I drink herbal tea all day long since I can’t drink coffee. I drink decaf green, chamomile. Organic mostly.
Terrence Esperanza Sabben Sutton
Mar 05. 2016
Not much left … Lay off my bloody Milo lolol
Angie Sheahan Nutting
Mar 05. 2016
That’s just what I drink all day in between lots a water…organic only
Hally DeCarion
Mar 06. 2016
I favor green tea. The article doesn’t say what the effects of teas
grown in the US are? I usually drink organic herbal teas grown
in the US. I don’t know if they’re as full of lead and cadmium as
those from Asia.? Does anyone have that information?
Yes. It is very difficult to give up coffee for something
healthier and to actually think it is improving your health to find
out it may very well be doing the opposite.
Nancy Luke
Mar 24. 2016
Yikes!!!
Leslie Baker Manzella
Mar 24. 2016
Ok so what teas are good and is there a company that’s pure. I have been using traditional medicinals they are organic
Patricia Fleming
Mar 24. 2016
Dawn Marie Martin
Julie Ann Peters
Mar 25. 2016
Would like to know which teas are safe!
TCM Healing Secrets
Aug 20. 2016
Awesome post very interesting
Malinda Gockenbach
Aug 20. 2016
Give us brands and who carries them
LoveBeauty+
Aug 20. 2016
Yup
LoveBeauty+
Aug 20. 2016
such a great post
Geoffrey Jones
Aug 21. 2016
Heavy metals.
Carmie Marie
Nov 27. 2016
Omg! We can’t breath either! Bad news is brain washing news.
Teresa Bothur
Nov 17. 2017
Thats messed up..even organic tea…why even bother.
Oil Supplements
Nov 17. 2017
alrighty :p
Tina Godsey
Nov 17. 2017
I agree with Teresa sometimes
Terri Stevens Chaulklin
Nov 18. 2017
So my take away, don’t drink tea from China!