Tea is a miraculous thing, bursting with antioxidants and health benefits galore. Drink it iced during hot season or steaming hot during cold season. Any season, any time of day, tea is there to boost your health while bringing you serenity and comfort. But, wait… could there be a dark side to this naturally healing beverage?Thanks to modern food practices and processing shortcuts, harmful chemicals could be lurking in your teacup. Follow these three guidelines to make sure you are getting pure, delicious tea, and not a tainted impostor.
Choose non-GMO tea. Celestial Seasonings is loaded with pesticides; and even loose-leaf, high-end brands like Teavana have tested positive for dangerous pesticides in 100 per cent of samples? Just because a product has a natural design aesthetic does not mean that the product itself is of any true quality. Although they may appear upscale and natural, pesticide-ridden packaged tea offenders include Tazo, Bigelow, Republic of Tea, Twinnings, Yogi, Mighty Leaf, and Tea Forte, etc.
Avoid teas with “natural flavours.” “Natural flavours” is a sneaky way to hide ingredients from the consumer, making the product appear more natural and pure. Sounds harmless enough, but it usually stands for soy and corn-based ingredients, which means hidden Genetically Modified Organisms. Those with soy or corn allergies should beware of the vague term “natural flavours.”
Make sure your favourite brand uses safe packing material. You know those luxury silk sachets — the ones that display your tea so beautifully? Well, those are not made out of silk — they are made out of food-grade plastic used in ubiquitous water bottles — the ones that you shouldn’t drink from if left in your hot car because the plastic leeches into boiling water.
Even many paper bags are treated with epichlorohydrin, a compound known to suppress immune function, lead to infertility, and even cause cancer. Your best bet is to buy organic, loose tea, and brew it in a metal or glass container.
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