There are numerous reasons why drinking tea brewed from loose leaf tea is better than
drinking that brewed from tea bags and it isn’t limited to preference. You may be
surprised that your favorite tea bags could be toxic.
1 – Tea Bags May Contain Gluten
The paste used to seal tea bags may be made with ingredients containing gluten. If
you are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease, even the slightest bit can wreak havoc
on your digestive system. To be safe, use loose leaves and a strainer to brew your tea.
2 – Strings and Tags Aren’t Microwave Safe
Both bagged and loose leaf teas taste better when brewed using water boiled on a
stove. But, if you use a microwave to prepare your tea, strings and tags attached to the
bags aren’t safe for use in the microwave.
3 – Paper Tea Bags Are Terrible
A compound called epichlorohydrin is used to treat many paper tea bags. According to
NIH, it is a chlorinated epoxy compound used as an industrial solvent. It is a strong
skin irritant and carcinogen – carcinogens are agents directly involved in causing
cancer.
4 – Plastic Tea Bags Are Even Worse
Although most plastic tea bags are rated as food grade quality, they likely aren’t maintaining their integrity in boiling water or when microwaved. Therefore, toxins could be leeching into your brew. Not to mention, plastic spoils our groundwater, poisons our food chain, and harms wildlife. We recently joined the Plastic Pollution Coalition and took the pledge to refuse single-use plastic.
5 – Quality, Freshness, Aroma, Taste, and Nutrients Are Inferior
The tea found in tea bags is “fanning” or “tea dust” – basically what is left over from
higher quality tea production. While the quality of loose leaf teas vary, the flavor and
aroma surpass that of inferior tea found in bags. The antioxidants found in tea become
less powerful over time. Loose leaf teas typically aren’t stored as long as teas in bags
and therefore will have stronger anti-aging properties and greater health benefits.
Thanks for stopping by! Tea Vue is a family owned online retailer of authentic Pu-erh tea cakes and loose leaf teas.
Resources
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/teas-gluten-1020.html
Fact or Myth: Are Tea Bags Toxic?
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/epichlorohydrin
