Standard tea brands such as Signal, Lipton, King Cole, Tetley, Uncle Lee’s, and Twinings contain high levels of pesticides. There is a possibility that they also contain synthetic fluoride which is a toxic byproduct. Cheap teas are most likely to have higher levels of fluoride and consuming them is a threat to your overall health.
Cheap Tea Contains Fluoride and Pesticides
Most teas are not washed before being dried, therefore they contain pesticide residues. Even those claimed organic or pesticide free have been found to contain pesticides along with other dangerous chemicals. Those pesticides are known carcinogens and the found amounts are above the US and EU limits.
According to a recent study, cheaper blends contain enough fluoride to put people under the risk of many diseases, for example, fluorosis of the teeth. The allowed level of fluoride is 4 ppm and some brands of cheap tea contain nearly 7 ppm. Sincerely, we should be concerned because fluoride gets into the bones, accumulates in the body, and stays there for years.
How Did Fluoride Get Into Tea?
As it grows, the tea plant accumulates fluoride, thus the old leaves contain the most fluoride. For your information, lower quality teas are made from old and smaller leaves which contain more fluoride.
And what about decaffeinated tea?
In comparison with caffeinated tea, decaffeinated tea showed higher fluoride levels!
So, should you stop drinking tea? No, that’s not the solution.
– For a start, buy loose leaf tea and brew your tea from scratch. Avoid bagged tea which is often made from low-quality leaves which contain more fluoride for sure.
– White tea has the least amount of fluoride.
– Stick to organic tea. The method for cultivation are more sophisticated, and they might even use purified water for the soil.
– Always check the ingredient list on the back of the tea package.
– Use a tea brand which uses a safe form of packaging material. Also, use a stainless steel or glass tea strainer.
Share these useful pieces of information with your tea-loving friends and family members!