By Dr. Mercola
I’ve long advocated drinking tea in lieu of coffee, but the
downside of modern food technology is again rearing its ugly
head and causing brand new health concerns over this otherwise
healthful brew.
A recent article in The Atlantic1
raises questions about the safety of plastic tea bags, some of
which have fancy pyramid shapes, designed to allow the tea
leaves to unfurl during infusion.
Chances are you’ve never even given the tea bag a second
thought. But indeed, some of the newer tea bags are made with a
variety of plastics; some are nylon, some are made of viscose
rayon, and others are made of thermoplastic, PVC or
polypropylene.
Anyone aware of the dangers of plastic chemicals leaching out
of plastic containers and bottles is likely to be concerned
about drinking tea steeped through heated plastic.
The other bad news is that paper tea bags may be just as bad,
or worse, than the plastic ones because many of them are treated
with epichlorohydrin, a compound mainly used in the production
of epoxy resins.
Considered a potential carcinogen by the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health2
(NIOSH), epichlorohydrin is also used as a pesticide. Besides
making its way into tea bags, it can also be found in coffee
filters, water filters, and sausage casings.
When epichlorohydrin comes in contact with water, it
hydrolyzes to 3-MCPD, which has been shown to cause cancer in
animals. It’s also been implicated in infertility (it has a
spermatoxic effect in male rats3)
and suppressed immune function4.
This chemical is already a well-known “process contaminant”
associated with modern food production. According to the
American Oil Chemicals Society5
(AOCS), 3-MCPD can also be found in variable levels in refined
vegetable oils, which is yet another reason to avoid such
cooking oils and replace them with organic coconut oil.
Do Plastic Tea Bags Pose a Health Concern?
As you probably know, chemicals in plastic containers and
bottles have been found to leach into food and drink, thereby
posing a number of health hazards. Examples include
bisphenol-A (BPA),
bisphenol-S (BPS), and phthalates, all of which mimic
hormones and act as potent endocrine disruptors.
Unfortunately, according to the featured article, neither the
Center for Health, Environment, and Justice nor the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have any information on the
toxicity of plastic tea bags or the levels of plastic chemicals
that might migrate into the tea when steeped in hot water. Hard
to believe, but true, the US federal agencies are not
supervising this potential toxic exposure.
According to the featured article:
“Could plastic tea bags also be bad for our health?
They are most commonly made from food grade nylon or
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which are two of the
safest plastics on the scale of harmful leaching potential.
Both have very high melting points, which offer some
assurance to consumers, as one would think the melting point
of plastic is the temperature at which one would need to
worry about accidentally eating it.
There is another temperature point for plastics,
though, that we may need to worry about, called the 'glass
transition' temperature (Tg) . That is the temperature at
which the molecule in certain materials such as polymers
begin to break down. As a rule, the Tg of a material is
always lower than the melting point.“
Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius).
In the case of PET the glass transition point (Tg) is
about 169 degrees, and the breakdown point of nylon is even
lower than PET.
“If the question is, 'As the polymer goes through
that transition state, is it easier for something to leach
out?' 'the answer is yes,' said Dr. Ray Fernando, professor
and director of polymers and coatings at Cal Poly San Luis
Obispo,” The Atlantic states.
So while these plastics are generally considered among the
safest in terms of leaching potential, the molecules in these
plastic tea bags may still in fact break down and leach out when
steeped in boiling water—which is the recommended way
to brew a good cup of tea, especially when you’re using higher
quality whole tea leaves, which these newer tea bags are
designed for...
Paper Tea Bags May Be Just as Bad, or Worse...
The now defunct Dexter Corporation was the initial owner on
the patent6
of a method for treating both tea bags and coffee filters with
latex (plastic), to aid in preventing tears that allow the tea
leaves/coffee grounds to leak. This invention “saturates and
completely impregnates” the entire web material. Therein lies
one of the problems with paper tea bags as they are frequently
treated with epichlorophydrin, which hydrolyzes to the
carcinogen 3-MCPD when contact with water occurs.
Dow Chemical Co is one of the largest producers of
epichlorophydrin. According to safety literature7
from Dow, it's a very dangerous chemical that requires using
extra precautions when handling. Granted, that doesn’t
automatically render it dangerous in the final product, but it
can still be a cause for concern, particularly as it can turn
into a carcinogen when water is added. There are many unanswered
questions with respect to the potential hazards of using this
chemical in products specifically designed to be used with
boiling water...
A good way to protect yourself and your family in this area
is to purchase your tea from manufacturers who can certify that
their tea bags do not contain this compound. Organic India, for
example, has sent me a confirmation that the paper used for
their tea bags does not contain epichlorohydrin. In a 2009
article, Kristie Leong, MD also claims to have done her own
inquiries and that Bigelow Tea Company does not use the chemical
in their bags8.
Many plastic tea bags are advertised as “silky” or “mesh bags,”
or they’ll have fancy shapes or oversized bags. I’d suggest
avoiding those as well if you want to be on the safe side.
Your best option would be to opt for loose tea. This does
take longer, but it can be well worth the wait. One of my
favorite teas is Royal Matcha Green Tea, which has one of the
highest levels of the potent antioxidant
epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Unlike other teas which you
steep and strain, matcha tea is a powder made from ground green
tea leaves. You add the powder right into the water. You are
consuming the whole leaf, which makes matcha one of the
healthiest green teas available. Another excellent option is
loose Tulsi tea leaves. This well-known Ayurvedic herb is also
full of antioxidants that fight free radicals in your body and
prevent oxidation damage.
How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Tea
There is an art to brewing tea using loose tea leaves, but
once you find your “sweet spot” you may never go back to bagged
tea again. Here are a few simple guidelines for making the
“perfect” cup of tea:
- Bring water to a boil in a tea kettle (avoid using a
non-stick pot, as they too can release harmful chemicals
when heated)
- Preheat your tea pot or cup to prevent the water from
cooling too quickly when transferred. Simply add a small
amount of boiling water to the pot or tea cup that you’re
going to steep the tea in. Ceramic and porcelain retain heat
well. Then cover the pot or cup with a lid. Add a tea cozy
if you have one, or drape with a towel. Let stand until
warm, then pour out the water
- Put the tea into an infuser, strainer, or add loose into
the tea pot. Steeping without an infuser or strainer will
produce a more flavorful tea. Start with one heaped teaspoon
per cup of tea, or follow the instructions on the tea
package. The robustness of the flavor can be tweaked by
using more or less tea
- Add boiling water. Use the correct amount for the amount
of tea you added (i.e. for four teaspoons of tea, add four
cups of water). The ideal water temperature varies based on
the type of tea being steeped:
- White or green teas (full leaf):
Well below boiling (170-185 F or 76-85 C). Once the
water has been brought to a boil, remove from heat and
let the water cool for about 30 seconds for white tea
and 60 seconds for green tea before pouring it over the
leaves
- Oolongs (full leaf): 185-210 F or
85-98 C
- Black teas (full leaf) and
Pu-erhs: Full rolling boil (212 F or 100 C)
- Cover the pot with a cozy and let steep. Follow steeping
instructions on the package. If there are none, here are
some general steeping guidelines. Taste frequently as you
want it to be flavorful but not bitter:
- Oolong teas: 4-7 minutes
- Black teas: 3-5 minutes
- Green teas: 2-3 minutes
- Once desired flavor has been achieved you need to remove
the strainer or infuser. If using loose leaves, pour the tea
through a strainer into your cup and any leftover into
another vessel (cover with a cozy to retain heat)
After Water, Tea is One of Your Healthiest Beverage Choices
While some tea bags—whether plastic or paper processed with
epichlorophydrin—may pose a potential hazard, please don’t let
that deter you from drinking tea altogether. Although I still
believe pure water should make up the majority of your daily
fluid intake, high-quality tea has numerous health benefits to
offer. Among them is growing evidence that the polyphenols in
tea, which include EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) and many
others, can be protective against cancer. For example, the
polyphenols in green tea appear to be even more effective at
fighting the progression of cancer than the antioxidants found
in red wine and grapes. Beyond this, the beneficial properties
in tea have been known to:
- Neutralize the effects to your body of harmful fats and
oils
- Inhibit bacteria and viruses
- Improve digestion
- Protect against oxidation in your brain and liver
- Help promote healthy gums
Drinking tea has also been linked to:
Improved mental alertness and slowing of brain-cell
degeneration |
Reduced blood pressure |
Protection again type 2 diabetes |
Lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels |
Lower risk of breast, colon, lung, ovarian and prostate
cancers |
Reduced risk of heart attack and stroke |
Of course, there are some general ground rules to follow when
selecting tea of any kind, and those are that it should
preferably be:
- Organic (otherwise tea may be heavily sprayed with
pesticides)
- Grown in a pristine environment (tea is known to
accumulate fluoride, heavy metals and other toxins from soil
and water, so a clean growing environment is essential to
producing a pure, high-quality tea)
So keep these tips in mind, and go ahead and enjoy a cup or
two of your favorite variety. I personally prefer Matcha tea, a
vibrant bright green tea made of tea leaves ground into a
powder, and Tulsi tea, which is a powerful adaptogenic herb that
provides important therapeutic benefits.
© Copyright 1997-2013 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.