Tea and Pesticides, Soil Pollutants

[lemmiwinks]

Because I’m still very new to tea collecting and drinking, it was only this week that I thought to research some of the health implications of drinking tea regularly. Mostly good news- lower blood pressure, antioxidants, etc- but I also read some things about high levels of lead and other heavy metals plus very toxic and carcinogenic pesticides found in some teas at disturbingly high levels.

As a newcomer to everything tea, I feel crushed to learn that my new hobby and obsession could potentially be damaging to my health. I have some questions that I hope those with more expertise can help with:

1. Have any of these studies been replicated successfully, or were there just a few conducted showing very high levels of contaminants? It is hard for me to tell from the rather sensational-sounding articles that all seem to quote the same handful of studies whether to take the claims seriously or not.

2. If even the label ‘organic’ doesn’t mean a product will necessarily be free of dangerous heavy metals or pesticides, as some of the articles claim, how does one go about finding tea free from these contaminants? Does such a tea exist?

3. Are there any trustworthy sources for pesticide free, heavy-metal free loose leaf tea that you can recommend?

[Puerh3]

Because I’m still very new to tea collecting and drinking, it was only this week that I thought to research some of the health implications of drinking tea regularly. Mostly good news- lower blood pressure, antioxidants, etc- but I also read some things about high levels of lead and other heavy metals plus very toxic and carcinogenic pesticides found in some teas at disturbingly high levels.

As a newcomer to everything tea, I feel crushed to learn that my new hobby and obsession could potentially be damaging to my health. I have some questions that I hope those with more expertise can help with:

1. Have any of these studies been replicated successfully, or were there just a few conducted showing very high levels of contaminants? It is hard for me to tell from the rather sensational-sounding articles that all seem to quote the same handful of studies whether to take the claims seriously or not.

2. If even the label ‘organic’ doesn’t mean a product will necessarily be free of dangerous heavy metals or pesticides, as some of the articles claim, how does one go about finding tea free from these contaminants? Does such a tea exist?

3. Are there any trustworthy sources for pesticide free, heavy-metal free loose leaf tea that you can recommend?

I have to say that everything that we eat, drink and almost all the air that we breath are more or less polluted with more or less dangerous thing.

So the joyful feeling of drinking tea should be more important than the probability of have some kind of pesticide or other polluant in it.

I think you should probably look at other thing that you might consume everyday that are most likely more polluted than tea.

Just my two cents

[Richardlap]

I always thought tea was for relaxing and coffee was sort of a stimulant at breakfast, as well as being sort of a working beverage.

Which is more better?

shere your suggestions...

[Bridgette]

I always thought tea was for relaxing and coffee was sort of a stimulant at breakfast, as well as being sort of a working beverage.

Which is more better?

shere your suggestions...

Hello Richard! Both have caffeine, but at varying amounts. We have a guide to caffeine content here. Most people find the caffeine from tea doesn't make them as jittery as the caffeine from coffee does.

Some teas are noted to have relaxing qualities and be caffeine-free (herbal tea or tisane), like chamomile or lavender blends (we love 40 Winks for this).

[12Tea]

I always thought tea was for relaxing and coffee was sort of a stimulant at breakfast, as well as being sort of a working beverage.

Which is more better?

shere your suggestions...

Hello Richard! Both have caffeine, but at varying amounts. We have a guide to caffeine content here. Most people find the caffeine from tea doesn't make them as jittery as the caffeine from coffee does.

Some teas are noted to have relaxing qualities and be caffeine-free (herbal tea or tisane), like chamomile or lavender blends (we love 40 Winks for this).

Hi Bridgette, I love the caffeine guide image in the post. It would be great if coffee caffeine level could be split up in an expresso, americano size etc, so it's easier to compare tea caffeine to the different kinds of coffee sizes.

[Bridgette]

I always thought tea was for relaxing and coffee was sort of a stimulant at breakfast, as well as being sort of a working beverage.

Which is more better?

shere your suggestions...

Hello Richard! Both have caffeine, but at varying amounts. We have a guide to caffeine content here. Most people find the caffeine from tea doesn't make them as jittery as the caffeine from coffee does.

Some teas are noted to have relaxing qualities and be caffeine-free (herbal tea or tisane), like chamomile or lavender blends (we love 40 Winks for this).

Hi Bridgette, I love the caffeine guide image in the post. It would be great if coffee caffeine level could be split up in an expresso, americano size etc, so it's easier to compare tea caffeine to the different kinds of coffee sizes.

Great idea! This might not be something we'd post to Adagio, but this perhaps coud be something we brew up for our coffee website, Lardera.