Tea contains antioxidants called flavonoids, which provide many of the health rewards. Flavonoids, however, bind to the nonheme iron, where 60 percent of the iron in animal tissue and all the iron in plants (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts) is less well absorbed. If you drink your tea with these foods, your body may not be able to access some of the iron. To maximize absorption of this important nutrient, limit tea drinking to between meals only, or add a spritz of lemon to help counter the iron-binding effect.
While tea is known to provide mental and physical health benefits, new studies have likewise shed light on serious risks that may come with sipping certain varieties of tea. Tea can contain or absorb various toxic compounds, depending on lots of things-including its soil, environment, and harvesting, storage and brewing methods. A number of studies have found excessive levels of toxic elements in many different types. Check out the potential dangers below, and learn how to minimize or avoid them-and still have your cup of tea!
Why Tea Can Be Dangerous To Your Health
1. Tea Contains Heavy Metals.
In a 2013 study from the Journal of Toxicology, researchers tested 30 teas and found that all had high amounts of lead-which can cause heart, kidney and reproductive problems. Around 73% of teas brewed for three minutes, and 83% percent of those brewed for 15 minutes, had potentially unsafe amounts, and 20 percent of teas brewed for 15 minutes contained unsafe aluminum levels.
2. Fluoride Exceeds Recommended Levels in Economy Teas.
"The higher priced teas were observed to have lower fluoride concentrations," says study co-author Laura Chan, probably due to differences in the parts of the plant that are harvested and the techniques used to do so. Consuming too much fluoride can damage teeth, bones and joints, and we absorb even more of it when fasting.
3. Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids are toxins produced by some flowering plants that can cause liver damage.
A November 2015 Food Chemistry Journal study analyzed 44 samples of herbal teas and found out that among the intended for babies and pregnant and breastfeeding women, 38 of them-86 percent!-tested positive for pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
TIPS SO YOU CAN STILL CONTINUE SIPPING YOUR CUP OF TEA:
1. Avoid regions that are contaminated like China, India and Sri Lanka.
2. Choose white tea leaves that are young and have less time to absorb heavy metals and serve in glass instead of china, which could have lead in the glaze. You can minimize the effect of heavy metals through adequate intake of essential minerals and vitamin D.
3. Drink tea leaves instead of teabags or low-quality lemon teas.
4. Brewing time must be limited to 3 minutes to reduce fluoride exposure.
5. Limit your tea intake.
