Tea has been around for ages and is one of the most abundant and amazing ways to help calm the mind, body and soul. For generations, people have been sipping on this warm, or cold, beverage to feel good and assist the body in fighting different health issues. It’s also one of the most effective ways to help harmonize us from the inside out. Whether you’re drinking tea because you love the way it tastes or the proven health benefits, tea is definitely a big winner and isn't going anywhere!
Honey please, not arsenic
There is a downside however to this holistic beverage that many of us are completely unaware of. Just like plants, flowers, herbs — really anything that comes from beautiful mother nature — tea leaves, if not organic, are sprayed heavily with pesticides. Non-organic teas contain Mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium — just to name a few. These harmful metals can lead to infertility, birth defects, Parkensons, dementia — and a list of other harmful issues. This unfortunate bit of information is something that we should all be aware of especially since most of us are drinking tea for its health benefits.
This completely rids the whole experience of doing something healthy for yourself and instead, puts toxins and poisons our bodies with unwanted chemicals. Additionally, fluoride and mold are also in tea and older tea leaves have even heavier concentrations of metals and toxins than fresh tea leaves that can lead to joint pain, osteoporosis, kidney problems, and more. And unfortunately, most companies use old tea leaves. The tea from China is the absolute worst when it comes to the presence of these harmful toxins due to mass production!
A relaxing morning with... plastic?
Another thing we need to be cognizant about is that paper tea bags may have plastic and bleach in them. Epichlorohydrin, which is a component used to produce resin can be found in tea bags! Making sure the bags are BPA and PVC free are vital to ensuring your teas are safe. My recommendation is to get organic, GMO-free tea from social and environmentally-conscious companies that report where the tea is grown and harvested.
Sadly, there are just so many that come from China on the market that it's basically impossible to regulate them all.
With that said, I’d like to recommend some brands that are reputable and are safe to drink: Pukka, Buddha Tea, Numi tea, and Mountain Rose Herb tea.
If you’d like to learn more about tea, its benefits, and how you can add this miracle drink into your routine for healing and a healthier lifestyle, please feel free to reach out!
Love and light,
Holistic Genevieve