In fact, after water we drink more tea than any other beverage.
How much do we love tea, you ask?
Well, on any given day, over 159 million Americans drink tea.
The health benefits of tea.
Bowden says tea contains over 4,000 health-promoting compounds, including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and L-theanine.
EGCGprovides1antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anti-infective, and cardio-protective benefits.
Potential toxins in your tea.
Tea itself is really healthy, but it can sometimes be contaminated with pesticides and heavy metals.
China is the worlds largest tea producer, with 8 million tea growers.
Unfortunately, they are also the worlds largest pesticide user.
Tea plants naturally accumulate fluoride and other heavy metals including lead, aluminum, and arsenic.
Because tea grows in acidic soils,an even higher uptakeof these metals can accumulate.
Among its problems, aluminumcan be associated6with Alzheimers disease.
Tea bags carry their own problems.
Most paper tea bags are treated with epichlorohydrin, a known carcinogen.
Silky tea bags are made from plastics like nylon or polypropylene that are unstable in hot water.
Yes, bagged tea is more convenient, but consider loose-leaf teas instead.
How to choose the highest quality, safest tea.
One solution is to buy the highest-quality tea.
Teas from China and India are generally more contaminated than those from Japan (due to industrialization).
Trymaking this cinnamon matcha.
