Is tea a health drink or poison in beautiful packaging?
Translation of an article published on foodbabe.com.
Tea is what I drink every day. This is holy in my house - I have a whole box of tea! I drink it because it is surprisingly good for health. There are many varieties of tea that can improve digestion, metabolism, and even prevent certain diseases. Medical research tea undertaken so far. What am I going to share with you and surprise you so that you never look at tea as before? Do you really want to know what your tea is? - Then read on.
')
Ancient Chinese tradition of drinking tea dates back thousands of years - from the early Chinese dynasties, who drank a drink with healing properties. In ancient times, the leaves of the Chinese camellia (tea plant) were either ground to powder or simply infused directly in water to extract its herbal essence. Unfortunately, today tea is very different - very different from the old tea. Many modern tea brands, which advertise on the pretext of their health benefits, are in fact overwhelmed with pesticides, toxins, artificial ingredients, flavors and GMOs.
Did you know that most varieties of tea are not washed before being put into commercial packaging? This means that if tea is sprayed with carcinogenic pesticides, they fall directly into your cup. And this is the reason why organic (farm) tea is on my list of priorities. To prove this point, here are some shocking facts about one of the most famous tea brands - Celestial Seasonings.
By indicating this brand, the author of the publication gives a hyperlink to a study conducted by the limited liability company (LLC) Glaucus Research Group California, which anticipates its results with the following instructions:
• “The study was carried out by us at our own risk and peril.
• You must conduct your own research and exercise due diligence before making any investment decisions in relation to securities related to the company under consideration. This is not investment advice and should not be interpreted as such. We can get a significant gain in the event that the price of shares "Hein" will fall.
• We do not express any opinion as to whether the products under discussion are safe. The results of laboratory tests are presented as is, without any warranties of any kind (express or implied) and are not intended to form the basis for any scientific conclusions or any statements regarding the health effects. Please refer to our full disclaimer on the third page of this report ... "
But an excerpt from the text of the study itself:
“Celestial Seasonings is the flagship brand of Heine (HAIN CELESTIAL GROUP, INC.) And is one of the most profitable product lines. Its marketing is based on the statement that these teas are “100% natural” and healthy. As consumers, we decided to verify such claims by sending the company's eleven popular teas to Eurofins, an accredited independent laboratory that is a world leader in drug and food testing. Laboratory tests showed the following:
* 91% of the tested samples of tea do not correspond to the “US Code of Federal Regulations” (CFR 40, paragraph 180) on the content of pesticides in them. All samples contained traces of known or possible human carcinogens.
* Even samples of "baby" tea contain traces of carcinogens. Tests have shown that Sleepytime Kids Goodnight herbal tea contained 0.26 parts per million of “Propachlor,” a known carcinogen for which there is no safe level of consumption.
* Six other samples of tea, including three teas from the “Wellness Tea” line, also violate the requirement of the standard because they contain traces of “propargite” - a known carcinogen and developmental toxin, for which there is also no safe level of consumption ... ”
================================================= ============
Translator's Note:
Eurofins employs around 22,000 people and has 225 laboratories in 39 countries.
================================================= ============
Since I wrote this post, Hein has been sued collectively on the basis of pesticide findings discovered by the Eurofins laboratory. However, the decision of the judicial jury is not yet available. The plaintiffs allege that the tea line in the Celestial Seasonings line "contains pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, carcinogens, and / or toxins." That “Hein” “did not dispute and never contested - that their tea contained the indicated pollutants, did not appeal against the results of the“ Eurofins ”tests and did not claim that the“ Eurofins ”study was biased or that the“ Eurofins ”tests were not accurate.
Even if it is suddenly determined that the Eurofins tests were not accurate - it is important to note that Celestial Seasonings tea is not organic and some brands of this tea come from China.
At the time, Greenpeace published a detailed report on the alarming amount of pesticides found in tea from China.
In addition, the Greenpeace website has a detailed report on the Lipton tea brand from China.
In particular, on the Greenpeace website they write:
"Why should you be worried?" Let's look at the three forbidden pesticides that were found in samples of this tea:
• Metomil is an insecticide that is potentially dangerous to the human nervous system. It is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a highly toxic pesticide.
• Dicofol - pesticide of the DDT family (carcinogen). According to the EU classification, it is harmful not only if swallowed, but also in contact with skin.
• Endosulfan - an endocrine disruptor. Banned worldwide under the Stockholm Convention.
How do you act? - Now the most important thing you can do is spread our word:
1 / Post this information on your social media page and post your comment on the Lipton brand page on Facebook.
2 / Tweet "No!" Use the hashtag #LiptonPesticides
3 / Email us to your friends.
4 / Buy certified organic tea, and not only will you drink healthy tea, you will also support the reduction of pesticides in agriculture. ”
But, if brands from supermarket shelves do not provide sufficient cleanliness, perhaps leaf tea from an expensive “tea boutique” can help solve this problem. Right?
- Wrong! Take, for example, the brand “Teavana” - tea, which is sold in expensive tea boutiques throughout North America. "Teavana" first appeared on the market with the brand "Teavana Experience". “Our employee invites customers on a sensory journey: when they open huge cans of leaf tea, you can feel the waves of our tea smell” - this is how the company describes a standard procedure for demonstrating samples of this tea, supposedly promising amazing health benefits. But is it worth the extra money? Are buyers getting top-notch tea? - Not.
Teavana was tested by an independent laboratory and pesticides were found in 100% of the samples. Monkey Picked Oolong tea contained 23 pesticides. 77% of tea samples did not meet pesticide levels acceptable in the European Union. 62% of the sample contained traces of “endosulfan” - a pesticide banned in the United States, China, the European Union, and 144 other countries, since it is associated with impaired fertility and can harm unborn babies.
On its website LLC "Glaucus Research Group California" writes:
“Teavana has removed (in the FAQ section of its website) a question and an answer to the question:“ What is the way to get our organic teas ”. However, before we published in the open access data of tests of its products, the site "Teavana" contained the following answer to this question:
“Organic tea is grown in accordance with the standards set by certified organic programs. Farmers produce their crops without using most conventional pesticides or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients, without bioengineering or ionizing radiation. Farmers are focused on conserving soil and water to improve the quality of the environment for future generations. ”
We consider it important that the company removed this response from its website, given that before that most of its sales representatives, whom we listed earlier, lied to us that all Teavana teas are organic according to USDA or EU regulations. Secondly, Teavana apparently encouraged its sellers to change their sales tactics. We phoned and visited several of its boutiques. Vendors now recognize that while teas contain trace amounts of pesticides, they do not believe that these pesticides are used directly on tea plantations. Vendors assume that pesticides originate from groundwater, rain, or even from the dirty hands of workers involved in collecting tea leaves. But, this explanation sounds ridiculously stupid ... "
Moreover, most Teavana teas contain added flavors - “artificial flavors.” Allow me, but if they have such a high-class tea, why should they add the ingredients obtained by fractional distillation of oil or chemical manipulation of coal tar? Coal tar in my tea? - No thanks! Do not!
Many popular brands of tea use "natural" flavors to deceive the consumer, forcing him to think that he buys the best; however, manufacturers simply hide the bad taste and the poor quality of their tea.
Fortunately, there are brands that put a fat cross on the use of "natural" flavors. I was glad to find out that Ahmed Rahim, the general director of the tea-producing company Numi, is just as natural as I am against “natural” flavors. He told me: “You can take everything that is found in nature, if you like this fragrance, and by adding it to any product call it a“ natural ”ingredient on the label. This ingredient can be made from any stone, and you will never know about it. ”
That is why when I see the words “natural flavor” on the label, I put this product back and run far, far away. I want to know what I eat! Or am I not right?
But, what I said is not all that you need to know about modern tea. Let's talk, for example, about genetically modified objects. It would seem that GMOs are not at all what most people can think while drinking tea. Until the moment of this investigation, I also didn’t think that tea companies use modified corn starch and soy lecithin in their tea (both supplements are most likely made from genetically modified corn and soy)! Many consumers simply have a "psychological allergy" to soy, and many companies are trying to hide its presence. But here's a label for you:
The list of ingredients is soy lecithin.
Here is another interesting fact.
The article on the “The Atlantic” website discusses “luxury mesh bags” that pack leaf tea ...
It turns out that these modern bags, intended to show the tea leaves contained in them, are made of plastic. For example, the basis of a tea bag may be a PLA (polylactide) made from (GMO) corn. A material that attracted large tea companies because of its pleasant appearance and ability to biodegrade. Terms like “silky nets of biodegradable sachets” mislead customers who believe that the product they bought is more natural than it actually is. Although a tea bag is not an ingredient, but, like tea, it is put into boiling water ...
In accordance with the data of the site “The Atlantic”, the bags are most often made of food nylon or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), both of which are considered the safest plastics by the level of leaching of harmful components.
However, Dr. Mercola disagrees with this and states:
“Although these plastics are usually considered to be one of the safest in terms of potential leaching of harmful substances, the molecules of these plastic bags can still break down when immersed in boiling water ...” - but, after all, tea is made this way?
It turns out that when brewing tea, consumers should worry about the “glass transition” temperature of the materials from which the bags are made. This is what they write about on the “The Atlantic” website:
“This is the temperature at which the molecules of materials, such as polymers, begin to break down. As a rule, these temperatures are always lower than the melting point. In the case of PET and food nylon, this temperature is lower than the boiling point of water. For example, while the PET melting point is 250 ° C, the glass transition temperature is slightly more than 76 ° C. This means that the molecules that make up these plastic tea bags begin to break down when tea is brewed. ”
So, bags can potentially release harmful substances. Another thing to worry about: tea bags are made from several different plastics (nylon, viscose, thermoplastic, PVC or polypropylene). This means that a consumer can get a wide range of “free ingredients”.
However, paper tea bags can be even worse than plastic ones. According to Dr. Mercola, “paper tea bags (for strength) are impregnated with“ epichlorohydrin ”, which is used in the manufacture of epoxy resins and is considered a potential carcinogen. It is also used as a pesticide. When the “epichlorohydrin” comes into contact with water, it hydrolyzes to the substance “3-MCPD”, which, as has been proven, causes cancer in animals. This substance can also cause infertility (because it has a toxic effect on sperm - this was revealed in a study on rats) and suppresses immune function. ”
So what to do next time you want a cup of tea? Tea rich with useful substances obviously cannot even balance the effect of carcinogens, toxins, “natural” additives and artificial flavors in modern tea.
Check out the chart below to see what your favorite tea brand is hiding. In the columns of the table are shown (from left to right): tea brand, the presence of pesticides, "natural" flavors, artificial flavors, GMOs, harmful packaging.
When choosing safe tea, remember these tips:
1. Choose organic (certified) tea brands.
2. Check the list of ingredients on the package to make sure that there are no flavors, colors, GMOs, soy lecithin and cornstarch.
3. Make sure that the tea you buy uses the safe kind of tea bags (some manufacturers use this fact in marketing their products, reporting this) or buy leaf tea. Use a stainless steel or glass strainer.
4. Most restaurants use dangerous brands of tea. Do not become their victim - bring your own tea, and ask for a kettle or a glass of boiling water (and do not forget to leave a good tip) ...
5. Remember the perfect tea brewing modes:
* black tea - 3-5 minutes at 100 degrees C;
* white or green tea - 2 to 3 minutes at 76-85 degrees C;
* Oolong tea - 4-7 minutes at 85-98 degrees C;
* Herbal tea - 5 minutes (or more) at 100 degrees C.
P.S:
If you read the article, you do not regret the time spent on it, go to my "profile" on the site. This is my 15th publication, about the most important factors determining health in the 21st century. I think you will appreciate the information provided in previous publications (possibly missed by you). I would like, of course, that the Ministry of Health would warn us (at least) about such things. However, our officials are clearly “not in the hands” - they have to do this themselves. As they say (almost as in the Airborne Forces): “IF NOT WE, THEN WHO?” After all, we have children and grandchildren.
Tea is what I drink every day. This is holy in my house - I have a whole box of tea! I drink it because it is surprisingly good for health. There are many varieties of tea that can improve digestion, metabolism, and even prevent certain diseases. Medical research tea undertaken so far. What am I going to share with you and surprise you so that you never look at tea as before? Do you really want to know what your tea is? - Then read on.
')
Ancient Chinese tradition of drinking tea dates back thousands of years - from the early Chinese dynasties, who drank a drink with healing properties. In ancient times, the leaves of the Chinese camellia (tea plant) were either ground to powder or simply infused directly in water to extract its herbal essence. Unfortunately, today tea is very different - very different from the old tea. Many modern tea brands, which advertise on the pretext of their health benefits, are in fact overwhelmed with pesticides, toxins, artificial ingredients, flavors and GMOs.
Did you know that most varieties of tea are not washed before being put into commercial packaging? This means that if tea is sprayed with carcinogenic pesticides, they fall directly into your cup. And this is the reason why organic (farm) tea is on my list of priorities. To prove this point, here are some shocking facts about one of the most famous tea brands - Celestial Seasonings.
By indicating this brand, the author of the publication gives a hyperlink to a study conducted by the limited liability company (LLC) Glaucus Research Group California, which anticipates its results with the following instructions:
• “The study was carried out by us at our own risk and peril.
• You must conduct your own research and exercise due diligence before making any investment decisions in relation to securities related to the company under consideration. This is not investment advice and should not be interpreted as such. We can get a significant gain in the event that the price of shares "Hein" will fall.
• We do not express any opinion as to whether the products under discussion are safe. The results of laboratory tests are presented as is, without any warranties of any kind (express or implied) and are not intended to form the basis for any scientific conclusions or any statements regarding the health effects. Please refer to our full disclaimer on the third page of this report ... "
But an excerpt from the text of the study itself:
“Celestial Seasonings is the flagship brand of Heine (HAIN CELESTIAL GROUP, INC.) And is one of the most profitable product lines. Its marketing is based on the statement that these teas are “100% natural” and healthy. As consumers, we decided to verify such claims by sending the company's eleven popular teas to Eurofins, an accredited independent laboratory that is a world leader in drug and food testing. Laboratory tests showed the following:
* 91% of the tested samples of tea do not correspond to the “US Code of Federal Regulations” (CFR 40, paragraph 180) on the content of pesticides in them. All samples contained traces of known or possible human carcinogens.
* Even samples of "baby" tea contain traces of carcinogens. Tests have shown that Sleepytime Kids Goodnight herbal tea contained 0.26 parts per million of “Propachlor,” a known carcinogen for which there is no safe level of consumption.
* Six other samples of tea, including three teas from the “Wellness Tea” line, also violate the requirement of the standard because they contain traces of “propargite” - a known carcinogen and developmental toxin, for which there is also no safe level of consumption ... ”
================================================= ============
Translator's Note:
Eurofins employs around 22,000 people and has 225 laboratories in 39 countries.
================================================= ============
Since I wrote this post, Hein has been sued collectively on the basis of pesticide findings discovered by the Eurofins laboratory. However, the decision of the judicial jury is not yet available. The plaintiffs allege that the tea line in the Celestial Seasonings line "contains pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, carcinogens, and / or toxins." That “Hein” “did not dispute and never contested - that their tea contained the indicated pollutants, did not appeal against the results of the“ Eurofins ”tests and did not claim that the“ Eurofins ”study was biased or that the“ Eurofins ”tests were not accurate.
Even if it is suddenly determined that the Eurofins tests were not accurate - it is important to note that Celestial Seasonings tea is not organic and some brands of this tea come from China.
At the time, Greenpeace published a detailed report on the alarming amount of pesticides found in tea from China.
In addition, the Greenpeace website has a detailed report on the Lipton tea brand from China.
In particular, on the Greenpeace website they write:
"Why should you be worried?" Let's look at the three forbidden pesticides that were found in samples of this tea:
• Metomil is an insecticide that is potentially dangerous to the human nervous system. It is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a highly toxic pesticide.
• Dicofol - pesticide of the DDT family (carcinogen). According to the EU classification, it is harmful not only if swallowed, but also in contact with skin.
• Endosulfan - an endocrine disruptor. Banned worldwide under the Stockholm Convention.
How do you act? - Now the most important thing you can do is spread our word:
1 / Post this information on your social media page and post your comment on the Lipton brand page on Facebook.
2 / Tweet "No!" Use the hashtag #LiptonPesticides
3 / Email us to your friends.
4 / Buy certified organic tea, and not only will you drink healthy tea, you will also support the reduction of pesticides in agriculture. ”
But, if brands from supermarket shelves do not provide sufficient cleanliness, perhaps leaf tea from an expensive “tea boutique” can help solve this problem. Right?
- Wrong! Take, for example, the brand “Teavana” - tea, which is sold in expensive tea boutiques throughout North America. "Teavana" first appeared on the market with the brand "Teavana Experience". “Our employee invites customers on a sensory journey: when they open huge cans of leaf tea, you can feel the waves of our tea smell” - this is how the company describes a standard procedure for demonstrating samples of this tea, supposedly promising amazing health benefits. But is it worth the extra money? Are buyers getting top-notch tea? - Not.
Teavana was tested by an independent laboratory and pesticides were found in 100% of the samples. Monkey Picked Oolong tea contained 23 pesticides. 77% of tea samples did not meet pesticide levels acceptable in the European Union. 62% of the sample contained traces of “endosulfan” - a pesticide banned in the United States, China, the European Union, and 144 other countries, since it is associated with impaired fertility and can harm unborn babies.
On its website LLC "Glaucus Research Group California" writes:
“Teavana has removed (in the FAQ section of its website) a question and an answer to the question:“ What is the way to get our organic teas ”. However, before we published in the open access data of tests of its products, the site "Teavana" contained the following answer to this question:
“Organic tea is grown in accordance with the standards set by certified organic programs. Farmers produce their crops without using most conventional pesticides or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients, without bioengineering or ionizing radiation. Farmers are focused on conserving soil and water to improve the quality of the environment for future generations. ”
We consider it important that the company removed this response from its website, given that before that most of its sales representatives, whom we listed earlier, lied to us that all Teavana teas are organic according to USDA or EU regulations. Secondly, Teavana apparently encouraged its sellers to change their sales tactics. We phoned and visited several of its boutiques. Vendors now recognize that while teas contain trace amounts of pesticides, they do not believe that these pesticides are used directly on tea plantations. Vendors assume that pesticides originate from groundwater, rain, or even from the dirty hands of workers involved in collecting tea leaves. But, this explanation sounds ridiculously stupid ... "
Moreover, most Teavana teas contain added flavors - “artificial flavors.” Allow me, but if they have such a high-class tea, why should they add the ingredients obtained by fractional distillation of oil or chemical manipulation of coal tar? Coal tar in my tea? - No thanks! Do not!
Many popular brands of tea use "natural" flavors to deceive the consumer, forcing him to think that he buys the best; however, manufacturers simply hide the bad taste and the poor quality of their tea.
Fortunately, there are brands that put a fat cross on the use of "natural" flavors. I was glad to find out that Ahmed Rahim, the general director of the tea-producing company Numi, is just as natural as I am against “natural” flavors. He told me: “You can take everything that is found in nature, if you like this fragrance, and by adding it to any product call it a“ natural ”ingredient on the label. This ingredient can be made from any stone, and you will never know about it. ”
That is why when I see the words “natural flavor” on the label, I put this product back and run far, far away. I want to know what I eat! Or am I not right?
But, what I said is not all that you need to know about modern tea. Let's talk, for example, about genetically modified objects. It would seem that GMOs are not at all what most people can think while drinking tea. Until the moment of this investigation, I also didn’t think that tea companies use modified corn starch and soy lecithin in their tea (both supplements are most likely made from genetically modified corn and soy)! Many consumers simply have a "psychological allergy" to soy, and many companies are trying to hide its presence. But here's a label for you:
The list of ingredients is soy lecithin.
Here is another interesting fact.
The article on the “The Atlantic” website discusses “luxury mesh bags” that pack leaf tea ...
It turns out that these modern bags, intended to show the tea leaves contained in them, are made of plastic. For example, the basis of a tea bag may be a PLA (polylactide) made from (GMO) corn. A material that attracted large tea companies because of its pleasant appearance and ability to biodegrade. Terms like “silky nets of biodegradable sachets” mislead customers who believe that the product they bought is more natural than it actually is. Although a tea bag is not an ingredient, but, like tea, it is put into boiling water ...
In accordance with the data of the site “The Atlantic”, the bags are most often made of food nylon or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), both of which are considered the safest plastics by the level of leaching of harmful components.
However, Dr. Mercola disagrees with this and states:
“Although these plastics are usually considered to be one of the safest in terms of potential leaching of harmful substances, the molecules of these plastic bags can still break down when immersed in boiling water ...” - but, after all, tea is made this way?
It turns out that when brewing tea, consumers should worry about the “glass transition” temperature of the materials from which the bags are made. This is what they write about on the “The Atlantic” website:
“This is the temperature at which the molecules of materials, such as polymers, begin to break down. As a rule, these temperatures are always lower than the melting point. In the case of PET and food nylon, this temperature is lower than the boiling point of water. For example, while the PET melting point is 250 ° C, the glass transition temperature is slightly more than 76 ° C. This means that the molecules that make up these plastic tea bags begin to break down when tea is brewed. ”
So, bags can potentially release harmful substances. Another thing to worry about: tea bags are made from several different plastics (nylon, viscose, thermoplastic, PVC or polypropylene). This means that a consumer can get a wide range of “free ingredients”.
However, paper tea bags can be even worse than plastic ones. According to Dr. Mercola, “paper tea bags (for strength) are impregnated with“ epichlorohydrin ”, which is used in the manufacture of epoxy resins and is considered a potential carcinogen. It is also used as a pesticide. When the “epichlorohydrin” comes into contact with water, it hydrolyzes to the substance “3-MCPD”, which, as has been proven, causes cancer in animals. This substance can also cause infertility (because it has a toxic effect on sperm - this was revealed in a study on rats) and suppresses immune function. ”
So what to do next time you want a cup of tea? Tea rich with useful substances obviously cannot even balance the effect of carcinogens, toxins, “natural” additives and artificial flavors in modern tea.
Check out the chart below to see what your favorite tea brand is hiding. In the columns of the table are shown (from left to right): tea brand, the presence of pesticides, "natural" flavors, artificial flavors, GMOs, harmful packaging.
When choosing safe tea, remember these tips:
1. Choose organic (certified) tea brands.
2. Check the list of ingredients on the package to make sure that there are no flavors, colors, GMOs, soy lecithin and cornstarch.
3. Make sure that the tea you buy uses the safe kind of tea bags (some manufacturers use this fact in marketing their products, reporting this) or buy leaf tea. Use a stainless steel or glass strainer.
4. Most restaurants use dangerous brands of tea. Do not become their victim - bring your own tea, and ask for a kettle or a glass of boiling water (and do not forget to leave a good tip) ...
5. Remember the perfect tea brewing modes:
* black tea - 3-5 minutes at 100 degrees C;
* white or green tea - 2 to 3 minutes at 76-85 degrees C;
* Oolong tea - 4-7 minutes at 85-98 degrees C;
* Herbal tea - 5 minutes (or more) at 100 degrees C.
P.S:
If you read the article, you do not regret the time spent on it, go to my "profile" on the site. This is my 15th publication, about the most important factors determining health in the 21st century. I think you will appreciate the information provided in previous publications (possibly missed by you). I would like, of course, that the Ministry of Health would warn us (at least) about such things. However, our officials are clearly “not in the hands” - they have to do this themselves. As they say (almost as in the Airborne Forces): “IF NOT WE, THEN WHO?” After all, we have children and grandchildren.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/391257/
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