Are Tea Bags Harmful? (Solved & Explained!)

Tea in a bag has been a lifesaver for most people who love the hot beverage. But is it all that good?

Teabags, minus the tea itself, have fatal consequences linked to them. Tea bags have a significant level of glue, plastics, fibers, adhesive chemicals, and toxic nanoparticles along with the tea. This, when taken at high levels, tends to accumulate inside the body and pose long-term threats to our health. Coupled with the hot water essential in tea making, the overall beverage consumed poses great risks to one’s health.

The article below mentions detailed health risks associated with tea bags and safe alternative solutions. Read on!

What makes tea bags harmful?

Tea bags contain certain compounds used to bring the bag together, each with its associated risks. These are:

• Paper: Tea bags have an inner lining of a paper filter to keep particles from mixing. However, this paper is not enough to keep the harmful substances at bay, so entering plastics along with the tea flavor is a norm.
• Nylon: Nylon and Polythene are in the form of nanoparticles and microplastics in tea bags. When boiling water is added to the tea bag, these particles are released and become part of the beverage in the cup, ultimately consumed by humans.
• Plastic: Studies have shown that a single tea bag releases 13,000 particles of micro-plastics into hot water. Plastics of this kind range between 3 micrometers to 5 millimeters in size and thus become impossible to eliminate.

Health Risks

These substances in the human body through tea bags pose numerous health risks. Intake of plastics, even in micro amounts, leads to the malfunction of many systems in the body, including reproductive, digestive, and circulatory systems. It has been found that we consume more micro-plastic from tea bags than from any other food or beverage regularly.

Microplastics are smaller than the average human hair and can easily cross the membranes and enter cells. Such additions alter the water holding capacity and the normal composure of cells, leading to their malfunction.

Nylon further poses health risks when consumed through tea bags. Nylon is a synthetic material that has severely detrimental effects on the environment. When exposed to high temperatures, nylon and its associated chemical called polyethylene become significantly harmful. 

Furthermore, they are unsuitable for consumption by insects, including water fleas. Their consumption by humans is not good for one’s health either. 

Excessive use of tea bags has led to micro-plastics in human blood. Such alterations that direct contact with the rest of the body can lead to health issues such as cancer of different kinds. In the long term, consuming plastics and nylon through tea bags harms human health and safety.

Environmental Risks

Plastics are not biodegradable and are not easy to eliminate from the environment. A major reason for this is the high temperatures that plastics tend to stand and the harm they inflict on the microorganisms that play a role in degradation. This alters their ability to consume and eliminate plastics from the environment altogether. 

Nylon is known to cause the greatest impact on the environment with regular use. This is because the production and processing of nylon is a high-energy demanding process, and its production leads to extensive greenhouse gases being released into the environment. The release of greenhouse gases leads to increased global warming all across the globe.

Safer alternatives

Some alternatives exist that can prevent the danger brought about by tea bag consumption, including:

Comparison: It is best to study the items that make up tea bags before purchasing properly. All tea bags are not the same. For example, some pyramid-shaped tea bags are known to contain plastic, while some are plastic-free. It is best to get your homework done before settling on one brand.

Ingredient lists: While most companies may consider this an extra step, some companies realize the health and environmental risks associated with tea bags. This means clear mention of nylon and plastic exists on their packaging. It is advised to be associated with companies that acknowledge this transparency, and one should go for such labels as seeing differences and presence and absence of plastic and nylon is impossible by the naked eye.

Loose tea: While tea bags offer a quick solution to a hot and tasty beverage, the natural organic method is still the best way to go. Making tea using tea bags should be the last option on your list and used only when nothing else is possible. Loose tea can be made using infusers, non-toxic pots, and tea strainers.

How to make tea using loose leaves?

In a diffuser

Making tea using loose leaves is the safest and tastiest option. To do this, deciding on the brand to use is the most important factor. Once the brand and flavor have been selected, one should follow the following steps:

1. Add tea leaves to the diffuser. In every 8 ounces of water, 1 teaspoon of tea leaves should be added.
2. Add boiling water to the diffuser, and leave the diffuser for the set amount of time for the chosen tea. Leaving the tea in the diffuser for longer than needed can cause the taste to be extremely bitter and undrinkable.
3.  Remove the diffuser, pour the tea into your favorite cup and enjoy!
4. Follow the table below to know the exact temperature for each kind of tea:

Tea Type	Temperature/ ◦F	Time/ minutes
Black	208-212	3-4
Green	170-185	2-3
Herbal	208-212	4+
Sakura	190-200	3-5
Jasmine	190-195	3-5
Blue Lotus	180-190	3-5
Rose	180-190	3-5

Conclusion

Our fast and dynamic lives nowadays leave little room for spare time to spend on one’s health and well-being. While shortcuts and “way-outs” are the style these days, sparing a few minutes to hit the organic lifestyle can do nothing but wonders for one’s health in the long run. Teas are a mere beverage to some and a lifestyle for others. Choosing your favorite style is an art that should be savored and enjoyed to the maximum!