How Much Lead Is In That Cup?
Tea is the universal signal that it’s time to relax. At least in my mind! For many other people it’s the sign of good health and a dose of antioxidants. Others like it for aroma, digestion, or cultural significance. However they take their tea, tea lovers are a pretty persnickety bunch; tea has to be made right or not made at all.
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What is tea?
Green and black teas come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The leaves are treated differently after harvest. Black tea undergoes reactions caused by exposure to oxygen but green tea does not. This oxidation results in the color and flavor changes distinctive to black teas. White tea is gaining in popularity. White tea is harvested before the Camellia sinensis when the young buds are still covered by fine white hairs, thus the name white tea.
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Herbal tea (sometimes called tisanes), as you might guess, is not tea at all but various blends of bark, flowers, fruit, leaves, or roots. Popular herbal teas include chamomile and peppermint, as well as rooibos and yerba maté. Herbal teas are often caffeine free.
Brewed or bottled – and now found even in supplement form – tea varies widely from cup to cup. Many bottled varieties are little more than sugar water. And some leaves themselves, particularly those from China, are contaminated with lead, though the heavy metal does not appear to be readily leached out of the leaves and into the cup during brewing.
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Lead contamination
China burns more coal for fuel than any other nation. As coal burns, heavy metals like lead and mercury are sent into the air and dropping down into the soil. Older leaves accumulate more lead; white tea has two to six times less lead than mature leaves. While all the lead is not released from the leaves into the hot water during brewing, some will be so green and black tea will have more lead in it that white tea.
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Organic teas do not fare better than non-organic. In North America, lead and heavy metal contamination comes from certain fungicides. A study of 30 tea brands in North America showed that there was no less metal toxicity in organic teas versus non-organic teas implying that the ground water once contaminated eventually pervades all farms.
In terms of lead, the tea’s country of origin appears to be the most important factor. Black tea from China has the highest levels of lead. If you are brewing the tea and throwing the leaves away, drinking three cups a day of black tea from China would exceed the daily safety limit of lead consumption. Black tea from India, Nepal, or Sri Lanka has much less lead so those are good choices if you drink a lot of black tea. Green tea has lower levels of lead and if you are throwing away the green tea leaves you can probably drink as much as you want. If you are drinking matcha tea (a special, powdered green tea) you are drinking the entire ground up leaf; be sure your matcha comes from Japan where the lowest levels of lead are found.
I don’t advocate diet supplements in general and for tea this is especially critical as the leaves have been ground up in pill form and that means you are swallowing lead. There is little to no regulation for tea supplements so I would avoid them altogether. If you want the benefits of the entire leaf drink matcha tea (from Japan!) or sprinkle the powdered matcha onto your food. Your heart will thank you.
Dr. James Kneller treats atrial fibrillation, arrhythmia, and other heart conditions. He is an internationally recognized authority on cardiovascular health and personal development.
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Sources
well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/whats-in-your-green-tea/
nutritionfacts.org/video/lead-contamination-of-tea/
nationalpost.com/news/canada/many-teas-contain-enough-lead-to-be-dangerous-for-pregnant-and-nursing-women-new-canadian-study
www.care2.com/greenliving/lead-contamination-of-tea-which-types-to-avoid.html
www.superfoodly.com/what-is-matcha-green-tea/
www.sciencedirect.com
