Pesticides and tea

I have recently swapped to pesticide-free tea (specifically Nerada Black Tea Loose Leaf).

I’ve always considered pesticides in regard to fruits and vegetables but never have I thought my beloved cups of tea were tainted with chemicals. Not ideal.

Pesticides are chemicals used to kill insects, rodents, fungi and weeds. According to the World Health Organization,' ‘pesticides are potentially toxic to other organisms including humans and need to be used safely’.

For a long time, pesticide use was not well regulated. Current pesticide safety limits are determined in a variety of ways including measuring levels in people who have been exposed to high amounts of pesticides, animal testing and studying the long-term health of people who have worked with pesticides, e.g. farmers. Although safety limits now exist, issues have been found with these methods whereby safety limits are set using incomplete data or industry-funded studies.

The environments most of us live in are toxic, being exposed to contaminants in the air, water and on land. We can’t avoid these things completely, but we can minimise our exposure by making small yet significant changes.

The health implications of high pesticide exposure include altered genes involved in the development of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, many different cancers (e.g. breast, thyroid, ovarian, prostate, lung, liver), endometriosis and ADHD and autism in children, just to name a few.

I recommended looking at your current tea brand to determine whether it is pesticide-free. If it is, great! If it isn’t, swap to a brand that is pesticide-free or organic. Try different brands until you find THE ONE… that meets your taste preference! I was surprised to find that Bushells Extra Strong Leaf Tea and Nerada Black Tea Loose Leaf taste very similar.