Gluten in Tea Bags?

Gluten is a wheat product that can be dangerous for some people. It can lead to swellings of the hands and the feet. There are also those rare people who are literally poisoned if they ingest products with gluten in them.

We know that tea does not have any gluten. But what about the tea bags?

Did you know that some companies close their tea bags by using a wheat gluten solution as glue?

If you are gluten sensitive, make sure your tea bags are crimp or staple closed. I prefer crimping since it eliminates the one-in-a-million possibility of swallowing a tiny staple.

I have sent emails asking this question to various tea companies.

Here is a quick answer from STASH, one of my most favorite bagged-tea sellers:

"Thank you for your email. We do not use gluten to seal our teabags, they are crimp sealed. All of our teas are gluten free as well. Please let me know if you have any further questions or comments.

Sincerely,
Erin Barsuglia
Quality Assurance
Stash Tea"

Thanks Stash! Not only you make good tea but obviously you care about your customers as well.

I'll share the other answers if and when I get them.

P.S. Here is another reply I've received from Celestial Seasonings:

"Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We strive to maintain the highest quality products and appreciate your patronage.

Our tea bag paper is comprised of a blend of chlorine-free fibers. None of our tea bag paper contains starch or gluten. Our supplier utilizes a proprietary, chlorine-free process in the manufacture of our tea bag paper. The paper is comprised of natural plant and heat-seal fibers. The heat-seal fibers are a food safe material that is added to the paper.

Sincerely,

George
Consumer Relations Representative"

UPDATE: It's interesting that LIPTON TEA officials could not come out and say "no, we do not use gluten in the manufacturing of our tea bags." Instead they simply advices us to read their ingredients carefully. So if you are gluten-sensitive I'd say be careful when using LIPTON tea bags.

Here is the official CONSUMER-BEWARE reply to my inquiry from UNILEVER, the mother-company of LIPTON TEAS:

"Gluten is found in wheat rye, barley, and oats. In our sauces, the source of Modified Food Starch is corn. The source of Carmel Coloring is a brown food coloring obtained by heating sugars. Malted Barley, which has been partially germinated to permit some of its carbohydrates to be broken down into simpler sugars, is used to provide flavor and sweetening to food products.

Because our products are formulated for use by the majority of our consumers, and not specifically for those on restricted diets, it is possible our product formulations may change at any time. As a result, we cannot provide a list due to several factors:

- Lists of this type reflect products as formulated at a specific time
- Possible that more products/varieties may have been added
- More important, changes in existing products may have occurred

Therefore, we suggest READING ALL INGREDIENT LABELS CAREFULLY.

We hope this information is helpful!
Your friends at Unilever"

STUDY: Excessive Oolong and Black Tea May Weaken the Bones

A Western traveler enjoying a cup of local tea in Mongolia. (Visit this interesting travel blog)

In this web site I try to share ALL the facts and research results about health effects of tea drinking, not just the good and positive ones. I believe that as a tea lover and web site owner I owe that level of impartiality and objectivity to my readers.

Here is one such news from Japan: due to the high level of fluorine found in oolong and black teas, excessive consumption of these varieties can weaken human bones.

However I'm not sure what constitutes "excessive" drinking. Over 10 cups a day would certainly fit the bill.

A research team headed by Dr. Tetsuo Shimmura of Toyama Institute of Health in Japan presented the results of his research at a meeting of Japan Society for Biomedical Research on Trace Elements in Tokyo recently, according to a Kyodo news agency story.

Japanese researchers found that the amount of fluorine in these two kinds of tea exceed the same amount in tap water by 70 percent, based on a "test population" of 130 tap water samples. The average fluorine in tap water was 0.8 milligrams per liter. In mineral water it's under 2 milligrams per liter.

However, we should also remember that the subjects in this study were selected from Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region (in China), a region historically known to consume much higher than average quantities of black tea. So I believe this was not as random a population sample as a scientific study deserves.

"In our study of people's health in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region (in China), we found that the bones of those who consumed water and beverages containing high fluorine density over a long time could develop a propensity to break," Shimmura is reported saying.

"They are not in any immediate risk. However, it is desirable that a standard be set and displayed for tea drinks," he added.

What are the side effects of herbal teas?

Some herbal teas have strong and even toxic side effects that you should be aware of.

If you are under medication for any reason, see your doctor first before drinking any herbal or regular teas. If, for example, you are taking a blood thinner like warfarin (Coumadin) don’t drink any green tea blend.

Comfrey plant

Comfrey Tea -- For one thing, some people confuse comfrey leaves with those of Foxglove, which is a highly poisonous plant. So get yourself a good plant guide and learn to differentiate these two plants before you do anything else. Comfrey has strong pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and has been used externally to fix broken bones since the Ancient Greeks. Yet it can also cause permanent liver damage and even cancer if used internally. So it’s better not to drink any comfrey brews at all.

Lobelia plant

Lobelia Tea -- This is another herbal tea you should stay away from since lobelia contains “lobelia,” a yellowish alkaloid that might have a toxic effect similar to nicotine. Although used by Native Americans to cure respiratory problems, the plant also have strong emetic qualities and that’s why it’s also known as “pukeweed,” “gagroot,” and “vomitwort.”

Green Tea -- Although it’s rare, some people experience difficulty of breathing, constriction of their throat muscles, swelling of tongue and lips, and other similar allergic reactions. If you experience any such effects please immediately see your doctor. Heavy use of green tea is also said to be a contributing factor of esophageal cancer. Green tea (as well as many other tea varieties) can also cause heartburn, sleeplessness, irregular heartbeats, headache, etc. if consumed in great quantities in a single day. If you do not feel comfortable, cut down on your tea consumption and see a doctor.

Chamomile plant

Chamomile Tea -- Chamomile has a sedative effect and thus can help if you’re trying to fall asleep in bed.

But if you are driving a vehicle, operating a machine, or doing anything that requires your full attention, then it’s better not to consume chamomile tea at all.

See: What Should You Know About Herbal Teas?