Will That Be One Pesticide Or Two

By Author: Candice Oneida
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Whether or not organic food is a fad or a trend that's here to stay, it's important for you, the tea drinker, to understand the significance of organically grown tea over its non-organic cousin. Tea is supposed to be good for you, but tea grown in unhealthy ways can have just the opposite effect. For instance, non-organic tea can have as much as 45% more caffeine! Organic tea provides a higher quality, better tasting, better for you brew. Let's find out why.

Organic - What's it Mean?

Chances are the tea you drink, unless certified organic or home-grown herbal, contains chemicals like pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers and other nasty stuff. Most tea consumed in America is grown in China, Indonesia, Kenya or Argentina - countries not exactly overly concerned with environmentally friendly practices. Even if the tea itself hasn't been sprayed or treated, chemical that have leeched into the soil can be absorbed by the plant as it grows and stored in the leaves. This puts all those hazardous substances into your cup, and therefore into you. I don't know about you, but the thought of drinking somebody else's harmful ...
... compounds isn't exactly my cup of tea (pun intended.) I drink tea for its healthful benefits, not its chemical makeup.

Organic teas and other produce are grown the old fashioned way, without the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, fungicides or other dangerous stuff. Thus the plants produced are cleaner, purer and healthier for you. Knowing the location of your tea plantation is just as important too, though, in knowing whether the quality of your organic tea is really that much better than the non-organic brew. Since hazardous wastes can leak into the ground and then be soaked up into the plant, an organic plantation in an area of questionable soil quality can produce tea with just as many compounds in it as a tea plantation that uses non-organic techniques.

Organic teas also contain no artificial additives or preservatives. Some vanilla flavored black teas, for example, contain artificial vanillin, which can be derived from both wood pulp and coal tar. Organic teas will never contain substances that sound like they would be better suited to the saw mill than the tea party.

The Cost of Organic Tea

It's no secret that organic tea costs more than its non-organic counterpart. This higher cost is due to several factors. The first factor to consider is that organic farming methods are more time consuming than non-organic methods. The second is that organic farming typically yields smaller crops than non-organic fields. Organic farmers must charge more to make the same amount of profit from their tea as the non-organic farmers. Most, however, think that paying a little more for a better tasting, healthier brew is worth it. They know that their money is going to support small farmers trying to grow a crop in ways that are beneficial to both the planet and the consumer, rather than large companies out to make a buck irregardless of the damage they might cause.

Organic Tea is a Greener Tea
Notice that says greener not green. All forms of tea can be grown organically, and doing so is better for the planet. By not using chemicals to grow their tea, organic farmers spare the soil, air and water from further pollution. Organic farming methods tend not to rob the soil of its nutrients, maintaining soil fertility for a much longer period of time. Tea plants can live to be a hundred years old. An organic tea farmer is ensuring the health and production of his trees for both his lifetime and his children's. Better soil quality means less deforestation for new fields, better water quality and less erosion. In short, organic tea farming, as all organic farming, is much healthier for the planet.

Organic Tea is Better Tea
Because organic farming is closer to the plants' natural state of growth, organic produce, including tea, is closer to its natural, wild state. This natural state of being produces a better, crisper, cleaner tasting product. The taste isn't muffled by loads of toxic chemicals, nor is it hidden under a blanket of artificial ingredients and additives. This gives organic tea its higher quality and better taste over its non-organic competition. Organic teas are also higher in the antioxidants that make tea a healthier drink. Organic teas are shown to be significantly higher in antioxidant concentrations than non-organic teas.

Organic Tea and You
Choosing an organic tea variety over a non-organic one will give you a better tasting, better quality, healthier cup of tea. You'll be doing the environment a favor by supporting farming practices that benefit the planet, as well as the farmer. But how do you know that your tea is truly organic? There are different rates or grades of organic. The USDA has certified 100% and 95% organic items to be labeled as organic. A 95% organic item may contain ingredients or substances that are not organic such as artificial flavors or colors. An item labeled 100% organic must be just that - as close to nature as man can get it. Sometimes items will be labeled all natural.

This does not ensure that the item is 100% or even 95% organic, just that it contains nothing artificial or synthetic. Remember that organic begins in the soil, with the growth process, not just with the recipe or processing. Your best bet is to look for teas that are certified 100% organic. Then and only then can you be sure that your cup of tea will be the best tasting, healthiest, all natural brew Nature can provide.

Zhi Tea is a leading provider of high-quality oolong tea online. Visit them today for a full selection of high-grade, fair trade organic Green, Black, White and Oolong teas. Also view their tea gift basket selection - a great gift for the holidays.