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If you're here, it's probably because you're curious about the age-old debate of loose leaf vs. bagged tea. Sure, bagged tea may be convenient, but let's be honest; it's like choosing between a custom-made, intricate charcuterie board and a Kraft single. This blog post gives you 9 reasons why loose leaf tea is the better choice for your health, enjoyment, and environmental footprint.
So grab your favorite tea cup and get ready to take notes, because by the end of this post, you'll be ready to say goodbye to those boring tea bags and hello to a whole new world of tea-rrific possibilities!
Why Is Loose Leaf Tea Better Than Bagged Tea?
1. It contains more antioxidants.
Loose leaf tea often contains more antioxidants than tea bags because the whole leaf is used, which means you're getting all the good stuff, like health-promoting catechins and flavonoids. Shredded teas cut costs for the company, but they also cut those health benefits.
Here are some awesome antioxidant-rich loose-leaf tea blends: Ultra Violet, Ginseng Green Dragon, Cranberry Apple Tart, Lush Lavender
2. It leaves out the plastic.
Did you know that many of the teabags made by some of the most popular brands contain plastic? One important study conducted in 2019 showed that one teabag released “approximately 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into a single cup of the beverage.” In the human body, plastics can cause a lot of scary stuff (like inflammation, endocrine disruption, and hormone imbalances.)
This is why we use compostable, plastic-free containers! And, by adding your loose leaf tea directly to your tea brewer, you're avoiding the plastic tea bag altogether!
3. It has a fresher taste.
Loose leaf tea is like the fresh produce of the tea world. You see, when you brew loose leaf tea, you're getting the whole leaf, which means you're getting all the fresh, delicious flavor that comes with it. But with tea bags, those leaves have been chopped up and packed in there all nice and tight, which can make the flavor a bit, well, stuffy. It's like the difference between eating a fresh, juicy apple straight from the tree versus a pre-packaged apple slice that's been sitting in a plastic bag for who knows how long. You want fresh and juicy, don't you? So why settle for a stuffy, pre-packaged tea bag when you can have a whole leaf, fresh loose leaf tea?
4. Loose-leaf allows you to get more health benefits per cup.
Want the most health-bang for your buck? Loose-leaf tea retains more nutrients than bagged tea. This is because the process of breaking down leaves into small pieces for bagged tea can cause the leaves to lose their nutrients. The leaves in loose leaf tea are often able to retain vitamins, minerals, and amino acids better than the shredded tea found in bagged grocery store tea.
5. There is less of a risk of pesticide residue.
Yeah, I know. Scary, right? Some studies have found that tea leaves are often sprayed with pesticides. While both loose leaf and bagged tea can be made with organically grown tea leaves, loose leaf tea may be less likely to be contaminated with pesticide residue due to the way it is processed and packaged.
6. Loose-leaf tea has a better flavor.
Loose leaf tea has an incredible flavor because of the way it's processed. With loose leaf tea, the leaves are plucked and then allowed to fully oxidize before they're dried, which brings out all the yummy, complex flavors. But with tea bags, the leaves are often chopped up into tiny pieces, which can make the flavor boring and bland. Because loose leaf tea is made with whole tea leaves, they contain more natural oils and flavors than the shredded, bagged tea leaves.
7. You can feel better about your environmental footprint!
Teabags that contain plastic do not break down in landfills, and they are not compostable in your garden. Like water bottles and other plastic packaging, teabags made with plastic are dangerous to animals, especially aquatic and marine animals. Microplastics are a massive ecological problem, as they are found in the water, soil, and even the air.
By choosing loose leaf tea and using tea brewers instead of tea bags, you are saving tons of single-use plastics. Knowing that you're wasting less will allow you to feel better each day about your footprint on the environment!
8. Loose-leaf tea allows you to get more out of each cup.
Because loose-leaf tea uses higher quality tea leaves and herbs, you can resteep your tea leaves multiple times to get the most out of each spoonful of tea! Especially with a tea like Puehr or Oolong, you can steep it up to 5 times! That's a good deal if you ask me.
9. Lastly, it allows you to have more creative freedom!
When it comes to tea, loose leaf tea is the ultimate blank canvas. With bagged tea, you're limited to the pre-determined blend of leaves, kind of like a paint-by-numbers. But with loose leaf, you're the artist and the world is your tea cup. You can mix and match different varieties of tea leaves to create your own unique blends. Want a little bit of fruity flavor with your black tea? Boom, you got it. Want to add a touch of mint to your green tea? You're the master of your own tea destiny. With loose leaf tea, the possibilities are endless, it's like a tea-rrific version of "choose your own adventure" book.
Follow along with us on Instagram where we show you fun and creative loose-leaf recipes along with fun facts about the herbs that make these teas so powerful.
In conclusion, loose leaf tea is the way to go if you're looking for a premium tea experience. Not only is it better for your taste buds, but it's also better for your health, the environment, and your wallet. Whenever you're ready to give it a try, check out these awesome, healing loose leaf tea blends. Trust us, your taste buds (and your body) will thank you.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this blog and want to learn more, check out this one on How To Store Your Loose Leaf Tea or try something new with These 10 mocktail recipes for Dry January.
Disclaimer: The information on this website is has been compiled from published sources and is provided only as a guide. While every effort has been taken to ensure that information published on this site is correct and up to date, this is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any illness. Also, although all of our teas are generally regarded as safe, please consult your doctor before trying any herbal remedies, especially if currently using medication, pregnant or breastfeeding.