I've been experimenting with chewing and
swallowing green tea leaves. I've been eating
them right from the tea box. I rather like them.

Has anyone else here ever tried this? Is it
healthful do you think? Do you think that I
should infuse them first? Some people chew
tobacco leaves; why not chew tea leaves?

George

On Sep 17, 4:24 pm, "George Cherry"
> wrote:
> I've been experimenting with chewing and
> swallowing green tea leaves. I've been eating
> them right from the tea box. I rather like them.
>
> Has anyone else here ever tried this? Is it
> healthful do you think? Do you think that I
> should infuse them first? Some people chew
> tobacco leaves; why not chew tea leaves?
>
> George

I have done this, as a matter of fact, that's part of how I try out a
tea new to me. More often, I chew a small amount of the brewed leaf.
I would imagine you should make it a small enough amount so there
won't be a caffeine problem. Also, tea might stain your teeth.
Toci

"toci" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> On Sep 17, 4:24 pm, "George Cherry"
> > wrote:
>> I've been experimenting with chewing and
>> swallowing green tea leaves. I've been eating
>> them right from the tea box. I rather like them.
>>
>> Has anyone else here ever tried this? Is it
>> healthful do you think? Do you think that I
>> should infuse them first? Some people chew
>> tobacco leaves; why not chew tea leaves?
>>
>> George
>
> I have done this, as a matter of fact, that's part of how I try out a
> tea new to me. More often, I chew a small amount of the brewed leaf.

You chew a small amount. Do you swallow it?

> I would imagine you should make it a small enough amount so there
> won't be a caffeine problem. Also, tea might stain your teeth.

The caffeine does indeed seem stronger from tea consumed this way.
As for teeth staining, I rinse my mouth thoroughly after one of my tea
leaf chews.

I found a web site for a new company that is marketing
a tea leaf (laced with nicotine) intended as a substitute
for chewing tobacco. The nicotine addition is not for me,
but the inventor's idea is to lure smokeless tobacco
users away from chewing tobacco.

Since there are good things in tea leaves, why not get
it all? I eat broccoli AND drink the water it's cooked in;
I don't just drink its cooking water.

George

I say why not? I have chewed firstly a white tea leaf and rather
enjoyed it so I have tried most of the whole leaf types. Just one or
two tho. And white tea like silver needles was my most favorite
Jenn

"Jenn" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>I say why not? I have chewed firstly a white tea leaf and rather
> enjoyed it so I have tried most of the whole leaf types. Just one or
> two tho. And white tea like silver needles was my most favorite

Okay, thanks. My next question: do you buy your
"white tea like silver needles" on-line? If so, would
you please give the link. I've been buying my tea
in the super market and would like to do better
than that--now that I'm eating the whole leaf.

George

On Sep 17, 10:24 pm, "George Cherry"
> wrote:
> I've been experimenting with chewing and
> swallowing green tea leaves. I've been eating
> them right from the tea box. I rather like them.
>

While I will chew a dry leaf as a preliiminary assessment of tea
quality if I cannot cup it, and fresh buds in the field to give an
indication of the potential of the bushes (very bitter is best) it's
not my idea of "tea heaven". In South East Asia, fresh tea leaves
(Camellia sinensis) are pickled using a naturally induced
lactobacillus ferment (like saurkraut) to make a sour tasting snack.
In Myanmar the product is called leppet-so, in Thailand it is known as
miang. The leaves preserved this way keep for months. I tasted some,
somewhere, maybe in Nepal, and though not unpleasant was not worth
crossing the road for again.

Nigel at Teacraft

On Sep 17, 6:00 pm, Jenn > wrote:
> I say why not? I have chewed firstly a whitetealeaf and rather
> enjoyed it so I have tried most of the whole leaf types. Just one or
> two tho. And whitetealike silver needles was my most favorite
> Jenn

PLEASE STOP CHEWING YOUR TEA LEAVES!!!!
I am assuming you are in the states or in another "westernized"
country.
Fluoride is in your toothpaste and in your drinking water. This is
generally natrium fluoride.
Fluoride in tea is generally calcium fluoride.
Fluoride is VERY present in tea leaves!
Fluoridosis is a disease of over-consumption of fluoride that destroys
bones and teeth.
The more EGCG in tea the lower the fluoride; however, it's still in
there.
The American Journal of Medicine in its January issue carried a study
from the FDA (this study continues) measuring fluoride in instant teas
that are commercially used for "iced tea". Since the USA is the
world's largest consumer of these teas, they initiated this study
which is now measuring fluoride levels in most widely used teas.
The results in these instant teas were very high - up to 6.5 parts per
million.
Drink your tea. In my opinion, the benefits outweigh the hazards
unless you're doing several gallons a day.
If your chewing tea leaves as one would tobacco, you might want to say
good-bye to your teeth and perhaps your jawbones, as well.
This is just my personal opinion.
Shen

that would be a rather hefty ingestion of tea leaf that would produce
fluoride toxicity.

i have not heard of fluoride causing anything except in children's
teeth, and thats discoloration.

maybe someone who works in the emergency department could tell stories
of fluoride toxicity in children who ate fluoridated tootpaste.

if theres anything to worry regarding bones and teeth in the top
concerns is not fluoride.

~~~~~~~~~
> PLEASE STOP CHEWING YOUR TEA LEAVES!!!!
> I am assuming you are in the states or in another "westernized"
> country.
> Fluoride is in your toothpaste and in your drinking water. This is
> generally natrium fluoride.
> Fluoride in tea is generally calcium fluoride.
> Fluoride is VERY present in tea leaves!
> Fluoridosis is a disease of over-consumption of fluoride that destroys
> bones and teeth.
> The more EGCG in tea the lower the fluoride; however, it's still in
> there.
> The American Journal of Medicine in its January issue carried a study
> from the FDA (this study continues) measuring fluoride in instant teas
> that are commercially used for "iced tea". Since the USA is the
> world's largest consumer of these teas, they initiated this study
> which is now measuring fluoride levels in most widely used teas.
> The results in these instant teas were very high - up to 6.5 parts per
> million.
> Drink your tea. In my opinion, the benefits outweigh the hazards
> unless you're doing several gallons a day.
> If your chewing tea leaves as one would tobacco, you might want to say
> good-bye to your teeth and perhaps your jawbones, as well.
> This is just my personal opinion.
> Shen

On Sep 18, 2:53 pm, SN > wrote:

> if theres anything to worry regarding bones and teeth in the top
> concerns is not fluoride.

that should be: in a healthy, grown, adult.

On Sep 18, 11:53 am, SN > wrote:
> that would be a rather hefty ingestion of tea leaf that would produce
> fluoride toxicity.
>
> i have not heard of fluoride causing anything except in children's
> teeth, and thats discoloration.
>
> maybe someone who works in the emergency department could tell stories
> of fluoride toxicity in children who ate fluoridated tootpaste.
>
> if theres anything to worry regarding bones and teeth in the top
> concerns is not fluoride.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~
>
> > PLEASE STOP CHEWING YOUR TEA LEAVES!!!!
> > I am assuming you are in the states or in another "westernized"
> > country.
> > Fluoride is in your toothpaste and in your drinking water. This is
> > generally natrium fluoride.
> > Fluoride in tea is generally calcium fluoride.
> > Fluoride is VERY present in tea leaves!
> > Fluoridosis is a disease of over-consumption of fluoride that destroys
> > bones and teeth.
> > The more EGCG in tea the lower the fluoride; however, it's still in
> > there.
> > The American Journal of Medicine in its January issue carried a study
> > from the FDA (this study continues) measuring fluoride in instant teas
> > that are commercially used for "iced tea". Since the USA is the
> > world's largest consumer of these teas, they initiated this study
> > which is now measuring fluoride levels in most widely used teas.
> > The results in these instant teas were very high - up to 6.5 parts per
> > million.
> > Drink your tea. In my opinion, the benefits outweigh the hazards
> > unless you're doing several gallons a day.
> > If your chewing tea leaves as one would tobacco, you might want to say
> > good-bye to your teeth and perhaps your jawbones, as well.
> > This is just my personal opinion.
> > Shen

Perhaps, you may not have heard of problems with fluoride, but there
are innumerable references to excessive fluoride conditions on the
web, in WHO studies and in medical journals. This is an active debate
which has gone on the in public health community for more than 50
years.
Our dear friend is a newly retired Chicago Public Water System
executive and he tells us that there is much more than an adequate
dose of fluoride already in water.
You just have to look to areas in Northern China, Africa and South
America to see fluorosis.
Excessive fluoride cause bone and cartilage malformation and can cause
loss of teeth and osteosarcoma. It is especially dangerous for folks
with kidney issues (hemodialysis), diabetes and thyroid problems since
it can counteract iodine.
Supposedly, drinking water in the US is safe (I have doubts); however,
to add to the consumption of fluoride, which does, by the way, build
up in bones and can support joint calcification and is in soil
already, in a totally unnecessary way, seems foolish to me.
When we lived in the Midwest, I used reverse osmosis to limit the
amount of additives in my tea water.
And, god-knows-what-else is on those tea leaves since the poster does
not indicate his leaves are organic.
And, most over-the-counter standard drugstore toothpastes and
mouthwashes do contain fluoride.
So, try it once or twice if you need to - but, why? and why chance it?
That's all. It's just my professional opinion. I would not recommend
chewing tea leaves to any of my patients.
Shen

So, try it once or twice if you need to - but, why? and why chance it?

On Sep 18, 12:19 pm, SN > wrote:
> On Sep 18, 2:53 pm, SN > wrote:
>
> > if theres anything to worry regarding bones and teeth in the top
> > concerns is not fluoride.
>
> that should be: in a healthy, grown, adult.

It is primarily grown adults in excessive fluoride studies that are
suffering. We're talking excessive here - not a pot of tea a day.
Shen

On Sep 17, 3:55 pm, "George Cherry"
> wrote:
> "toci" > wrote in message
>
> oups.com...
>
> > On Sep 17, 4:24 pm, "George Cherry"
> > > wrote:
> >> I've been experimenting with chewing and
> >> swallowing green tea leaves. I've been eating
> >> them right from the tea box. I rather like them.
>
> >> Has anyone else here ever tried this? Is it
> >> healthful do you think? Do you think that I
> >> should infuse them first? Some people chew
> >> tobacco leaves; why not chew tea leaves?
>
> >> George
>
> > I have done this, as a matter of fact, that's part of how I try out a
> > tea new to me. More often, I chew a small amount of the brewed leaf.
>
> You chew a small amount. Do you swallow it?
>
> > I would imagine you should make it a small enough amount so there
> > won't be a caffeine problem. Also, tea might stain your teeth.
>
> The caffeine does indeed seem stronger from tea consumed this way.
> As for teeth staining, I rinse my mouth thoroughly after one of my tea
> leaf chews.
>
> I found a web site for a new company that is marketing
> a tea leaf (laced with nicotine) intended as a substitute
> for chewing tobacco. The nicotine addition is not for me,
> but the inventor's idea is to lure smokeless tobacco
> users away from chewing tobacco.
>
> Since there are good things in tea leaves, why not get
> it all? I eat broccoli AND drink the water it's cooked in;
> I don't just drink its cooking water.
>
> George

Scary!!!!!!!!
Shen

you got me all interested in this subject,
not trying to "fight", but continue a discussion:

first of all,
osteosarcoma
i have yet to see something that had fluoride as etiology for
osteosarcoma
uptodate:
the majority of osteosarcomas are sporadic (= no exact cause set),
while inherited predisposition accounts for a minority of cases.
Risk factors:
Prior irradiation or chemotherapy
Paget's disease and other benign bone lesions
Inherited conditions - Genetic conditions : ...retinoblastoma, Li-
Fraumeni syndrome, Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, and the related Bloom
and Werner syndromes
blah: bone tumors arise from an aberration of the normal process of
bone growth and remodeling at a time when rapidly proliferating cells
are particularly susceptible to oncogenic agents, mitotic errors, or
other events leading to neoplastic transformation [18]. However,
studies examining the relationship between factors related to growth
and development and the risk of bone sarcomas have revealed no
consistent pattern

2.
fluoride = loss of teeth, and jaw bone ???
never heard of that
excess fluoride will do some damage in child's teeth impairing enamel
formation or something,
but
loss of jaw bone!!!??? where do you find this????


3:
do you have any published studies in big journals, not pubmed obscure
research articles?

http://search.nejm.org/search?p=Q&ts=subs&w=fluoride
62 articles
only 2 have fluoride in the title and they concern acute poisoning in
children.

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/338/10/681 (1998)
Moreover, primary mineralization defects, whether genetic (as in
hypophosphatasia) or acquired (e.g., as a result of excess fluoride,
aluminum, or bisphosphonate), are rare causes of rickets or
osteomalacia.

nejm Volume 333:1495-1496 November 30, 1995 Number 22
Internationally, the agents used most widely for the treatment of
postmenopausal osteoporosis are calcium, estrogen, calcitonin,
fluoride, calcitriol, and an early bisphosphonate, etidronate. In
general, these agents can be divided into two categories according to
whether they stimulate bone formation or inhibit bone resorption.
Fluoride, the only one of these agents that stimulates bone formation,
can increase bone density substantially. The effect of fluoride on the
risk of fractures has been disappointing, although reanalysis of the
data from one large trial showed a protective effect in women who had
moderate increases in bone density,3 and new, slow-release
formulations offer promise.

nejm Preventing Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis 337:420, August 7,
1997
increases bone density. There is also some evidence of the
effectiveness of calcitonin and fluoride in this context.

---
Rao, TKS, Friedman, EA. Fluoride and bone disease in uremia. Kidney
Int 1975; 7:125.
Fluoride - Fluoride is added to water to prevent dental caries; this
agent may contribute to bone disease in hemodialysis patients,
although the evidence for such a role is weak .
---
----
Journal of the american society of nephrology
search in title : fluoride, fluorosis: NO RESULTS.
---
JAMA
20 articles with fluoride in title
:
Fluoride Supplements for Kids , Tracy Hampton, PhD, JAMA.
2004;291:2421.
urging primary care physicians to prescribe oral fluoride supplements
to infants older than 6 months and preschool children if their
community water supply is deficient in fluoride
ask local health departments about water fluoride levels to avoid
oversupplementation. Excess levels of fluoride can lead to fluorosis
and cause mild discoloration of teeth.

--
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/po...de_infants.asp

ADA Positions & Statements

Interim Guidance on Fluoride Intake for Infants and Young Children


Recent studies cited in the report of the National Research Council
(NRC), "Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA's
Standards," have raised the possibility that infants could receive a
greater than optimal amount of fluoride through liquid concentrate or
powdered baby formula that has been mixed with water containing
fluoride during a time that their developing teeth may be susceptible
to enamel fluorosis.

The appropriate amount of fluoride is essential to prevent tooth
decay. But fluoride intake above optimal amounts can create a risk for
enamel fluorosis in teeth during their development before eruption
through the gums.

Enamel fluorosis is not a disease but rather affects the way that
teeth look. Most cases of fluorosis result in faint white lines or
streaks on tooth enamel that are not readily apparent to the affected
individual or the casual observer.

> I've been experimenting with chewing and
> swallowing green tea leaves. I've been eating
> them right from the tea box. I rather like them.

I would worry about kidney stones

On Sep 19, 8:11 am, "Slint Flig" > wrote:
>
> I would worry about kidney stones

At the risk of appearing repetitive on this thread; the chewing (as a
masticatory) and the eating (as a common hors d'oevre) of pickled tea
leaves is common and traditional practice in northern Thailand and
Myanmar, apparently without ill effect.

Nigel at Teacraft

On Sep 19, 1:22 am, Nigel > wrote:
> On Sep 19, 8:11 am, "Slint Flig" > wrote:
>
>
>
> > I would worry about kidney stones
>
> At the risk of appearing repetitive on this thread; the chewing (as a
> masticatory) and the eating (as a common hors d'oevre) ofpickledtealeavesis common and traditional practiceinnorthern Thailand and
> Myanmar, apparently without ill effect.
>
> Nigel at Teacraft

Laphet or pickled tea leaves, as you mentioned, are indeed a favourite
appetizer in Myanmar (as in other Asian countries).
The Burmese are suffering from extremely high rates of fluorosis since
not only the tea, but the water used in the processing of laphet is
chock full of fluoride (and ascenic).
You may have not seen these effects since these tend to be rural
peoples who use deep well water for irrigation, pickling and to make
tea as a beverage.
UNICEF and WHO have made these areas (high fluorosis) a serious focus
for birth defects and other fluorosis supported health problems
primarily affecting women and children.
My point is simple: here in the states we have a lot of fluoride all
ready in our tap water and we get it in our liquid teas, I think it's
enough. This is my personal opinion.
Shen

and I'd still worry about kidney stones. Very high concentrations of
calcium oxalate in tea leaves.

Milk will bind to the oxalate rendering it harmless, but studies show milk
also prevents most positive tea-related health benefits.

I wouldn't chew the things personally. My dad drank green tea for years and
had the most terrible kidney stones.. wouldn't want to go through that. (I
still drink lots of greens though)

Nigel > wrote:
>On Sep 19, 8:11 am, "Slint Flig" > wrote:
>>
>> I would worry about kidney stones
>
>At the risk of appearing repetitive on this thread; the chewing (as a
>masticatory) and the eating (as a common hors d'oevre) of pickled tea
>leaves is common and traditional practice in northern Thailand and
>Myanmar, apparently without ill effect.

I have eaten Burmese tea leaf salads many times, with ill effects
that include a nasty taste in my mouth...
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Sep 18, 3:58 pm, Shen > wrote:
> On Sep 18, 12:19 pm, SN > wrote:
>
> > On Sep 18, 2:53 pm, SN > wrote:
>
> > > if theres anything to worry regarding bones and teeth in the top
> > > concerns is not fluoride.
>
> > that should be: in a healthy, grown, adult.
>
> It is primarily grown adults in excessive fluoride studies that are
> suffering. We're talking excessive here - not a pot of tea a day.
> Shen

Shen,
come on, a tiny leaf or two is just a little treat not an obsession...
Jenn

On Sep 19, 4:28 pm, Jenn > wrote:
> come on, a tiny leaf or two is just a little treat not an obsession...
> Jenn

There is 1 case report in the USA, and thats a 52 year old lady who
drank 1-2 gallons of "double-strength" Lipton instant tea (whatever
that is) for "her entire adult life" (which means what ... about 20-30
years?), she got "mild skeletal fluorosis" which was discovered by
accident. her complaints were "Spinal
discomfort and stiffness for 5 years", "She had never had a fracture."

----------------------------------------------------

Exposure to over 20 mg/day of fluoride for over 20 years can cause
advanced skeletal fluorosis. (Instructor Dr. Eckhert EHS201 UCLA 2003)

----------------------------------------------------
Fluoride Content of tea

Leaf tea
Fluoride concentration in tea infusion 1.12 (mg/ l )
Dissolvable fluoride in tea leaf 0.28 (mg/ g)

Bagged tea
Fluoride concentration in tea infusion 2.08 (mg/ l )
Dissolvable fluoride in tea leaf 0.52 (mg/ g)

(Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology (2003)
13, 66 - 73)
this is by a team in Taiwan.
----------------------------------------------------

looking for these articles even tho informative, is time
consuming, ,Shen u did not show me where you found the information on
osteosarcoma, broken jaw bones and teeth.

On Sep 19, 1:28 pm, Jenn > wrote:
> On Sep 18, 3:58 pm, Shen > wrote:
>
> > On Sep 18, 12:19 pm, SN > wrote:
>
> > > On Sep 18, 2:53 pm, SN > wrote:
>
> > > > if theres anything to worry regarding bones and teeth in the top
> > > > concerns is not fluoride.
>
> > > that should be: in a healthy, grown, adult.
>
> > It is primarily grown adults in excessive fluoride studies that are
> > suffering. We're talking excessive here - not a pot of tea a day.
> > Shen
>
> Shen,
> come on, a tiny leaf or two is just a little treat not an obsession...
> Jenn

I tend to be conservative when it comes to well-being. I've seen too
many (American) patients who go waaaay overboard with any new food or
supplement trend - i.e. soy. A bit does some good; too much can be
disastrous to your health.
Green tea is a new fad food. It's in everything from yogurt to nail
polish.
I agree that moderation in anything generally works well.
I don't mean to sound cranky; but, I also have a great distrust (an
old hippie) of the quality and quantity of fluoride that readily
available in foods, dental care and the water supply.
I'd just rather err on the side of caution.
Shen

On Sep 19, 1:53 pm, SN > wrote:
> On Sep 19, 4:28 pm, Jenn > wrote:
>
> > come on, a tiny leaf or two is just a little treat not an obsession...
> > Jenn
>
> There is 1 case report in the USA, and thats a 52 year old lady who
> drank 1-2 gallons of "double-strength" Lipton instant tea (whatever
> that is) for "her entire adult life" (which means what ... about 20-30
> years?), she got "mild skeletal fluorosis" which was discovered by
> accident. her complaints were "Spinal
> discomfort and stiffness for 5 years", "She had never had a fracture."
>
> ----------------------------------------------------
>
> Exposure to over 20 mg/day of fluoride for over 20 years can cause
> advanced skeletal fluorosis. (Instructor Dr. Eckhert EHS201 UCLA 2003)
>
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Fluoride Content of tea
>
> Leaf tea
> Fluoride concentration in tea infusion 1.12 (mg/ l )
> Dissolvable fluoride in tea leaf 0.28 (mg/ g)
>
> Bagged tea
> Fluoride concentration in tea infusion 2.08 (mg/ l )
> Dissolvable fluoride in tea leaf 0.52 (mg/ g)
>
> (Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology (2003)
> 13, 66 - 73)
> this is by a team in Taiwan.
> ----------------------------------------------------
>
> looking for these articles even tho informative, is time
> consuming, ,Shen u did not show me where you found the information on
> osteosarcoma, broken jaw bones and teeth.

There are inummerable sites with fluoride alerts all over the web.
Check WHO, Unicef, American Journal of Medicine, the National Library
of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences, U.S. Dept of Health and
Human Services and on and on.................if that's too much work,
just do a search on "fluorosis and osteosarcoma".
Fluoride threatens bone health.
It's also in cigarettes, cereal, soda pop, and anesthetics.
You're the one who doubts the problem. You look.

I've spent the last 20 years in practice. And a hell of a lot of
medical education prior to that.
As I said earlier - do what you want. However, I would never encourage
anyone to chew on tea leaves.
Chewing on anything repeatedly or excessively to suck the flavour out
of it doesn't do much for TMJ either.
Enough said. That's all I have to say about chomping on leaves.
Shen

"You're the one who doubts the problem. You look."

thanks, thats helpful,

and i dont doubt that fluoride impairs bone formation, i doubt that
its this big deal youre making it out to be.

from the looks of it, most people in China and on this group already
have fluorosis ...so yeah, im sure its a problem.

smokers dying of lung cancer, im sure their concern is fluoride
content.

children with inadequate nutrition and so inadequate bone growth, im
sure fluoride will fix the problem NOT taking care to eat enough,
healthy and nutritious.

Hi all,
On this flouride issue, can anyone say about the health of the
people who drink whole leaf, like matcha? Does this little tea leaf
have the effects of the other tea when it is consumed daily or several
times a day? I have read that all the tea leaves are ground and used
in this yummy beverage. I have heard that powdered green tea leaves
are used in cookies, ice cream, tea supplements like green tea
capsules, and green tea smoothies or lattes. What do you think is a
safe amount of this form of tea?
Jenn

On Sep 18, 6:10 pm, Shen > wrote:
> On Sep 17, 6:00 pm, Jenn > wrote:
>
> > I say why not? I have chewed firstly a whitetealeaf and rather
> > enjoyed it so I have tried most of the whole leaf types. Just one or
> > two tho. And whitetealike silver needles was my most favorite
> > Jenn
>
> PLEASE STOP CHEWING YOUR TEA LEAVES!!!!

Shen, another excellent post from you. I still remember your post on
iced green tea . Some day I will come to you for permission to use
your article, if you don't mind.

I have documented a case study of green tea fluoride he The person
involved sounds really extreme, but it is probably this is probably
most serious risk of over-consuming green tea (other than green tea
extract), compounded by the low quality of bottled green tea.

Green Tea and Fluoride
http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/flu...green-tea.html

As for kidney stones, the scientific evidence is mixed. This are the
studies I can find to date. I think each person has to make their mind
up on this one.

Green Tea and Kidney Stones
http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/gre...ey-stones.html

I haven't tried chewing tea leaves.The Chinese tea experts are
generally against it. They haven't got any studies to back up their
claim. Apparently a lot of unhealthy substances are locked up inside
the leaves that are not released in brewing.

When when you chew, or over-brew, these bad stuff are more likely to
come out.

Put it another way, brewing is far healthier and enjoyable than
chewing.

I don't think it is deadly, as Nigel kindly pointed out, but sometimes
it is worth listening to these centuries old folk wisdom.

Julian
http://www.amazing-green-tea.com

"Shen" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> On Sep 17, 6:00 pm, Jenn > wrote:
>> I say why not? I have chewed firstly a whitetealeaf and rather
>> enjoyed it so I have tried most of the whole leaf types. Just one or
>> two tho. And whitetealike silver needles was my most favorite
>> Jenn
>
> PLEASE STOP CHEWING YOUR TEA LEAVES!!!!
> I am assuming you are in the states or in another "westernized"
> country.
> Fluoride is in your toothpaste and in your drinking water. This is
> generally natrium fluoride.
> Fluoride in tea is generally calcium fluoride.
> Fluoride is VERY present in tea leaves!
> Fluoridosis is a disease of over-consumption of fluoride that destroys
> bones and teeth.
> The more EGCG in tea the lower the fluoride; however, it's still in
> there.
> The American Journal of Medicine in its January issue carried a study
> from the FDA (this study continues) measuring fluoride in instant teas
> that are commercially used for "iced tea". Since the USA is the
> world's largest consumer of these teas, they initiated this study
> which is now measuring fluoride levels in most widely used teas.
> The results in these instant teas were very high - up to 6.5 parts per
> million.
> Drink your tea. In my opinion, the benefits outweigh the hazards
> unless you're doing several gallons a day.
> If your chewing tea leaves as one would tobacco, you might want to say
> good-bye to your teeth and perhaps your jawbones, as well.
> This is just my personal opinion.

Thank you. I am concerned about fluoride. Two things that
may make me safer a

1. I don't use toothpaste with fluoride.
2. I live in Maine, and we do not get our water from
a public water source (we have an artesian well).

Still, moderation in tea leaf ingestion is the right
way to go. On days I chew tea leaves, I do not drink
the infusion. (I would get too much caffeine if I did.)

George

I love chewing my long jing tea to taste them.

"George Cherry" > writes:

> [...]
> I am concerned about fluoride.

Sorry, I should've brought this up earlier in the thread, but it just
occurred to me.

While I don't know anything that makes me alarmed about this, it is
widely accepted that the tea plant takes up an unusually high level of
aluminum from the soil, and aluminum seems to have no role in the
body. If you eat lots of leaves, you'll certainly take in
considerably more aluminum than you would from tea liquor. But, as I
said, I'm not panicking. From the limited amount of medi-browsing
I've done, it may well be true that all the aluminum we take in gets
harmlessly excreted.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

Hello George
If you send me a quick email I will send you all the info bout the
silver needle I have off line...
Jenn

On Sep 23, 10:53 pm, Jenn > wrote:
> Hello George
> If you send me a quick email I will send you all the info bout the
> silver needle I have off line...
> Jenn

The only tool available to a tea man to decide the process chain on a
particular green tea leaf standing on a bush in the field is his mouth
and its unlimited capacity to analyse everything present or contained
in tea.

Rajiv Lochan
www.lochantea.com

"Jenn" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hello George
> If you send me a quick email I will send you all the info bout the
> silver needle I have off line...
> Jenn

Thanks loads!

George

I just watched the episode of Bizarre Foods (http://
travel.discovery.com/tv/bizarre-foods/bizarre-foods.html) on the
Travel Channel where Andrew goes to Taiwan. He went to a restaurant
that prepares many dishes using tea leaves. For example, battered and
fried fresh tea leaves, and other dishes in which mostly fresh leaves
are used similar to how spinach might be used. It was only a few
minutes of an hour-long program, but interesting nonetheless.

Alan

Alan wrote:
> I just watched the episode of Bizarre Foods (http://
> travel.discovery.com/tv/bizarre-foods/bizarre-foods.html) on the
> Travel Channel where Andrew goes to Taiwan. He went to a restaurant
> that prepares many dishes using tea leaves. For example, battered and
> fried fresh tea leaves, and other dishes in which mostly fresh leaves
> are used similar to how spinach might be used. It was only a few
> minutes of an hour-long program, but interesting nonetheless.
>
> Alan
>

When I was in Taiwan, I spent a lot of time in Chiufen which is loaded
with teahouses on the mountainside overlooking to ocean, a beautiful
(though touristy) place. But, I remember the proprietors of a particular
teahouse taking my spent Dung Ding tea leaves and baking them into a
shortbread-like cookie (in a pouch, like ravioli) and bringing them out
for us to finish off the afternoon. They were actually quite good, and
the leaves, while a bit tough, were perfectly edible (I munch on them as
I drink my Dung Dung gongfu style all day too). I never thought twice
about eating the leaves in the cookies, and have sought in vain for a
recipe for the dough. But it's interesting to see that they can be used
in a myriad of ways, even after being steeped.

--
HTTP://www.sushifaq.com/ The Sushi FAQ
HTTP://www.sushifaq.com/sushiotaku/ The Sushi Otaku Blog
HTTP://www.sushifaq.com/sushiyapedia/ Sushi-Ya-Pedia Restaurant Finder
HTTP://www.theteafaq.com/ The Tea FAQ
HTTP://www.jerkyfaq.com/ The Jerky FAQ
HTTP://www.omega3faq.com/ The Omega 3 Fatty Acids FAQ

"Alan" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>I just watched the episode of Bizarre Foods (http://
> travel.discovery.com/tv/bizarre-foods/bizarre-foods.html) on the
> Travel Channel where Andrew goes to Taiwan. He went to a restaurant
> that prepares many dishes using tea leaves. For example, battered and
> fried fresh tea leaves, and other dishes in which mostly fresh leaves
> are used similar to how spinach might be used. It was only a few
> minutes of an hour-long program, but interesting nonetheless.

I love tea leaves. Here's what I do twice daily.
I put enough green tea leaves (sometimes orange
pekoe) for two large cups of tea in a microwave
bowl with about 16 ounces of boiling water. I then
put the bowl in the microwave and bring the water
to a simmer. I then reduce the power to level 2 and
simmer the leaves for 3-4 minutes. I add about a
cup of vanilla Soy Slender to the bowl and my wife
and I split the infusion and the tea leaves. I love it.
What a shame to through away the leaves! I'll never
make tea the conventional way again. To me, tea
is a flavorful plant FOOD.

George