On a cold winter day, brewing a cup of hot tea in a thermos to warm up feels very pleasant. However, a recent news story that "brewing tea in a thermos can cause cancer" has caused many people to worry. Can brewing tea in a thermos really cause cancer? What kind of cup is safer for drinking water in daily life?
Thermos flasks mostly use an airtight method for heat preservation. When tea leaves are in high temperatures for a long time, vitamins in the tea may be destroyed, and tannic acid and theophylline may be extensively released, making the taste bitter and reducing the nutritional value of the tea. However, whether this produces carcinogens is not yet conclusive.
"Among cups of different materials, glass cups are relatively safer," says Xie Ming. "Because the process of making glass cups does not involve organic chemicals, you don't have to worry about drinking chemicals into your stomach when using a glass cup for water."
Disposable plastic cups and paper cups are widely used in daily life due to their convenience, but many people overlook the harm they bring. Many unqualified paper cups or plastic cups are made from recycled waste paper or plastic. Because the disinfection is not strict, they carry many bacteria.
A Mr. Hu from the Food Section of the Jingzhou Municipal Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision introduced that in the process of making paper cups, some waterproof chemical materials are used. If the water temperature is too high, some unhealthy substances may be released. Plastic cups often contain plasticizers, and when used with hot or boiling water, toxic chemicals can easily leach into the water.
In addition to plastic cups, plastic bowls, plastic buckets, and other plastic products have been widely used in daily life. Officer Hu introduced that most plastic products have a triangle with an arrow at the bottom, and there is a number from "1 to 7" inside the triangle. Each number represents a different material. For example, a plastic product with the number "5" inside the triangle represents polypropylene (PP), which is used to make microwaveable lunch boxes and can be heated in a microwave oven.
When choosing tableware for babies, it is best not to use plastic products. Glass bottles, ceramic bowls, stainless steel bowls, etc., are all better choices.