Could your daily office chai be harming your hormones, making you sick?

Business Standard

3 days ago

A warm cup of tea, freshly delivered from the nearby tea stall straight to your desk in that familiar polythene pouch or flimsy plastic cup or the paper cup lined with plastic. Comforting? Sure. But here's a thought that might shake up your routine—what if this daily ritual is quietly messing with your hormones or increasing your long-term cancer risk?
Dr Mohit Sharma, Senior Consultant in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology at Amrita Hospital, explained in an interview with Business Standard, 'When hot tea is poured into polythene bags or substandard plastic cups, harmful chemicals like phthalates, Bisphenol A (BPA), and styrene monomers can leach into the beverage. These materials are not built to withstand high temperatures, and hot liquids above 60 degrees Celsius can cause them to degrade and shed into your drink.'
Additionally, microplastics —tiny plastic particles increasingly found in food packaging—can find their way into your cup too.
What health risks do BPA, phthalates, and microplastics pose?
Dr Sharma said long-term, l ow-dose exposure to these substances—especially when you consume such tea 2–4 times a day—can slowly start affecting your health.
'Many of these compounds are endocrine disruptors, which means they mimic or interfere with hormones like oestrogen, testosterone, insulin, and thyroid hormones,' he said. Long-term consequences may include:
Hormonal imbalances
Reduced fertility
Weight gain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances
Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
Increased risk of breast, prostate, and thyroid cancers
'Over time, these daily exposures can quietly add up, without you even realising it,' said Dr Sharma.
Is there scientific evidence linking plastic-packed chai to cancer?
While we don't yet have direct, large-scale human studies tracking tea consumption from plastic packaging to specific cancers, the science is concerning.
Dr Mandeep Singh Malhotra, Director of Surgical Oncology at CK Birla Hospital, explained, 'There is increasing evidence that hot beverages served in polythene or low-quality plastic cups may cause chemicals like BPA, phthalates, and microplastics to enter your body. These can increase oxidative stress, cause DNA damage, and lead to hormonal imbalances—all of which are potential cancer triggers.'
He added that while randomised trials are lacking, cell-line studies and animal research strongly suggest these chemicals can contribute to cancer development and hormonal disorders.
Are our food safety standards not enough?
Technically, yes. India's Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations (2018) allow only food-grade plastics for packaging food and beverages. These include materials like Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polypropylene (PP), and Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), with strict limits on how much chemical migration is allowed into your food.
'In real-world setups, however—street vendors, local caterers, or even some office pantries—cheap, recycled, or non-compliant plastic is still widely used,' Dr Sharma warned.
Most of the time, cost and lack of awareness override safety—especially in office delivery systems where tea is packed in bulk and transported in thin polythene bags or plastic containers.
Ramesh, a 39-year-old tea seller, told Business Standard, 'It's about the cost and convenience mainly. A polythene pouch costs less than 50 paise. It's cheap and easily available, far more affordable than paper cups, thermocol, or eco-friendly containers. For bulk tea orders, that's what works best for us. It's spill-proof and saves our time as we can just deliver and don't have to serve each person.'
'No one ever told us that plastic bags with hot tea could be harmful. We've been doing this for years,' said Raju Singh, a 29-year-old roadside chaiwala in Delhi.
Could repeated chai-in-plastic consumption be making you sick?
'Repeated exposure to hot beverages in plastic or polythene, even in small doses, can have a cumulative toxic effect,' said Dr Sharma.
And office-goers might be at greater risk, simply because they're more likely to:
Consume 2–4 cups of tea daily at work
Ignore packaging quality for the sake of convenience
Be exposed over years, not weeks
How can you enjoy your tea without toxic exposure?
It's not about quitting chai—it's about how you consume it.
Both doctors agree:
Avoid hot beverages in polythene or low-quality plastic
Use ceramic, glass, or stainless steel mugs—preferably carry your own to work
Encourage office pantries or vendors to use certified, food-grade, heat-resistant materials
Ditch microplastic-lined paper cups too—they're not as innocent as they look
'Even old-school kulhad wali chai is a far safer and healthier option,' Dr Malhotra added. 'Earthenware, ceramic, and glass don't leach chemicals when exposed to heat. Getting back to our roots could save us a lot in the long run.'