Scientists have issued an urgent warning about drinking TEA – as they find that just one tea bag can release billions of harmful substances into your body.

For millions of Britons, the day doesn’t begin until you’ve had your first cup of tea.

But a new study might make you think twice before reaching for the kettle.

Scientists from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona have warned that one tea bag can release billions of dangerous microplastics into your body.

In their experiment, the team found that most of the microplastics are absorbed by the cells of the stomach that produce mucus.

However, they discovered that some can enter the cell’s interior – the part of the cell that stores genes.

Worryingly, the long-term effects of microplastics on human health are unknown.

“The potential health effects of micro/nanoplastics (MNPLs) are increasing,” the researchers said.

‘Beyond environmental exposure, other factors such as food packaging, including herbs/teas, may also be important.’

Previous studies have shown that food packaging is a major source of microplastics.

However, until now, there has been little research on the amount of plastic we drink from tea bags.

In their new study, published in Chemospherethe team investigated the microplastics released from three popular brands of teabags, which can be easily purchased online or in supermarkets.

The first model was a nylon tea bag, which the researchers ordered from Amazon.

Next, a polypropylene tea bag was ordered from AliExpress.

Finally, a third type was bought in the store, but it is an unknown polymer.

For each type of teabag, the researchers transferred 300 teabags into a one-liter beaker containing 600ml of water at 95°C.

The team found that, for all three types, nano-sized particles were released into the water.

The polypropylene teabags were the worst offenders, producing about 1.2 billion particles per milliliter, with an average size of 136.7 nanometers.

Meanwhile, nylon tea bags produced 8.18 million particles per milliliter, with a particle size of 13.8.4 nanometers.

Next, the researchers stained the microplastics before exposing them to different types of human intestines.

They found that the cells in the gut that produce mucus are highly plastic–containing particles that can penetrate the cell’s interior.

People can come into contact with plastic particles through the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe.

However, the extent of human exposure, chronic toxicity and the underlying mechanisms by which microplastics cause their effects are still not sufficiently understood to fully assess the risks to humans.

Researchers are very concerned about the possibility of small particles entering the cells that cause cell changes, especially when they come into contact with the organs of children and cause definite changes in adult life.

There is a lot of evidence that plastics can play a major role in the initiation of cancer, where healthy cells turn into cancer.

Earlier this year, a study found that colon cancer cells spread faster when exposed to microplastics.

Maria Westerbos, co-founder, Plastic Health Council, said: “Every now and then scientists are removing the lid on the dangers of plastics” for human health. There can be no other doubt.

‘People around the world are months away from negotiating the final version of the Global Plastics Treaty, yet policy makers are giving in to the petrochemical giants.

‘The people of the world can’t waste any more time, they have to listen to science, once and for all.’

Based on their findings, the researchers want to quickly investigate the effects of microplastics on the human body.

“Our findings support a growing body of evidence on the prevalence of plastic pollution and its potential impact on human health,” he added.

‘As the use of plastics in food packaging continues to grow, scientific research and policy must address the challenges posed by MNPL contamination to ensure food safety and consumer welfare.’