The health benefits of tea are well-documented: tea is high in antioxidants and has the potential to lower our risk of heart disease and cancer and reduce cholesterol levels. Whether you prefer green, black or white tea (all products of the same plant - camellia sinensis), why wouldn't you quench your thirst with tea? For those of us short on time, the process of boiling and steeping might be enough to deter us from drinking it. That's where bottled tea comes in. It may be cold, but it's a grab-and-go healthy beverage choice with the same benefits as hot tea, right? Let's spin around a bottle of your favorite iced tea and take a look at the label. You might be surprised at what you see!
The first thing most people look at on a nutrition label is a calorie count. It's important to remember that calories are relative to serving size, so be on high alert when you look at the label of a bottled iced tea. One bottle may contain two or more servings. In an average soda can-sized portion of iced tea (8 oz), there are as many as 100 calories. A bottle of iced tea is likely to be twice that size and once opened, we won't think twice about gulping two servings! Of course, some calories can be justified with nutritional benefits. But most bottled teas negate the inherent benefits of tea with a hefty dose of sugar. A 16-oz bottle of iced tea packs 45 grams of sugar, the equivalent if 15 teaspoons of table sugar! You wouldn't dare spoon that much sweetener into your tea at home, so why settle for it on-the-go? If you crave the "sweet tea" variety popular in the Southern US, you're getting an additional five or more teaspoons of sugar in the same 16 oz beverage.
So are no-calorie, "diet" teas the answer? We'd say no to that as well, given their content of artificial sweeteners that may have questionable effects on our health.
Ingredients in bottled iced teas are also an issue. Tea brewed at home requires water and tea leaves, which are later removed, producing a drink with a total of 0 to 5 calories and no additives. Teas from the bottle often reveal high-fructose corn syrup to be their second ingredient and contain flavorings (especially if you're choosing a lemon, peach or raspberry variety) and a preservative for freshness. It's a little more than you bargained for in a health drink, isn't it?
Of course, not all bottled iced teas are bad. Several lightly-sweetened teas like Honeydrop (sweetened with honey), Steaz and Honest Tea (both sweetened with cane sugar) offer less sugar, though you'll have better luck finding them in a Whole Foods than in a convenience store. And while they are healthier options, these teas still contain calories and sugar, so choose wisely.
Your best bet may be to brew a pot of tea at home and chill it overnight for a homemade version of iced tea that you can sweeten to taste. You'll want to take note of the caffeine content of your brew, as a cup of black tea packs 30-40 mg of caffeine; a similar amount of green tea has 15 mg. With a little forethought, you'll save money and calories and truly reap the health benefits of tea!
