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How do I Choose the Best Green Tea Products?

Vanessa Harvey
Vanessa Harvey

Choosing the best green tea products requires paying close attention to the list of ingredients, whether the product is bulk tea leaves, a drink, green tea supplements or green tea extract. Most people purchase green tea for health reasons, so ensuring that they will deliver all of the benefits of green tea is essential to choosing the best tea, drink, tablets or capsules. There are different varieties of green tea, each having a slightly different taste, if taste is important to you, the best product might not only be the healthiest but also the tastiest to you.

Green tea contains a substance known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is an extremely effective antioxidant. Many of the health benefits of the tea are attributed to its high content of EGCG, so some products are packaged with labels that clearly state the presence of antioxidants. This information lets you know that it wasn't processed in a way that destroyed the antioxidant properties of the natural tea leaves. Although many people don't realize it, taking the time to verify the expiration date will ensure that you purchase ones that are fresh. Expiration dates are printed on almost all packaged food products to let consumers know whether what they are buying is fresh.

Green tea.
Green tea.

The presence of antioxidants and the freshness is important if you want to reap the benefits of consuming these products. Among the health benefits attributed to this natural substance is a reduced risk of developing cancer, retardation of tooth decay, alleviation of rheumatoid arthritis, a stronger immune system, lower levels of bad cholesterol and the inhibition of abnormal blood clot formation. These benefits, however, are observed only in individuals who consume green tea products in conjunction with a healthy diet.

Proponents of green tea believe it can relieve the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Proponents of green tea believe it can relieve the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

When you look at the ingredients found on the label of green tea products, you will want to notice whether they contain any artificial or denatured sweeteners such as sugar; corn syrup is a form of sugar containing practically no nutrition. Aspartame, which has been linked to the development of cancer, is an artificial sweetener that might appear in the ingredient list found on drinks, tablets or capsules. Sugar has been proven to cause tooth decay, and the consumption of artificial sweeteners has been proven to increase the risk of some cancers, so you will want to avoid green tea products that contain them.

The ingredients on the label of green tea supplements tell whether they contain any artificial or denatured sweeteners.
The ingredients on the label of green tea supplements tell whether they contain any artificial or denatured sweeteners.

It also is a good idea to avoid products that contain ingredients with which you are not familiar, because this usually means that they contain unhealthy and potentially dangerous substances. Green tea leaves from which you can make tea, preferably, should have been organically cultivated. You might also want to select tea that has been naturally decaffeinated, which should be clearly stated somewhere on the packaging.

Discussion Comments

anon147606

I like to know if green tea has caffeine in it. I don't read it anywhere, just wondering.

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    • Green tea.
      By: NataliTerr
      Green tea.
    • Proponents of green tea believe it can relieve the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
      By: Fenton
      Proponents of green tea believe it can relieve the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
    • The ingredients on the label of green tea supplements tell whether they contain any artificial or denatured sweeteners.
      By: charles taylor
      The ingredients on the label of green tea supplements tell whether they contain any artificial or denatured sweeteners.
    • Different varieties of green teas have different tastes.
      By: tankist276
      Different varieties of green teas have different tastes.
    • Green tea products may be helpful in reducing one's chances of tooth decay.
      By: ia_64
      Green tea products may be helpful in reducing one's chances of tooth decay.