subject: Bottled Tea Vs Brewed Tea - Which is Healthier? [print this page] Bottled Tea Vs Brewed Tea - Which is Healthier?
As busy as our daily personal lives are, it is often a comfort to know that some things can easily be obtained without taking too much of our precious time. Some of these are take-outs, drive-thrus and yes, bottled drinks.
And your favorite bottled tea is no exception.
Bottled tea has emerged only in the recent years. Many companies are offering this interesting drink in an assortment of flavors such as black, green and even strong herbs like ginseng. The growing popularity of bottled tea is credited to the fact that people do not have enough time to spare doing the traditional brewing and also the convenience of being able to drink tea anytime and anywhere is a consumer buying factor. It has become very extraordinarily popular and is a favorite thirst-quencher especially in the hot summertime. Even children who dislike the taste of the traditional brewed tea enjoy cold bottled teas in sweet fruity flavors.
Many tea lovers are curious to know whether it is as healthy as brewed tea or even healthier.
The honest and blunt answer is 'no'. Although tea in general is known for the presence of polyphenol--a powerful antioxidant that is known to fight the process of aging and kill certain cancers--bottled tea contains lesser amount of it compared to brewed loose tea leaf. This is so because most bottled teas have water and high sugar content and some have been processed to preserve and lengthen their expiration date. This processing contributes to the lowering of the amount of polyphenols and other health elements that are naturally present in unprocessed tea leaves. Other bottled teas have also been mixed with fruits and other flavors to give them a fruit-juice appeal to be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Moreover, a study suggests that the level of polyphenols in bottled tea is 10 to 100 times lower than the traditional brewed tea. So if you want to take full advantage of the health benefits in tea, brewing loose tea leaves is still a better and healthier choice.
However, don't get too dismayed by quitting to drink bottled tea altogether. If you still could not resist drinking it, continue to do so. It still contains a certain amount of antioxidants that can be compared to eating fruits and vegetables. Just don't fail to read the label and check the contents of the tea to help you make a better choice. The higher antioxidant benefits, the better.
