Unhealthy Iced Teas!

Don't get me wrong. Scientists have amassed a volume of research showing that teas possess significant health benefits. Brewed teas contain antioxidants such as polyphenols, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and catechins which have been found to help increase your metabolism, block the formation of new fat cells, fight off diseases and even minimise cell damage, aging and risk of stroke.

But don't let these facts justify your bottled tea purchase because not all teas are created equal. We spent time reviewing the iced tea offering at Coles (an Australian major supermarket chain) and were shocked by what we found!

Did you know that one study reported that you would have to drink 20 bottles of store-bought iced tea to get the same amount of antioxidants present in just one home-brewed cup? And even though versions packaged with an acid-like lemon juice or citric acid can help stabilize these antioxidant levels, on average, more than half of the nutrients disappear due to the acid-spiked flavours within three months of shelf life.

Plus, because companies know that the disease-fighting polyphenols have a slightly bitter, astringent taste, they tend to add more water instead of actual brewed tea to their products. Add to that the significant amount of sugar that's injected into these generously portioned bottles, and any health benefits you once imagined vanish into thin air.

While we highly recommend steeping your own tea at home to reap the fat-fighting benefits, if you do choose to grab a bottle of iced tea off the shelf, make sure it's not one of these diet-derailing options, some of which are worse than a can of soft drink!

To be fair, the Coles iced tea offering seems to be made up of 3 main brands; Fuzetea, Arizona & Lipton. Coles also do a cheaper home brand version or private label offering. We elected to review one variant from each of the main brands.

We have developed a scale to help you make sense of these highly misleading products. Spoiler alert: not one ranked above a C!

So let’s get started!

Fuzetea: Lemon & Black Iced Tea

This iced tea contains: Water, Sucrose, Fructose, Lemon Juice from Concentrate (1.1%), Food Acids (330, 331, 296, 334), Black Tea Powder (0.11%), Antioxidants (300, 301), Flavour, Sweetener (Steviol Glycosides).

Our ranking for this product is:

Here’s why we gave Fuzetea – Lemon & Black Tea a “D” ranking (worse than average).

Artificial sweeteners

There is controversy[i] as to the safety of artificial sweeteners consumed over a long period of time. Some studies[ii] have linked artificial sweeteners to cancer and other diseases.

If you are consuming artificial sweetened food as a means to reduce calories and lose weight, please consider switching to a less sweet state of mind and try drinking real tea[iii]. Getting your palate used to less sweetened foods over the course of several months will save you the hassle of deciding between extra calories and risk of cancer[iv].

8 tsp of sugar per serving

According to the Food Safety & Inspection Service, every man woman and child in Australia consumes approximately 36 kilograms of caloric sweeteners per year.

That works out to 25 tsp of sugar per day, or 400 extra calories!

Contains sodium benzoate / benzoic acid (drop down)

Sodium benzoate / benzoic acid are used to prevent the growth of microorganisms in acidic foods. Yes, they are natural substances, however, in beverages with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), a chemical reaction[v] creates small amounts of benzene, which is a carcinogen[vi].

Contains phosphoric acid

Phosphoric acid[vii] is an additive that gives soda its tangy flavour and makes it more acidic than lemon juice or vinegar. A vast amount of sweetener is then used to mask and balance the acidity. Phosphoric acid has been linked to lower bone density[viii] in some epidemiological studies, including a discussion in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Highly processed

This product is highly processed. If you take a look at its ingredient list, you'll discover new words to add to your vocabulary. Many of these ingredients are required to increase the shelf life of the product and improve the flavour that disappears when food is not fresh.

Has EDTA on FDA's toxicity watchlist

E300 to E341 are mainly antioxidants and acid regulators. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is used as a preservative to retain colour. It may irritate the skin or cause skin rashes and even asthma. It is on the FDA's list of food additives to be studied for toxicity.

Bottled teas have almost NO antioxidants

As mentioned earlier, bottled tea is not a good source of antioxidants. The antioxidants in tea give it a bitter taste. In order to make bottled tea more palatable, it is watered down. Additionally, there is a continuous reduction in antioxidant levels from the time when tea is brewed until it reaches the supermarket shelf. This means not a lot of antioxidants are left over by the time you drink your iced tea.

Contains high fructose corn syrup

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a highly processed ingredient manufactured from surplus corn and yields a cheap replacement to table sugar[ix]. In the early 1980’s, many food manufacturers started using it instead of sugar as a cost cutting measure[x]. That’s about the same time obesity rates started to skyrocket in the US.

Most scientists agree that HFCS is no better and no worse than plain sugar, though some newer studies seem to find the two affect the metabolism differently. Consumption of both should be drastically limited.

Arizona Peach Iced Tea

This product contains: Premium Brewed Tea Using Filtered Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup (Glucose-Fructose Syrup), Citric Acid, Natural Raspberry Flavour.

Our ranking for this product is:

Here’s why we gave Arizona Peach Iced Tea a “C” ranking (worse than average).

6 tsp of added sugars per serving

Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages as part of their preparation. They do not include naturally occurring sugars found in milk and fruits. Table sugar and high fructose corn syrup are examples of added sugars.

The Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of added sugars you consume to no more than half of your daily discretionary calories allowance.

For women: 100 calories (25 grams, 6 tsp per day)
For men: 150 calories (37 grams, 9 tsp per day)

Natural flavours added

Companies add flavourings to make products taste better. They are created in a lab and the formulations are guarded as trade secrets. This product lists its primary ingredient as “premium brewed tea”. Why then do they need to add natural flavours?

Flavourings can compensate for flavour loss during processing, as a substitute for ingredients, lower production costs and increase shelf stability. Natural flavourings are more expensive to source than artificial flavours, but tend to be better received by customers.

People sensitive to MSG, vegans, vegetarians and those with allergies should pay special attention to the phrase "natural flavourings" since glutamates, animal products or allergens may be the source of natural flavours. Eye opening isn’t it?

Contains high fructose corn syrup

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a highly processed ingredient manufactured from surplus corn and yields a cheap replacement to table sugar[ix]. In the early 1980’s, many food manufacturers started using it instead of sugar as a cost cutting measure[x]. That’s about the same time obesity rates started to skyrocket in the US.

Most scientists agree that HFCS is no better and no worse than plain sugar, though some newer studies seem to find the two affect the metabolism differently. Consumption of both should be drastically limited.

Bottled teas have almost NO antioxidants

As mentioned earlier, bottled tea is not a good source of antioxidants. The antioxidants in tea give it a bitter taste. In order to make bottled tea more palatable, it is watered down. Additionally, there is a continuous reduction in antioxidant levels from the time when tea is brewed until it reaches the supermarket shelf. This means not a lot of antioxidants are left over by the time you drink your iced tea.

Lipton Green Iced Tea - Lemon

This product contains: Water, green tea extract (11%), sugar, food acids (330,331), antioxidant (300), lemon juice, flavour, natural sweetener (960).

Our ranking for this product is:

Here’s why we gave Lipton Green Iced Tea a “D” ranking (much worse than average).

5 tsp of added sugars per serving

Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages as part of their preparation. They do not include naturally occurring sugars found in milk and fruits. Table sugar and high fructose corn syrup are examples of added sugars.

The Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of added sugars you consume to no more than half of your daily discretionary calories allowance.

For women: 100 calories (25 grams, 6 tsp per day)
For men: 150 calories (37 grams, 9 tsp per day)

Contains sodium benzoate / benzoic acid

Sodium benzoate / benzoic acid are used to prevent the growth of microorganisms in acidic foods. Yes, they are natural substances, however, in beverages with ascorbic acid (vitamin C), a chemical reaction[v] creates small amounts of benzene, which is a carcinogen[vi].

Contains controversial artificial colours

Phosphoric acid[vii] is an additive that gives soda its tangy flavour and makes it more acidic than lemon juice or vinegar. A vast amount of sweetener is then used to mask and balance the acidity. Phosphoric acid has been linked to lower bone density[viii] in some epidemiological studies, including a discussion in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Highly processed

This product is highly processed. If you take a look at its ingredient list, you'll discover new words to add to your vocabulary. Many of these ingredients are required to increase the shelf life of the product and improve the flavour that disappears when food is not fresh.

Has EDTA on FDA's toxicity watchlist (drop down)

E300 to E331 are mainly antioxidants and acid regulators. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is used as a preservative to retain colour. It may irritate the skin or cause skin rashes and even asthma. It is on the FDA's list of food additives to be studied for toxicity.

Industrial caramel colouring

Homemade caramel is made by melting sugar in a saucepan. Nice! Brown colouring in sodas and some other products is not the same thing though.

Industrial caramel colouring is made by reacting sugars with ammonia and sulfites under high pressure and temperatures. Can you believe it? The chemical reactions create 4-methylimidazole, which in government-conducted studies caused lung, liver, or thyroid cancer or leukemia in laboratory mice or rats. This is why California recently required foods containing caramel colour to be labelled as potential cancer-causing agents. Caramel colouring contains Tartrazine which is a banned product in Australia.

But you won't see this warning label any time soon as manufacturers such as Lipton simply reduce the use of caramel colour enough so that the labelling requirement is no longer applied.

Caramel colour varies slightly between products - when in beer, sauces or baked goods it has just ammonia and when used in soft drinks, it has both sulfites and ammonia. Neither one is a "good" option.

Bottled teas have almost NO antioxidants

As mentioned earlier, bottled tea is not a good source of antioxidants. The antioxidants in tea give it a bitter taste. In order to make bottled tea more palatable, it is watered down. Additionally, there is a continuous reduction in antioxidant levels from the time when tea is brewed until it reaches the supermarket shelf. This means not a lot of antioxidants are left over by the time you drink your iced tea.

The labelling on all of these iced teas has reassuring messages for people who want a beverage that is not too sugary or contains some form of health benefit. The reality is a far cry from this. Many of these iced teas are loaded with sugar and contain NO health benefits whatsoever due to the erosion of nutrients by other additives.

At Tea Now, we believe tea is a wonderful healing product and take pride in our range of organic high-performance teas. Consumers should be encouraged to brew their own tea to reap its rewards as naturally intended.

We are increasingly tired of these multinational companies using labelling laws to mislead consumers about the non-existent health benefits of these artificial products. Thoughts? Drop us a note via our socials. 

Kerri Imrie has a Diploma in Business Management and is the founder of Tea Now.

Kerri is passionate about holistic health. Her goal is to empower people to take control of their health and show that the quality of our lives is directly linked to how we treat our bodies and minds. You can follow her @teanow.au

Kerri is not a qualified health practitioner. Always consult a health professional before deciding if a health product is right for you.

References

[i] Arnold DL, Moodie CA, Grice HC, Charbonneau SM, Stavric B, Collins BT, et al. Long-term toxicity of orthotoluenesulfonamide and sodium saccharin in the rat. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 1980;52:113–52.

[ii] Schernhammer ES, Bertrand KA, Birmann BM, Sampson L, Willett WC, Feskanich D. Consumption of artificial sweetener–and sugar-containing soda and risk of lymphoma and leukemia in men and women. Am J Clin Nutr 2012;96:1419–28.

[iii] Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Manservigi M, Tibaldi E, Lauriola M, Falcioni L, Bua L. 2010. Aspartame administered in feed, beginning prenatally through life span, induces cancers of the liver and lung in male Swiss mice. Am J Ind Med. 2010;53(12):1197-206.

[v] Gardner LK, Lawrence GD. Benzene production from decarboxylation of benzoic acid in the presence of ascorbic acid and a transition-metal catalyst. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 1993;41(5):693–695

[vi] Bonaccorsi G, Perico A, Bavazzano P, et al. Benzene in soft drinks: a study in Florence (Italy). Igiene e sanita pubblica 2012;68(4):523-32.

[vii] Calvo MS, Tucker KL. Is phosphorus intake that exceeds dietary requirements a risk factor in bone health? Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2013 Oct;1301:29-35

[viii] McGartland C, Robson PJ, Murray L, Cran G, Savage MJ, Watkins D, Rooney M, Boreham C. Carbonated soft drink consumption and bone mineral density in adolescence: the Northern Ireland Young Hearts project. J Bone Miner Res. 2003 Sep;18(9):1563-9.

[ix] Bray GA, Nielsen SJ, Popkin BM. Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;79(4):537-43.

[x] Johnson RJ, Segal MS, Sautin Y, Nakagawa T, Feig DI, Kang DH, Gersch MS, Benner S, Sánchez-Lozada LG. Potential role of sugar (fructose) in the epidemic of hypertension, obesity and the metabolic syndrome, diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86(4):899-906.