Last Updated on November 9, 2020 by James Matthews
Green tea originates from green tea plants that are native to China. In fact, green tea has been used for thousands of years for medical and health purposes. To create green tea, green tea leaves are fired and then finely ground.
Green tea is absolutely loaded with health benefits that can impact nearly every area of your health. So, we’re going to review what makes green tea so healthy and then discuss some of the best green tea brands and products on the market today.
How is green tea used?
Green tea typically comes in tea bags and is prepared as hot tea, but there are other ways to consume it. In particular, you can buy green tea pre-packaged as cold drinks or even as K-cups that can be used in Keurig machines.
Even if you prepare green tea in the usual way (hot tea), you can still drink it cold. Simply prepare it the same way you would for hot tea and then pop it in the refrigerator for a few hours to let it cool off.
What are the benefits of green tea?
Green tea is loaded with health benefits that can impact nearly every aspect of your life. It can improve your immune system, help with your weight loss goals, lower or stabilize your blood sugar levels, and even enhance your brain’s functioning. Keep in mind, green tea won’t cure any health conditions, though it can help relieve symptoms.
Let’s go into a little more detail about what green tea can do for your body and mind.
Boosted Immune System
Green tea is most recognized for its polyphenols, which are antioxidants that are capable of boosting your immune system’s health. With such a high concentration of polyphenols, green tea can help you to fight off viruses and infections while also helping to reduce your mental stress levels.
In addition to boosting your T cell count and aiding in your fight against infections, green tea’s antioxidants also help to reduce inflammation within the body. This can be extremely beneficial for reducing muscle and joint pain found in arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Weight Loss
Every serving of green tea has somewhere between 20 and 50 milligrams of caffeine, which is less than half of the amount of caffeine found in coffee. So, green tea is definitely useful if you’re looking for a slight energy boost in the morning or mid-afternoon.
The good news is, caffeine is a natural way to boost your metabolism, meaning your body will burn more calories during the day if you drink green tea. In particular, green tea seems to be effective at targeting fat burning during the weight loss process.
Lower Blood Sugar Levels
The polyphenols found in green tea are also beneficial when it comes to lowering your blood sugar levels. That means you can add green tea to your already healthy diet and reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in your lifetime.
Green tea has also been proven to reduce the spike in blood sugar levels, particularly after eating a carbohydrate-rich meal. That makes green tea a solid option for helping to maintain your blood sugar levels at all times.
Positive Brain Effects
Did you know that green tea can also positively impact your brain’s ability to function? Green tea is actually known to help reduce the risk of degenerative brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and even dementia.
In addition to lower risks of these conditions, green tea can act as a nootropic to improve your memory, ability to control your mood, and your thinking processes. Overall, green tea seems to be a great way to improve your cognitive functioning.
What should you look for in green tea?
When you’re looking for the best green tea brands, you have a lot to consider. You’ll want to think about the energy boost provided by green tea, how much green tea you actually need right now, and your preference for hot/cold tea.
Let’s go over everything you need to keep in mind before making a purchase.
How much of an energy boost do you want? Most green tea has somewhere between 20 and 50 milligrams of caffeine per serving, which is way less than half of the caffeine found in a single cup of coffee. However, some green teas are considered decaf, meaning they don’t have caffeine at all. If you want more of an energy boost, lean toward caffeine contents nearing 50.
How much tea do you need? When you purchase green tea online, you can get a package of 20 tea bags or well over 100 tea bags. Some companies even sell in bulk, meaning you can get hundreds of green tea bags at a time. If you choose to buy in bulk, you’ll probably save yourself a bit of money in the long run.
Do you prefer hot or cold tea? If you prefer regular hot tea, then you can’t go wrong with buying green tea bags and making tea in the usual way. However, some people prefer to drink cold or iced tea. If that’s the case, you can buy bottled green tea that can be consumed cold or even chill hot tea in the refrigerator for a few hours before drinking.
What is the best green tea?
Green tea is green tea, but most green tea products out there are a little different in their own way. Some come with a larger amount of tea bags, some are flavored to be milder, and some even include extra flavoring from outside ingredients.
It’s time to reveal the best green tea and green tea brands out there! Check out what we’ve come up with.
Bigelow Classic Green Tea Bags
The classic green tea bags from Bigelow are perfect if you’re looking for a long-term solution for your tea needs. That’s because you’re getting 6 boxes of 40 bags each, so 240 servings of green tea in total, which can last you more than half a year.
What’s great about this green tea is that it has absolutely no calories and is completely gluten-free and kosher. Better yet, the flavoring is a lot more gentle and less overwhelming, so this is a solid choice for anyone who’s just started drinking tea recently.
The caffeine level in this green tea isn’t all that high, so you can drink more during the day without worrying about the caffeine jitters that keep you up at night. Our favorite aspect of this product is that it’s made from 100% natural hand picked tea leaves, so it’s as pure as it gets.
Prince of Peace Organic Green Tea
The organic green tea from Prince of Peace is one of the best tasting green teas out there. That’s probably because the manufacturer pan-fries the tea leaves instead, which ultimately provides an even richer taste.
Each box of this tea comes with 100 tea bags, but you’ll be getting 2 boxes when you order. So, you can expect your 200 tea bags to last you for several months without having to re-order green tea any time soon.
What sets this green tea apart is that it comes specifically from young tea leaves, which makes this tea both organic and authentic. If the flavor is still a little bitter, you can add your own sugar or honey to sweeten it up a little bit.
Tazo Decaf Lotus Blossom Green Tea
The decaf lotus blossom green tea from Tazo, one of the most reputable green tea brands out there, is probably the most unique green tea that we’ve discovered in our research. That’s because it infuses the flavor of the lotus blossom that’s native to India.
This is the perfect tea if you’re looking to cut caffeine out of your life. Since it’s decaf, you won’t be getting any caffeine, any caffeine jitters, or any of the negative side effects associated with caffeine (rapid heartbeat, anxiety, etc.).
Though this tea definitely tastes great and has quite a unique flavor from the lotus blossom and other natural flavors, you’ll have to stock up. Each box only comes with 20 tea bags, which is significantly fewer than most green tea products out there.
Lipton Green Tea
Last but not least, we have green tea from Lipton, one of the<most popular tea brands out there. I know, how can we choose Lipton? So generic, right? Well, the fact is, Lipton is successful for a reason. You can order your green tea from Lipton in packs of 20, 40, or 100, knowing very well that Lipton has incredibly affordable prices.
The best quality of this green tea is that it’s considered 100% natural. So, you don’t have to worry about any additional ingredients, fillers, additives, or colorings designed to enhance the flavor or the appearance of the tea.
Even better is the flavoring of this Lipton tea, which is considered neither strong nor bitter. The caffeine content in this tea is admirable, with about 35 milligrams per serving, so the caffeine found in about ⅓ a cup of coffee.
