National Iced Tea Day

Iced Tea has always been a go-to treat for long summer days and relaxing days off. With National Iced Tea Day being today, learning more about this subject can be very beneficial. Studies show that regular iced tea drinkers have less heart disease and stroke, lower total and LDL cholesterol, and recover from heart attacks faster. This fact is mainly due to the high abundance of Catechins, which is a type of antioxidant found in the greatest abundance in the leaves of the tea plant. It can be hard to figure out what can be taken out of a cup of iced tea to make it more of a healthy treat, but with the right steps it’s easy to make an enjoyable drink into a healthy one as well.

It’s important to know that using Lipton is one of the first mistakes many people make when preparing their iced tea. Lipton is mainly sugar, so whatever health benefits your tea might have had to begin with, will surely be expunged with the addition of it. Do your best to keep your iced tea under 15 grams of sugar per 20-ounce serving. If going without sugar completely is not an option for you, using a sweetener like organic coconut sugar, which contains different natural minerals, can cut sugar consumption down a significant amount in the long run. Flavored syrups can also have negative impacts on the body. They contain artificial flavors and preservatives. Preservatives in flavored syrup such as Potassium sorbate have been proven to cause different long-term side effects, which can be very harmful, going as far as to cause mutations, linked to disease.

Choosing organic tea can be very wise as well. A lot of the time non-organic tea plants are grown in toxic, stressful situations. You can choose from black Assam, Chinese or Japanese green tea, to the many other herbal teas on the market. Teas such as green tea can easily accompany a meal and be great for digestion. Adding citrus elements to tea can also provide additional nutrients that would not be there otherwise. Lemon and lime are great additions that make tea sweeter, but also add Vitamin C. Mint can also be a great substitute for sugar, adding antioxidants that can be very beneficial to the body.

Following these steps, as well as adding your own, can increase your love for iced tea and make you a healthier individual. Who wouldn’t like to enjoy their favorite summer drink while also staying healthy?

Forrest Garland

Sources: Street Directory , Men’s Health , Care 2 , MD Health