As you surely know, green tea is kind of a big deal: The antioxidant powerhouse slashes your risk for developing cardiovascular disease and some cancers, and studies show green tea consumption can also rev your metabolism and keep your skin looking awesome. Yes, yes, and double yes.
But before you go buy cartloads of the stuff, check this out: Some popular green tea products on the market are sorely lacking in the health-benefits department—and others even contain trace amounts of lead (though most is filtered out in the brewing process), according to a new study from the an independent laboratory ConsumerLab.com. The upshot: Just grabbing one off the shelf is basically a game of antioxidant roulette.
“We wanted to look at the active compounds in common green tea products to give people a better sense of what they’re really getting with each,” says Tod Cooperman, MD, president of ConsumerLab.com. “Our tests revealed that these products had varying degrees of potency, and some fell short on their antioxidant claims all together.”
Researchers analyzed 24 different products for both strength and purity, evaluating each product’s level of EGCG, the dominant antioxidant in green tea that’s linked with so many health perks. “For the brewable teas, EGCG quantities ranged from 25 mg per serving to 86 mg per serving per product, which makes a big difference in how much you have to drink to get those benefits,” says Cooperman.
Each product was also tested for lead exposure (a common contaminant in botanical supplements), and researchers found traces in many of the products’ leaves. “Green tea leaves are known to be sponges for lead, and our research confirmed varying amounts in the brewed material,” says Cooperman. “However, the tea itself contained very little, meaning much was filtered out in the brewing process and any remaining levels pose no health threat.” So that’s good news, but it still makes you think.
The moral here is that if you’re going to get your green tea on (and you should!), you want to make sure the kind you pick is holding up its end of the bargain. Of all the products tested, Cooperman recommends a few that’ll give you more health-boosting bang for your buck:
courtesy of Lipton
Lipton Green Tea
If you’re sipping on a budget, this pick from Lipton should be your go-to. With 71 mg of EGCG per one-cup serving, this tea boasts one of the highest levels of the brewable varieties tested—and at about $ 4 for 40 tea bags, it’s also the best value. Researchers also noted that there are more leaves packed into each individual bag, so you really are getting more of the good stuff for your cash.
Serving size: 1 teabag; EGCG content: 71 mg; Cost: About $ 0.10; Calories: 0
courtesy of Teavana
Teavana Gyokuro Imperial Green Tea
Brewed from loose green tea leaves, this Teavana variety contained the highest amounts of EGCG per serving of any variety tested, at 86 mg. Though a little pricey ($ 20 per 2-ounce package, which yields 12 cups of tea), researchers found that these leaves were among the purest (i.e., lowest in lead content) tested.
Serving size: 1 teaspoon; EGCG content: 86 mg; Cost: About $ 1.66; Calories: 0
courtesy of Harney & Sons
Harney & Sons Organic Green
This is one of the better options for iced green tea fans. It only has about half the ECGC as some of the brewed varieties (46.8 mg per 8-ounce serving), but has way less sugar than most of the other varieties in the fridge aisle. Plus, each 16-ounce bottle has just 40 calories, so you can drink the whole thing for a total of 93.6 mg ECGC without jeopardizing your waistline. Some of the other bottled varieties had more than three times the cals—yikes.
Serving size: 8 ounces (two servings per bottle); EGCG content: 46.8 mg; Cost: About $ 1; Calories: 20
courtesy of NOW Foods
NOW EGCg Green Tea Extract Supplements
Tea’s not your thing? You can still benefit from its potent concentration of antioxidants with these supplements. One tablet per day delivers 200 mg of EGCG—so you’re basically getting two to three cups’ worth without all the work.
Serving size: 1 capsule; EGCG content: 200 mg; Cost: About $ 0.10; Calories: 0
More From Women’s Health:
Health Benefits of Green Tea
Healthy Drinks: Tea Time, All the Time
Think Outside of the Green Tea Bag