Green tea has become a popular buzzword in the health industry, and for good reason. Green tea works. It has a plethora of both mental and physical health benefits that help improve different areas of the body.
Green tea comes from the leaves of evergreen shrubs that are grown throughout East Asia and China. Green tea is tea leaves that have not undergone the withering process that black tea goes through. This is what makes green tea rich in antioxidants and other health benefits that we will get into a little bit later.
We first want to give you a review of the best green tea and the best green tea brands so that you can familiarize yourself with some of the best green tea options to choose from when you’re ready to purchase.
Twinings of London Pure Green Tea (Best Overall)
Twinings of London Green Tea is our choice for best overall green tea because it provides arguably the best flavor of green tea on the market today. Each bag of Twinings of London green tea is filled with 100% green tea leaves known as “Sencha.” Sencha tea smooth, flavorful, and mild. This is what makes Twinings of London green tea stand out from the rest.
Twinings of London Green Tea is decaffeinated. This means you can enjoy a cup of hot green tea at any time of the day without worrying about staying up all night. Oftentimes, hot tea is best enjoyed before bedtime to relax. With Twinings of London Green Tea, it can be enjoyed at night with no caffeine to keep you awake.
Pros:
- Fresh
- Flavorful
- Mild
- Decaffeinated
Cons:
- Pricy due to large package quantity (6 total boxes of 50 bags each)
User Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
365 Everyday Value Organic Green Tea (Best Budget)
365 Everyday Value Organic Green Tea is the best budget green tea because of the quality, flavor, and freshness of the tea. 365 Everyday Value Organic Green Tea is USDA Certified Organic, and USDA Certified Kosher.
The type of green tea used in 365 Everyday Value Organic Green Tea is Bancha. Bancha green tea is the second-most popular green tea after Sencha. Bancha green tea is mild, flavorful, and often preferred among those who are new to enjoying green tea.
If you are looking for a budget green tea, keep in mind that this green tea by 365 Everyday Value Organic Green Tea contains caffeine. For this reason, you may only want to enjoy this green tea earlier in the day.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Great flavor
- Mild
- Fresh
Cons:
- Contains caffeine
- No strings on the teabags
User Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Stash Tea Organic Premium Green Tea (Best Premium)
Stash Tea Organic Premium Green Tea is our choice for the best premium green tea. What makes this green tea our premium choice is the optimal flavor and aroma that is captured during the steaming process.
Stash Tea takes the green tea leaves from Japan and traditionally steams them according to Japanese culture. This method ensures the flavor, aroma, and color of the tea remains preserved in the leaves, giving the green tea the most premium flavor possible.
Stash Tea Organic Premium Green Tea is certified organic, non-GMO, and certified Kosher. Stash Tea is also a member of Certified B Corporations. Certified B Corporations ensure to the farmers and community that provide the tea that their business and community will be compensated, employed, and treated fairly.
The final component of what makes this green tea premium is the tea bag itself. The tea bag is made of 100% cellulose fibers, which are natural wood and fiber materials. This guarantees that the organic tea leaves inside the tea bag remain organic during the steeping process, preventing the tea from becoming contaminated.
Pros:
- Organic
- Non-GMO
- Kosher
- Certified B Corporation
- Great flavor, aroma, and color
Cons:
- Contains caffeine; amount undeterminable by the retailer
User Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Lipton Green Tea
Another affordable and simple green tea is Lipton Green Tea. Lipton Green Tea is 100% natural and Rainforest Alliance Certified. Each green tea bag is individually wrapped in paper and has a convenient string to remove the teabag from your cup once the tea has finished steeping, should you choose.
Companies that are certified as a member of the Rainforest Alliance means that the money spent on the product will go back into the community in which the product is found. For Lipton Green Tea, the Rainforest Alliance means that money used to buy that Rainforest Alliance Certified product goes back into its environment, economy, and community.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Flavorful
- Convenient packaging: tea bag has a string
- 100% natural
Cons:
- Contains caffeine, exact amount undisclosed by Lipton
User Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Yogi Tea Organic Green Tea Super Antioxidant
Yogi Super Antioxidant Green Tea is the best green tea for antioxidants. Antioxidants prevent oxidation from occurring in the body. When oxidation occurs, free radicals are produced and fill the body, attaching to and damaging the healthy cells within the body. Antioxidants prevent oxidation from occurring, which limits the number of free radicals in the body. Ultimately, the presence of antioxidants keeps your body healthy.
Yogi Green Tea with Super Antioxidants is a green tea that is flavored with lemongrass and licorice. This gives the green tea a sweet and citrus flavor.
Yogi Super-antioxidant Green Tea is USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO Product Verified, gluten-free, and Kosher. The caffeine content of each bag of green tea is 15mg.
Pros:
- Health benefits
- Flavorful with lemongrass and licorice
- USDA Certified Organic, Non-GMO, gluten-free, and Kosher
- Convenient packaging: each tea bag has a string for easy steeping
Cons:
- Contains caffeine; however, the manufacturer lists the exact caffeine amount per tea bag at 15mg
User Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Newman’s Own Organics Organic Green Tea
Newman’s Own Organics Organic Green Tea contains individually wrapped USDA Certified Organic green tea bags. The green tea is caffeinated, containing about 35mg of caffeine per serving.
Newman’s Own green tea is full of flavor, fresh, and smooth. The tea has been processed to capture the leaves' flavor and aroma without packing a potent punch. You can immediately smell the tea as soon as you open the box, but the tea has a mild and smooth flavor. It has become a favorite green tea option among those who enjoy mild, flavorful, smooth, and affordable green tea.
Pros:
- Smooth
- Flavorful
- Affordable
- USDA Certified Organic
- Aromatic
Cons:
- Discrepancy with quantity; users have received 40-quantity instead of 100-quantity
User Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Twinings of London Green Tea K-Cups
Keurig K-Cups aren’t just for coffee. You can enjoy green tea from the convenience of a K-Cup! Twinings of London is one of the best green tea brands on the market today, and they have expanded their market to those who enjoy the convenience of using a Keurig.
Using a green tea K-Cup is just like using a coffee K-Cup. Simply place the K-Cup into the Keurig pod holder, close the lid, and press brew! You can have a hot cup of tea in just moments.
Twinings of London green tea K-Cups uses the same Sencha green tea that is used in their green tea bags. The Sencha green tea is mild and smooth but contains great flavor and aroma. It’s ideal for those who are new to enjoying green tea or prefer a mild and smooth green tea over a robust and sharp flavor.
Pros:
- Convenient
- Affordable
- Full yet mild flavor
- Smooth
Cons:
- Requires Keurig and may not be compatible with all Keurig models; check your Keurig model before purchasing
User Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Tazo Zen Green Tea
Tazo Zen Green Tea is made with non-GMO and Kosher green tea leaves. These green tea leaves have been infused with lemongrass and spearmint to give you a clean, crisp, and fresh cup of green tea every time. Tazo is a member of the Mercy Corps. Mercy Corps is a foundation that gives back to the communities that produce the tea leaves.
Oftentimes, these communities are in poverty and have child labor. Mercy Corps ensures that these farmers and communities who produce the tea leaves are fairly compensated and protected when engaging in a relationship with retailers.
Each tea bag is individually wrapped and contains an attached string for you to easily steep the tea and discard the bag when you are finished. Tazo green tea contains caffeine, so you can easily replace your morning coffee with fresh and crisp Tazo tea.
Pros:
- Light, crisp, and fresh flavor
- Smooth
- Mercy Corps member
- Non-GMO and Kosher tea leaves
Cons:
- Slightly pricy; however, you receive 4 packs of 48 bags, giving you a total of 192 tea bags
User Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
What is Green Tea?
Evergreen shrubs in Asia and China produce tea leaves that are processed to make the different types of tea that we enjoy today. Green tea is made by taking tea leaves from the evergreen shrubs and processing them just enough to dry out but not enough to wither the leaves and cause them to oxidize.
Green tea has been enjoyed for centuries by the Chinese. The Chinese believed that green tea could improve different body systems, including the circular system, respiratory system, and nervous system.
Interest in green tea, including its health benefits and distinctive flavor, expanded beyond Asia. This is how green tea became as popular as it is today.
The Health Benefits of Green Tea
The primary ways in which green tea benefits the body include regulating blood sugar levels, lowering LDL cholesterol, and improving overall brain function.
Green tea regulates blood sugar, which prevents the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body cannot produce insulin, or the body becomes insulin resistant. By drinking green tea, your body can lower blood sugar and improve insulin resistance. This significantly decreases the chance of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Green tea also lowers LDL cholesterol without lowering HDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is considered the “lousy” cholesterol, while HDL cholesterol is considered the “healthy” cholesterol. By drinking green tea, you can lower your LDL cholesterol without lowering your HDL cholesterol. This keeps your cardiovascular system protected and improved.
Most of the clarity and overall improvement of brain function comes from caffeine, and L-theanine is found within the tea leaves. L-theanine is an amino acid that has been attributed to reducing anxiety and a prolonged sense of energy, rather than the quick burst with a harsh crash that can be caused by coffee.
Green tea is often attributed to weight loss, but the proof lines mostly in the energy that is given to the person drinking it; meaning, consumers who drink green tea are likely to become more active than those who don’t. This is because of the caffeine and amino acids within the tea leaves. The caffeine and amino acid give consumers energy, causing them to typically become more active, which can lead to weight loss.
How to Choose the Best Green Tea Brands
Many of the green teas available taste-alike because of the similar drying process that the tea leaves go through to make green tea. This can make the green tea brand you choose seem like an afterthought. Just buy the most affordable one, right?
Well, that’s not exactly the best method of thinking, especially when it comes to green tea brands.
Tea leaves are located in East Asia and China, and many of these areas suffer from poverty and minimum compensation. Thus, programs have been created to protect these farmers and communities that retailers and manufacturers can join.
Joining one of these programs ensures that a percentage of the money used to purchase the product from the farmers goes back into the community. It may be through better compensation, protecting the environment, giving back to the community, or a combination of all of the above.
The only way to know if the green tea brand you are choosing is a member of a corporation that gives back to the local farming communities is to look for a seal or description on the box. The seal or description may include any of the following corporations: Certified B Corporation, Rainforest Certified, or Mercy Corporations.
Certified B Corporations
Green tea brands that are a Certified B Corporation are one of many Certified B Corporation brands that work together to fight poverty, racial inequality, and environmental concerns, just to name a few.
A portion of the money that Certified B Corporations earn goes back into the communities in which their products are purchased. For green tea brands, these communities include East Asia and China. This makes poverty and working conditions one of the top priorities of Certified B Corporation green tea brands.
Rainforest Certified
Similar to Certified B Corporations are green tea brands that are Rainforest Certified. Rainforest Certified brands focus on giving back to the farmers and communities primarily through environmental incentives.
The team of Rainforest Certified companies consists of farmers, forestry companies, manufacturers, and retailers that all work together to protect the environment while also protecting those farmers and communities where the product is harvested.
Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is located in more than 40 countries across the globe. While Mercy Corps was created to protect the environment and communities where the product was being harvested, it has grown into an organization that responds directly to man-made or natural disasters that occur in those areas.
Whether it is emergency response, COVID-19 combat, conflict resolution, discrimination injustices, or climate change issues that an area is experiencing, Mercy Corps will put boots on the ground to bridge the gap between the community and the resources they can use to help them. Over 85% of the Mercy Corps team members are from the countries where they serve.
Other Ways to Choose the Best Green Tea Brands
In addition to green tea brands that are members of alliances that give back to the local communities, there are other considerations you can make when choosing the best green tea brand. These include green tea brands that use organic tea leaves, non-GMO tea leaves, decaffeinated tea leaves, tea leaves with antioxidants, green tea leaves infused with different flavors, and green tea brands that have positive reviews.
Organic & Certified Non-GMO Green Tea Leaves
Organic green tea is green tea leaves that have not been genetically modified or altered through the use of chemicals, pesticides, or other modifications. Choosing organic green tea is always recommended because it is the most natural and unaltered tea leaf you can choose. This means you are consuming a tea leaf that is in its natural state with no modifications.
Tea leaves that are genetically modified can alter the different properties within the body. Chemicals used on the plants, such as pesticides and herbicides, can change the body composition when the tea is consumed. Chemicals can cause cancer, create an unnatural cell growth, and overall weaken the body.
It is always your best option when you can choose 100% organic or certified non-GMO tea leaves. This will ensure that you are putting the purest and most unaltered form of tea leaves into your body.
Decaffeinated Tea
Green tea naturally contains caffeine. This can be a disadvantage if you enjoy drinking tea later in the day, as the caffeine found within the tea leaves can keep you awake if consumed later in the day. Green tea brands that offer decaffeinated tea are always a choice you should consider having on hand for those times you want to enjoy a cup of green tea later in the day without worrying about staying up all night.
Antioxidant Green Tea
Green tea leaves that include antioxidants have more health benefits than standard green tea because of how the antioxidants restrict the oxidation process within the body. When oxidation occurs, free radicals are produced and distributed within the body.
Free radicals are particles that have an excess of electrons that cause a chemical reaction within the body. Free radicals can chemically change the cells in the body, causing a variety of health issues, including aging, cell damage, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation.
Any time you can choose a green tea brand that includes antioxidants is always recommended. The antioxidants will inhibit the oxidation process will eliminate the chance that free radicals will develop within the body.
Green Tea Flavors
Many green tea brands will offer a blend of green tea that is infused with additional flavors. Green tea is flavorful on its own, but many green tea brands know that consumers enjoy green tea that is infused with additional flavors.
Some of the best green tea flavors include:
- Lemon
- Honey
- Jasmine
- Mint
- Citrus
- Earl Grey
- Apple
- Peach
- Ginger
If you choose a green tea that has been infused with additional flavors, make sure you check the nutritional and health information of the green tea. The health benefits of the green tea leaves may be altered by the flavors that are infused in the leaves.
How to Brew Green Tea
To enjoy green tea, you will need a tea kettle and your favorite green tea. Alternatively, you can use a green tea K-Cup in your Keurig for easy, one-button brewing. You can also heat a mug of water and place a single green tea bag into the mug of hot water to steep the individual teabag.
To brew green tea with a tea kettle and teapot, you will need to heat the water in the tea kettle until it boils. As the water is heating, place the green tea bag into the teapot. Then you will pour the hot water into the teapot to let the green tea steep. Once the tea has steeped, you can pour the green tea into a mug and enjoy.
When brewing green tea using a teapot, you can choose loose leaf green tea rather than individual tea bags with a string. However, if you will be steeping an individual teabag in a mug, then you will want to choose individual teabags that have an attached string. The string will allow you to lift the teabag in and out of the mug of water for thorough steeping.
If you have a Keurig, you can use green tea K-Cups in your Keurig, just as you would coffee K-Cups. Just place the green tea K-Cup into the K-Cup holder of the Keurig, close the lid, and select your brew size. You can add your favorite flavorings or sweeteners to the green tea K-Cup, just as you would when using a green tea bag.
Conclusion
Drinking green tea is highly beneficial in many areas of the body. It can help regulate blood sugar, improve cholesterol levels, and increase brain function.
Since green tea is caffeinated, it is highly recommended to replace your morning cup of coffee with a cup of hot green tea because of the many health benefits that are found in the tea. Drinking a cup of green tea every day can improve your overall health through many systems in the body. So, go ahead and enjoy your afternoon tea, the healthy way.
Tawna Kucinskas
We can go on and on about the benefits of drinking green tea, but here are just a few: research shows that green tea can create a stimulating effect to help keep us energized and focused, without the jittery side effects of coffee or espresso.