If you want to avoid the jittery effects of coffee, it’s tempting to reach for a cup of caffeine-free herbal tea, which is what many of us are doing now.
Figures published in the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal show a post-pandemic rise in ‘functional drinks’, including herbal teas, with manufacturers predicting a nine per cent increase in sales over the coming year.
But if you’ve been seduced by the “health halo” of tea-based drinks, check the label first, because the ingredient lists of some virtuous-sounding options include everything from multi-colored sugary sprinkles, which add calories, to citric acid. , which attacks tooth enamel, and freeze-dried fruit, which can contribute to tooth decay.
The ingredient lists of some virtuous-sounding herbal teas include everything from multicolored sugary sprinkles to citric acid and freeze-dried fruit (stock image)
One tea we looked at provides a whopping four teaspoons of sugar in each cup – the same as a KitKat.
Some herbal teas seem quite harmless. For example, Bird & Blend has developed a range of natural (and eco-friendly) loose leaf tea blends, using ingredients such as licorice root, cocoa shells and natural flavorings to create the flavor of chocolate digestion cookies, Nutella pancakes or carrot cake. without sugar and without calories.
But beware of other varieties from the same company.
A recent addition is Swizzels Love Hearts tea (£9.50 for 12 bags), which mimics the flavors of the sweets.
It contains (in order) apple pieces, rosehip, hibiscus, elderberry, ‘sprinkles’ – made from sugar, potato starch, maltodextrin (another form of sugar) and coconut fat. It also contains three different food colorings with an ‘E number’ plus a ‘glazing agent’.
Dentists have long warned against adding sugar to tea or coffee.
‘Sipping sweetened tea means you’re bathing your mouth in a diluted sugar solution, which gets sugar into every nook and cranny,’ says Sam Jethwa, a dentist at the Bespoke Smile practice in Marlow, Bucks.
The sugar adheres to the teeth, creating a sticky layer.
“If this layer is not brushed off or rinsed with water, bacteria will feed on these sugar molecules, releasing acids that slowly disintegrate the enamel of your teeth, causing sensitivity, discoloration and decay,” he says.
The sprinkles, he adds, make the tea comparable to any other sugary drink, like pumpkin.
“The big problem with sweetened drinks is that people end up sipping them over time,” says Sam Jethwa. ‘Although a hot drink is not more harmful to the teeth than a cold drink, you are more likely to drink hot drinks, which means that any sugar solution stays in the mouth longer.’
Some teas (such as Cherry Cola Bottles tea from Bird & Blend, £3.50) achieve their flavor without sugar, using freeze-dried fruit (in this case cranberry and cherry) – but Sam Jethwa says: ‘Freeze-dried fruit contains less water then fresh fruit and becomes incredibly sticky.
Dentists have long warned against adding sugar to tea or coffee, because it sticks to the teeth and forms a sticky layer
‘This means it stays in your mouth longer, increasing the risk of tooth decay and cavities.’
Similarly, Sicilian Lemonade Fruit Tea Bags from truetea company.co.uk (£4.80 for 15) contain pineapple cubes dipped in sugar, apple chunks (with citric acid) and freeze-dried lemon and redcurrants.
But Krisi Smith, founder of Bird & Blend, argues that the tea with sprinkles is distinctly different from “sweetened tea” because the sprinkles are small and sparse – “you might get one or two in each cup” – while the freeze-dried fruit is there to add flavor. “When you drink the tea, you’re not actually eating the fruit pieces, and the amount per cup is minimal,” she says.
In addition, the American trend for ‘instant’ tea has arrived here.
In these products, the tea leaves are ground along with other ingredients into a powdery state that dissolves in hot water.
Whittard has launched a range of fruity instant teas, with flavors including apple, strawberry and watermelon, mango and passion fruit, lychee and mango, costing £10 for 22 cups.
But sugar is the first ingredient on the label and “tea extract” makes up only 1 percent of the product. If you pour boiling water over three teaspoons as directed, you get a drink with a whopping 19 grams of sugar. “That’s more than four teaspoons!” says dietitian Sarah Schenker. ‘It is astonishing. That’s the same amount of sugar as a KitKat – and I’ve never even met a builder who asked for more than two teaspoons in the cup!’
She also points out that the long list of ingredients identifies many of these teas as ‘ultra-processed foods’ (UPFs) – and excessive intake of these has now been linked to health problems.
“If you’re already eating more than two servings of UPFs per day, drinking another serving is just an unnecessary addition to a potentially toxic load,” says Sarah Schenker.
Also, don’t assume that a ‘chai latte’ is a healthier option.
Chai is a mix of tea and spices, but the added sugar and milk increase the calories.
One brand, Revolution, has reishi mushroom powder in its spicy chai latte mix (£8 for 200g), but each cup provides 170 calories and 5.8g of sugar (listed as ‘organic raw crystallized coconut nectar’ but equivalent to a full teaspoon) and 8.8 g fat.
Even some sugar-free teas contain ingredients that can compromise the health of your teeth.
Sam Jethwa identifies the second ingredient (after sugar) on a packet of Whittard instant tea as citric acid, which, he says, increases acidity in the mouth, which can contribute to tooth enamel erosion.
He adds that many herbal or flavored teas consist of ingredients (such as hibiscus) that, like regular tea, contain tannins (a bitter compound derived from polyphenols).
Too many tannins can discolor teeth, he says. ‘The best way to prevent this is to drink water with your tea, to wash away the tannins and prevent them from sticking to the teeth.’
And don’t drink tea every morning before brushing your teeth, because the fluoride in toothpaste protects against stains and erosion.
And never drink sweet tea before bed without brushing your teeth afterwards: “Otherwise, the bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar, creating acid that attacks enamel while you sleep,” says Sam Jethwa.
‘Brushing your teeth should be the first thing you do every day and the last thing you do at night – but wait 30 minutes after brushing before eating or drinking, and wait 30 minutes after eating or drinking before brushing your teeth. brush to make sure you don’t brush tooth enamel.
“Plus, it’s better to swallow your sweet drinks instead of sipping them,” he adds. ‘This means that any sugary liquid spends minimal time washing the teeth – or uses a straw to protect the teeth.’ But let any hot drink cool first.
When a standard cuppa is better
What about tea with added vitamins? For example, Costa Coffee charges £3.25 for a cup of hot, fruity tea with vitamin B6 or C.
Dietitian Sarah Schenker says such teas can provide pitifully small amounts of the vitamins (in Costa’s 0.2 mg of vitamin B6 or 12 mg of vitamin C).
Meanwhile, Twinings Superblends Immune Support (£3.50 for 20 sachets) provides just 1.25mcg of vitamin D (the daily recommendation is 10mcg).
‘If a regular cup of tea, served with a splash of milk, provides both health-promoting polyphenols (beneficial substances) and calcium (20 percent of your daily needs in four cups of tea), then stop the hassle with cleverly marketed trendy varieties and stick to the basics,” says Sarah Schenker.
Under the microscope…
Welsh opera singer Sir Bryn Terfel, 58, answers our health quiz…
Can you run up the stairs?
Yes, but since I broke my leg just before lockdown, I’ve been more careful. I slipped, did a beautiful prima ballerina turn, but my foot didn’t move. So it was a three-way split from absolutely nothing. When I’m in London, I cycle to the Opera House. I love to swim; it is great for breathing control.
Do you get five a day?
When I’m on tour, I’m often invited to restaurants and I’ve learned to eat fish and grilled vegetables. Broccoli seems to be in the kitchen these days for the kids, ages six and three (his kids with wife, harpist Hannah Stone, 36).
Ever been on a diet?
I wouldn’t say I worry about my weight, although I do like it when you return to a production and your costume still fits. (At 1.80 meters tall he weighs 22nd.)
Are there vices?
Potato chips.
Family problems?
No. My parents are both in their eighties; my father is a retired farmer, but still incredibly fit. He spent his entire life climbing a mountain in the morning to check on his cattle and the stone walls. My mother is the same.
Worst illness/injury?
My back. I was singing in New York in the 1990s when I took a mandolin and put a disk in my back. Unfortunately this was on a raked stage (which slopes away from the audience), and perhaps due to a previous injury from farm work throwing hay bales, the back decided to give up. I stumbled into the hospital and casually walked out after surgery!
The last time I had this problem, I had an injection in the joint. This, touching wood, has kept me from the surgeon’s knife.
Ever had plastic surgery?
No, I want to keep my Meat Loaf facial beauty.
Tried alternative remedies?
I’m a big believer in ginger, boiling it and refrigerating it to drink as a tonic for my voice.
Ever been depressed?
No. What makes me sad is when Manchester United lose or when Wales lose in rugby.
Do you want to live forever?
Absolutely not.
- Sir Bryn Terfel’s new album, Sea Songs, is out now from Deutsche Grammophon.
Interview by LOUISE FLIND