The best-selling tea company in the United States is AriZona, based out of Woodbury, New York.
The company is well known for its inexpensive individual cans of iced tea as much as it is for the unique artwork on its bottles and cans.
Among its drinks are “cold boys,” tall cans, Arnold Palmers (a lemonade-iced tea hybrid), juices, green teas and more.
Recently I was browsing in the supermarket when I noticed an enticing new product from AriZona: its green tea with ginseng and honey product.
With its ornamental blossom tree artwork on the front of the package and inclusion of two of the healthiest ingredients on the market, ginseng and honey, you could easily be fooled into thinking it’s a healthy product.
Upon further inspection, you will see that there are potentially harmful ingredients lurking within, however.
Take a look at the beautiful exterior, and tell me this doesn’t look like a really healthy drink.
AriZona’s Green Tea with Ginseng Ingredients are as Follows
On its Amazon.com page, the company positions the honey and ginseng ingredients as the ones to focus on.
Scrolling down, you will find the unvarnished truth.
Full ingredients include:
-High fructose corn syrup:
This is one of the unhealthiest ingredients you could consume. High fructose corn syrup is typically made from genetically engineered (GMO) corn.
Genetically modified corn makes up over 90% of the crop each year in the United States, so it’s highly likely this ingredient is GMO.
Also, this corn is typically sprayed with large amounts of glyphosate, which is a toxic, synthetic herbicide that was listed as a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organization’s top cancer research body the IARC in 2015.
A 2009 study also showed popular food products from companies like Quaker Oats, Kraft Foods, Pop-Tarts and Coca-Cola that contain HFCS may contain mercury.
In total, 17 of 55 food products tested showed residues of the highly toxic chemical.
-Honey:
Honey is a powerful anti-bacterial, anti-fungal sweetener that won’t raise your blood sugar like HCFS and regular sugar.
But most honey in non-organic, supermarket product form is a far cry from raw, unpasteurized honey from pristine fields.
Recently, tests showed that most supermarket honey is not honey at all. Many of it contained no pollen and was tainted with antibiotics.
While “honey” as an ingredient is better than HFCS and regular sugar, it might not be so healthy after all.
-Natural Flavors:
According to food researcher Vani Hari, natural flavors are “practically the same thing as artificial flavors,” but derived from plant or animal sources.
Whenever a company does not list the sourcing for its natural flavors, unhealthy ingredients could be involved like emulsifiers, solvents, and other incidental additives.
This is why I always consult the company before buying any product that has natural flavors.
Recently, I spoke with the founder of my favorite organic protein product, ‘Organic Super Protein’ from Touchstone Essentials, and he informed me that the natural flavors they use are derived from organic vanilla beans.
report this adWhen companies source organic and non-GMO ingredients, I am much more likely to buy from them.
I chose not to buy the AriZona iced tea because of its likely GMO high fructose corn syrup, which is listed as the second ingredient on the package.
That means you’re getting more of this potentially toxic ingredient than tea itself, second only to water on the ingredients list.
Final Verdict on AriZona Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey
This product has some healthy ingredients such as green tea and ginseng, but the inclusion of high fructose corn syrup makes it a product that I personally will never buy.
Following the 2021 study, however, another study out of Barcelona published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research once again linked HCFS to fatty liver disease.
I personally have experienced side effects from drinking high fructose corn syrup sweetened drinks consistent with pre-diabetic symptoms, which is why I stopped drinking them altogether.
Some people metabolize certain foods and sweeteners better than others, so use your best judgment.
One thing’s for sure: I’ve become a much healthier person after cutting all artificial sweeteners out of my diet and eating more organic superfoods instead.
Better Substitutes for AriZona Iced Tea Products
If you’re looking for a better quality iced tea to drink during the afternoons or mornings to improve energy, there are several different options.
Brewing your own iced tea at home from organic green or black tea bags is always a great idea. I’ve been doing it for years by making the tea hot and then pouring it into a glass pitcher in my fridge.
Alternatively, you may want to check out Noonbrew if you’re a fan of organic teas.
Noonbrew is an organic superfood powder that tastes like brewed iced tea and also includes 19 different organic superfoods.
The list of superfoods includes: organic tea, turmeric, ginseng, reishi mushroom, lion’s mane mushroom, ashwagandha for stress relief, maca for hormonal support, organic lemon extract, organic astragalus, organic chaga mushroom and more.