What do you know about unsweet iced tea? It has a crisp flavor that helps keep you cool in the warmer months. It’s a great source of hydration (second only to water, according to the Harvard School of Public Health), it’s low in calories… and it’s usually an acquired taste for those of us who grew up in the South.
But it might surprise you to learn that, apart from being refreshing and good for your waistline, unsweetened tea has a couple of remarkable nutritional benefits.
Unsweetened Tea Is an Excellent Source of Manganese
Manganese is a trace mineral that is found in your bones, liver, kidneys, and pancreas. According to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai:
Manganese helps the body form connective tissue, bones, blood clotting factors, and sex hormones. It also plays a role in fat and carbohydrate metabolism, calcium absorption, and blood sugar regulation. Manganese is also necessary for normal brain and nerve function.
An 8-ounce serving of unsweetened iced tea provides 520 micrograms of manganese, which is 23 percent of the daily recommended intake for men and 35 percent for women.
The manganese in unsweetened iced tea helps maintain the strength of your bones and promotes healthy wound healing. It also activates the enzyme manganese superoxide dismutase, which prevents tissue damage.
Unsweetened Tea Contains Fluoride
As you may recall from your grade-school health class, fluoride helps build strong bones and teeth. An 8-ounce glass of unsweetened tea that’s brewed with fluoridated water contains about 1 mg of fluoride. (The daily recommended amount, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements is 3 mg for adult women and 4 mg for adult men.) So drinking unsweetened tea is a great way to fight tooth decay *and* keep your bones strong.
Unsweetened Tea Provides Beneficial Flavonoids
Flavonoids are a diverse group of plant compounds that are found in nearly all fruits and vegetables. These chemicals act as powerful antioxidants with anti-inflammatory and immune system benefits. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, consuming foods (or beverages) rich in flavonoids can be beneficial for your metabolic and cardiovascular health.
So next time you’re looking for the perfect beverage to complement your healthy Bolay Bol, you might consider a tall glass of our unsweetened iced tea!
References
“Health Benefits of Unsweetened Iced Tea” – SFGATE
“Flavonoids” – Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University
“Healthy Beverage Guidelines” – Harvard School of Public Health
“Fluoride” – National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements