Is Green Tea Good for You?

Maybe not as much as you think.

-Jane Farrell

If you like green tea, drink it. But don’t expect a whole lot of health benefits.

The federal Food and Drug Administration warned Canada Dray, the manufacturer of Canada Dry Sparkling Green Tea Ginger Ale, and Unilever Inc., maker of Lipton Green Tea.

In a warning letter, the government agency said the ginger ale does not fulfill the claim of the ginger ale being “enhanced with 200 mg of antioxidants from green tea and Vitamin C.” According to the Canadian Press, The FDA added that the ingredients in the tea “are not nutrients with recognized antioxidant activity.”

Read How to Lose the First Five Pounds—and the Last Ones

As for Lipton green tea, the FDA said that Unliver said on its website that four studies had shown that the tea could reduce cholesterol. That gave consumers the impression, the FDA said, that the tea could help fight, or even prevent, some diseases. And the labeling of antioxidants on the product, the FDA said, was misleading.

The warning letter requires the companies to show how they will change the product claims.

It’s likely that the FDA will issue similar warnings in the future to other companies. (Canadian Press)

Jane Farrell is a senior editor at BettyConfidential.