Healthy Green Tea Without Bitterness

Health benefits of green tea have been studied for more than 10 years. WebMD presents a good summary of green tea studies for weight loss, lowering cholesterol, fighting cancer and heart disease and more.

Some tea drinkers have been resistant to consuming green tea because of the bitter taste which comes from high levels of tannins. In the past, I’ve always been careful not to let my green tea steep too long to avoid much bitterness.

Celestial Seasonings has created a line of nine new green teas that eliminate the bitter flavor by adding in Bai Mu Dan white tea from low-tannin leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. White tea is also known for its antioxidant power, so it’s a good combo.

I received two packages of the new green tea from Celestial Seasonings for review: Antioxidant Supplement Green Tea and Raspberry Gardens Green Tea.

Both green teas I tried tasted smooth with no hint of bitterness. The Antioxidant Supplement Green Tea had strong, but not overpowering notes of lemon. Other ingredients in the tea include natural orange flavor, rosehips and roasted chicory. The tea contains added Vitamins A, C and E. If you’re looking for a smooth cup of green tea with added vitamins, this is it.

Raspberry Gardens Green Tea has a nice, subtle raspberry flavor. It tastes great with the blend of green and white tea. This is a mellow cup of tea with a refreshing smack of raspberry.

Since I typically avoid caffeine, I plan on trying some decaf varieties next. Other flavors in the new green tea line include Goji Berry Pomegranate, Blueberry Breeze, Honey Lemon Ginseng, Authentic Green Tea, Decaf Mint, Decaf Mandarin Orchard and Decaf Green Tea.

Favorite aspects of the new green teas from Celestial Seasonings:

• Smooth, non-bitter taste
• Decaf varieties offered
• All-natural
• Zero-calorie
• Wide flavor range available
• Eco-friendly packaging
• Beautiful box art featuring Asian characters

The new line of green tea retails for $2.99 for a box with 20 bags. The teas became available in June 2009, and may be ordered online if you can’t find them in store.

(Images via Celestial Seasonings)