Ocala Karate and Fitness

Archive for May, 2009

My colleagues and I drink a lot of tea. We’re also suspicious of just about all food label claims.

So last year, we commissioned ChromaDex Laboratories to analyze 14 different bottled green teas for their levels of catechins, the powerful antioxidants that may help prevent prostate cancer and a host of other diseases.

Their findings: The amount of catechins (including a particularly potent kind called EGCG) varied widely, possibly due to the different types of unfermented leaves and brewing methods used. The highest score? Honest Tea’s Green Tea with Honey. One of the biggest disappointments? Ito En Tea’s Tea Lemongrass, which happens to be my favorite, since it doesn’t contain any sugar and has an interesting (how do you describe lemongrass?) taste. It contained only a small number of catechins. But yes, I still drink it as demonstrated by the photo of the empty bottle that sits on my desk. Here are the rest of the results.

Honest Tea Organic Honey Green Tea (16.9 oz)
Catechins per bottle: 215 milligrams (mg)
EGCG: 71 mg
Calories: 74
Caffeine: 97 mg
Taste: Well balanced, with slightly sweet with citrus notes.

Harney & Sons Organic Green (16.9 oz)
Catechins per bottle: 183 mg
ECGC: 59 mg
Calories: 40
Caffeine: 86 mg
Taste: Bitter, with heavy citrus notes and no detectable sweetness

Lipton PureLeaf Green Tea with Honey (16 oz.)
Catechins per bottle: 97 mg
EGCG: 22 mg
Calories: 130
Caffeine: 37 mg
Taste: Nice sweetness and a pronounced green-tea earthiness, with a light citrus taste

Snapple All Natural Green Tea Asian Pear (17.5 oz)
Catechins per bottle: 46 mg
EGCG: 25 mg
Calories: 120
Caffeine: 31 mg
Taste: A heavy dose of honey flavor that overpowers the majority of green tea taste, and no detectable pear taste

Ito En Tea’s Tea Lemongrass Green (16.9 oz)
Catechins per bottle: 28 mg
EGCG: 6 mg
Calories: 0
Caffeine: 48 mg
Taste: Earthy flavor that’s almost savory, the least sweet of all the bottled green teas

AriZona Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey (20 oz.)
Catechins per bottle: 39 mg
EGCG: 5 mg
Calories: 175
Caffeine: 25 mg
Taste: More like a syrupy soda than a green tea

The Republic of Tea Pomegranate Green (16.9 oz.)
Catechins per bottle: 9 mg
EGCG: 0.4 mg
Calories: 0
Caffeine: 25 mg
Taste: Floral notes, but the hibiscus and pomegranate drown out the taste of tea

Hello everyone,

I was just wanting to officially post that Kyu Testing will be Saturday May 30th for all of you that have your class time in and all prerequisites met for your next level.

Testing will begin at 10:00 a.m. sharp so everyone needs to be there at least 15 mins early.  Once testing starts, no one will bel allowed to come in late.

All of you have worked very hard and I’m proud of all that you have accomplished over the last 3 months.  Good luck!