Non-Caffeine Fruit Teas
Fruit teas are hot beverages that contain real fruit juice alone or infuse the sweetness of exotic fruits with earthy teas, herbs and spices. While some types contain real tea leaves, you can enjoy herbal or noncaffeinated fruit teas at any time of the day, without worrying that the caffeine will keep you awake at night. Fruit teas offer an alternative to real teas or coffee, and you have a cornucopia of fruit essences to choose from.
Fruit Tea Benefits
If you enjoy a hot cup of raspberry- or apple-infused tea, you're sipping your way to better health. Like the fresh fruit they are made from, fruit teas contain a variety of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Additionally, drinking fruit teas that do not have added caffeine-containing teas is good for your bones. According to a study published in the "European Journal of Nutrition," a cup of very strong-brewed tea, which contains about 45 milligrams of caffeine, can cause 2 to 3 milligrams of calcium to leach from your body.
- If you enjoy a hot cup of raspberry- or apple-infused tea, you're sipping your way to better health.
- According to a study published in the "European Journal of Nutrition," a cup of very strong-brewed tea, which contains about 45 milligrams of caffeine, can cause 2 to 3 milligrams of calcium to leach from your body.
Pure Fruit Teas
Decaf Black Tea & Pregnancy
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Pure fruit teas are made from infusions of flavors from the juice of fresh fruit such as:
- apple
- cherry
- raspberry
- blackcurrant
- blueberry
- orange
- strawberry
- peach
Pure fruit teas are technically not teas; they are infusions of fruit extract or juice, also known as tisanes, You can make your own pure fruit tea by using concentrated fruit juice or steeping fresh fruit in hot water. The Harvard School of Public Health, however, advises that fruit juice is high in natural sugars and should be consumed in moderation 3. Although fruit teas are watered down, they still contain fruit sugars.
Make Yours Decaf
Fruit teas may also contain a medley of dried fruit extract, herbs and tea leaves. Any type of tea leaves in these combinations will add caffeine; choose decaffeinated varieties to get the flavor and texture of true tea without the caffeine. These teas include varieties such as Earl Grey, green tea, black tea and oolong tea, but they are processed to remove caffeine. Fruit-infused teas include bergamot or citrus-flavored Earl Grey tea and blackcurrant black tea and apple-flavored green tea.
- Fruit teas may also contain a medley of dried fruit extract, herbs and tea leaves.
- Fruit-infused teas include bergamot or citrus-flavored Earl Grey tea and blackcurrant black tea and apple-flavored green tea.
Go Herbal
Teas High in Magnesium
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Most true herbal teas do not contain caffeine, making them safe for pregnant and breast-feeding women. The American Pregnancy Association notes that herbal teas contain the roots, flowers, berries, seeds and leaves from a variety of herbal plants 2. They do not contain actual tea leaves, making them caffeine-free. The fruit flavor in herbal teas comes from added fruit juices extracts or dried berries and peel. Check the ingredients on your fruit tea to ensure that it does not contain any type of real tea or yerba mate, which is made from the holly leaf and does contain caffeine.
- Most true herbal teas do not contain caffeine, making them safe for pregnant and breast-feeding women.
- Check the ingredients on your fruit tea to ensure that it does not contain any type of real tea or yerba mate, which is made from the holly leaf and does contain caffeine.
Related Articles
References
- European Journal of Nutrition: Evaluation of the Antioxidant Properties of Fruit and Flavoured Black Teas; 2011
- American Pregnancy Association: Herbal Tea and Pregnancy
- Harvard School of Public Health: Healthy Drinks
- American Diabetes Association. Glycemic index and diabetes.
- Rizkalla SW. Health implications of fructose consumption: A review of recent data. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010;7:82. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-7-82
- Du H, Li L, Bennett D, et al. Fresh fruit consumption in relation to incident diabetes and diabetic vascular complications: A 7-y prospective study of 0.5 million Chinese adults. PLoS Med. 2017;14(4):e1002279. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002279
- Wannamethee SG, Whincup PH, Thomas MC, Sattar N. Associations between dietary fiber and inflammation, hepatic function, and risk of type 2 diabetes in older men: potential mechanisms for the benefits of fiber on diabetes risk. Diabetes Care. 2009 Oct 1;32(10):1823-5. doi:10.2337/dc09-0477
- Silva FM, Kramer CK, de Almeida JC, Steemburgo T, Gross JL, Azevedo MJ. Fiber intake and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Rev. 2013;71(12):790-801. doi:10.1111/nure.12076
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- Huang H, Chen G, Liao D, et al. Effects of berries consumption on cardiovascular risk factors: A meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis of randomized controlled trials. Sci Rep. 2016;6:23625. doi:10.1038/srep23625
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- Harvard Health Publishing. Use glycemic index to help control blood sugar. Updated Aug. 13, 2012.
- Koloverou E, Panagiotakos DB. Macronutrient composition and management of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM): A new paradigm for individualized nutritional therapy in diabetes patients. Rev Diabet Stud. 2016;13(1):6-16. doi:10.1900/RDS.2016.13.6
- Hosseini B, Berthon BS, Saedisomeolia A, Starkey MR, Collison A, Wark PA, Wood LG. Effects of fruit and vegetable consumption on inflammatory biomarkers and immune cell populations: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2018 Jul 1;108(1):136-55. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy082
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- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Carb Choices. Updated March 21, 2019.
- American Diabetes Association. Glycemic index and diabetes.
- Wang PY, Fang JC, Gao ZH, Zhang C, Xie SY. Higher intake of fruits, vegetables or their fiber reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes: A meta‐analysis. Journal of Diabetes Investigation. 2016 Jan;7(1):56-69. doi:10.1111/jdi.12376
Writer Bio
Nadia Haris is a registered radiation therapist who has been writing about nutrition for more than six years. She is completing her Master of Science in nutrition with a focus on the dietary needs of oncology patients.