Are AriZona Teas Healthy? They Contain Some Controversial Sweeteners

When it comes to trendy beverages and wellness fads, AriZona Beverages has managed to carve its own niche. With a distinctive stylized logo and wide range of flavors, AriZona Green Tea is a favorite among health and tea enthusiasts alike.

Bold branding and refreshing taste aside, it still begs the question: Is AriZona Green Tea good for you? We did some digging to find out whether this popular beverage has any health benefits or if it’s all just hype.

The short answer is, not really, no, AriZona Green Tea isn't very good for you. According to Livestrong, simply being a low-calorie drink isn’t a good enough reason to drink AriZona Green Tea. Especially when you take into account the added sugar in the beverage, which is 34 grams per 16.9-ounce bottle.

AriZona Green Tea does contain the coveted antioxidants found in pure green tea. However, Chinese Teas 101 suggests that the antioxidant concentration in AriZona Green Tea may be lower than the amount in fresh green tea; that's due to the processed nature of the canned drink.

One potential plus is that, per AriZona’s FAQs page, there are 7.5 mg of caffeine in every 8 ounces of AriZona Green Tea, which is relatively low when compared to, say, a Monster energy drink or a cup of coffee.

For those who seek out low-calorie food and drink, AriZona Diet Green Tea might seem like a good choice, since it's devoid of the cane sugar found in the regular AriZona Green Tea. However, Livestrong has highlighted a wildcard on the diet drink’s ingredient list: acesulfame potassium, aka acesulfame K.

MedicineNet explains that acesulfame K contains methylene chloride, a carcinogen that can cause numerous health problems, including cancer, when ingested for long periods.

What about AriZona Black & White Tea? Is it any better than the company's other teas? Fooducate gives the product a solid B+, flagging only the added sugar as a cause for concern. With 26 grams of sugar per 24-ounce container, AriZona Black & White Tea has significantly less sugar than AriZona Green Tea.

While Everyday Health notes that both black tea and white tea have health benefits, it’s worth noting that this is based on the assumption that you’re consuming pure brewed tea leaves rather than a premade beverage.

If you follow a plant-based and cruelty-free lifestyle, another reason for steering clear of AriZona beverages is the fact that a lot of them contain honey.

For many humans (me included, before I went vegan), honey is a tasty sweetener. But the bees don’t make it for us, so it’s only fair that we look elsewhere to satisfy our sweet cravings.

There’s also the environmental impact of the honey industry to take into account, and the sobering fact that honeybees’ lifespans have halved since the 1970s. Besides, with so many vegan honey brands on the market, there’s really no reason to drink teas sweetened with honey.