I started with simply brewing teas until I realized fruit teas are brewed tea but just with fruits! Learning that made me ecstatic. Fruit tea is simply a tea made from dried fruits. It can also include herbs and spices, but for argument’s sake, let’s focus on the ones that contain fruit. These teas can be a great alternative to caffeinated drinks and a good way to increase my liquid intake while reducing my caffeine intake. They also taste great cold—either brew it and then leave it to cool or make a cold brew using a temperature-controlled infuser—and are a low-sugar alternative to fruit juices and pop.
But as far as antioxidants and nutrients go, there is very little to get excited about. A single serving of fruit tea contains a minimal amount of fruit, so you’re only getting a trace amount of nutrients. It is true even if you consume half a dozen cups throughout the day. Simply put, you’ll benefit more by eating a handful of berries than you would be consuming a tea made from dried berries.
In this article, I would talk about why I love drinking healthy fruit teas in Singapore:
The vast majority of fruit teas contain natural flavourings. It is true of all the most popular brands that I checked, including the ones that contained a long list of fruits. However, with Partea International, you’d think that the fruits could speak for themselves and be more than enough to provide the depth of flavour required, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Manufacturers add these natural flavourings to create something a little more balanced, and in most cases, they don’t tell you what those natural flavourings are. It is not a problem with the more wholesome tea shops like Partea, and if you do some digging, you won’t find anything to worry about. Some of them are open about the flavourings they use and will typically list it somewhere on their site.
The problem is that this isn’t always the case, and natural flavourings aren’t always as wholesome as you would hope. Natural flavourings can have animal origins and they can be made from highly processed essential oils. I am not saying that flavourings with these origins are used in fruit teas, but they can be, and if you’re drinking something you think is made from a couple of common fruits that contains half a dozen flavourings, it might be cause for concern.
There are many reasons I wanted to drink fruit teas. However, if your goal is to load up on antioxidants, maybe substituting the antioxidants you’re missing out on by quitting coffee or tea, then you’ll need to get creative with added ingredients.
Some fruit teas that I've had already contained spices and herbs to make them a little more flavourful and healthy. Liquorice root is commonly added to tea blends like this, as is ginger. Both of these contain a wealth of antioxidant compounds and can be beneficial even in small doses. You could also add a little peppermint to help with digestive issues and give the tea more bite.
The sweetener tea shops use also makes a big difference. One of the great things about fruit teas is that they are naturally sweet and are therefore palatable even without adding sugar or honey. But if you can’t quite stomach it and have a particularly sweet tooth, then opt for a little honey as opposed to sugar.
I have seen quite a few claims made about fruit teas that simply aren’t true. The most common of these is that they are extremely high in beneficial vitamins, including vitamin C. It’s true that berries can be a great source of vitamin C and that some healthy additives, such as the spice saffron, can also push you closer to your RDA for this vitamin even in small amounts.
But there simply isn’t going to be enough in a cup of fruit tea to make any difference. There are exceptions, including teas made from hibiscus and berries, with additives such as lemon/orange peel. But even then, it’s unlikely that you’re consuming as much vitamin C as you think.
They should be safe to consume even in large amounts, but then I realized, this isn’t true for all fruit teas. It’s important to make sure you read the ingredients first and know what you’re drinking. Some fruit teas can contain liquorice root, for instance, and while this is safe in moderation, it can lead to some unpleasant side effects when consumed to excess. Personally, it affected my bowel movement because it boosted my metabolism rate so good. The same is true for many other additives, which is why moderation is key.
If you want to order the best fruit tea in Singapore, visit Partea International's website today! You would not be disappointed.
