There's no doubt that green tea is hot or should we say cold since the majority of people, particularly in the south, prefer their tea iced rather than hot. It's not surprising that green tea has taken on such an important role since research shows it may help to prevent a variety of chronic diseases ranging from cancer to heart disease. Along with the surge in green tea's popularity has come a ready market for bottled green teas you can buy off the shelf. No brewing needed. But does bottled green tea have the same health value as home brewed green tea?

Green tea earned its stellar health reputation after it was discovered to have a high content of antioxidants known as catechins. These free radical scavengers are thought to be the active ingredients that help to prevent cancer and heart disease by mopping up free radicals that damage the genetic material, DNA. Green tea is a richer source of catechins than is black tea which undergoes a fermentation process which reduces the quantity of these healthy disease preventing agents.

Can you just grab a bottle of cold, bottled green tea and drink away to get your health benefits? Unfortunately, it may not be that easy. Bottled green teas were found to be woefully deficient in catechins when compared to tea brewed at home. The average glass of green tea brewed at home has about 30 milligrams of catechins. When bottled green teas were tested for catechin including such well known brands as Lipton and Snapple, scientists found them to be extremely low and in some cases zero.

Why would bottled green tea have less healthy catechins than brewed tea? When brewed green tea is bottled, it tends to become cloudy in appearance giving an unappealing appearance to the tea. For this reason, bottled green teas need to be reformulated to give them more buying appeal. During the reformulation process, many of the catechins are removed along with some of the health benefits.

The other problem with bottled green tea is the high sugar content. Most bottled green teas you find on the store shelves of your local supermarket are laden with sugar and are not for the calorie conscious. Many store bought, bottled teas are as calorie rich as your average sweetened soft drink. Certainly not a recipe for health.

The bottom line? If you're drinking green tea for health benefits, you're best brewing your own at home where you can get the full health benefits. Plus, you can control the amount of sugar you add to your tea which helps to decrease the calorie load. Why not brew a glass of healthy green tea today?