Environmental Nutrition

After water, tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world. Aside from pure enjoyment, drinking tea is linked with several health benefits. Here in America, 85 percent of that tea is iced; fortunately, the icy drink offers most of the same benefits as the steamy version. Drinking tea has been shown to possibly reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease, and gastrointestinal cancers, such as colon and rectal, as well as to lower cholesterol levels.

It's important to keep in mind that sweetened tea drinks are a source of calories and added sugar in your diet -- sometimes providing just as much as sweetened soda! While tea drinks may play a role in a healthy diet, these sweet beverages shouldn't be something you consume in unlimited amounts.

Keep these tips in mind before quenching your thirst.

Pay attention to serving size. The suggested serving size on most tea drinks 8 ounces. But most bottles are larger, providing more than a serving of tea. Since people usually finish the bottle by themselves, it leads to multiple servings being consumed at a time, potentially providing more than 200 calories and almost 14 teaspoons of sugar.

Check ingredients. To get the benefits associated with tea, be sure you're getting real tea. Scan the ingredients and make sure genuine tea is listed at the top of the list so you don't end up with a tea-flavored drink.

Try a DIY. You can easily make your own iced tea to your liking. Add one bag of your favorite tea -- black, green, herbal and beyond -- to a cup of hot water, steep for 5 minutes, and pour over ice in a large glass.

(Environmental Nutrition is the award-winning independent newsletter written by nutrition experts dedicated to providing readers up-to-date, accurate information about health and nutrition in clear, concise English. For more information, visit www.environmentalnutrition.com.)