Mar 12th, '07, 08:16
Posts: 94
Joined: Nov 18th, '06, 09:13
Location: "Land of the Morning Calm" South Korea
Questions regarding tea and honey
Well lately I've been able to digest green tea, but mostly due to the fact that I add honey to it. Now when I'm at work I usually drink green tea with honey it in, but it's made by Arizona. It's basically green tea with honey and ginseng and it's iced, it tastes really good. What I'm getting at is, if I made a lot of iced green tea with honey would there be anything to worry about? It seems when I drink a few cups of green tea with honey my mouth tends to "dry up". I know honey retains water and such which leads me to my question of, will iced green tea with honey dehydrate me? I'd really like to make it my main tea drink with meals and for overall drinking. It's starting to warm up and I need some iced drinks. Anyone have anything to add in to the pot? I've read a lot of good health benefits of honey, but oddly enough not really any bad parts to it so I just want to know. thanks.
Mar 13th, '07, 01:32
Posts: 94
Joined: Nov 18th, '06, 09:13
Location: "Land of the Morning Calm" South Korea
So, you're consuming a beverage that's, what...99.9% water and you're worried about dehydration?
Sweetie...no. I promise you, you are hydrating. The dry mouth feeling may be because of an underlying astringency to the tea itself, not because it's evilly pulling water molecules out of your cells.
Now, honey itself does have a pretty significant water content, but I don't consider it a part of the 'health benefits' of this particular sweetener. Honestly, I think the only advantage honey has over other sweeteners is the inclusion of trace minerals, enzymes and other nutrients. In other respects, it has the same pratfalls as any other sugar in regards to metabolism and should be consumed in moderation. Actually, unlike plain table sugar (sucrose, which a glucose and fructose molecule joined with a glycosidic linkage...which can easily be broken, rendering a roughly 50-50 concentration of the glucose and fructose) honey contains a sugar concentration with more fructose than glucose--rather like High Fructose Corn Syrup, which hasn't exactly been getting glowing coverage these days.
Bottom line...honey is a sugar, not a miracle elixir. Like most good things in life, consume it sparingly.
Sweetie...no. I promise you, you are hydrating. The dry mouth feeling may be because of an underlying astringency to the tea itself, not because it's evilly pulling water molecules out of your cells.
Now, honey itself does have a pretty significant water content, but I don't consider it a part of the 'health benefits' of this particular sweetener. Honestly, I think the only advantage honey has over other sweeteners is the inclusion of trace minerals, enzymes and other nutrients. In other respects, it has the same pratfalls as any other sugar in regards to metabolism and should be consumed in moderation. Actually, unlike plain table sugar (sucrose, which a glucose and fructose molecule joined with a glycosidic linkage...which can easily be broken, rendering a roughly 50-50 concentration of the glucose and fructose) honey contains a sugar concentration with more fructose than glucose--rather like High Fructose Corn Syrup, which hasn't exactly been getting glowing coverage these days.
Bottom line...honey is a sugar, not a miracle elixir. Like most good things in life, consume it sparingly.
My educated guess it that honey would not be any more harmful than any other sweetener. Its a hydroscopic liquid which prevents it from going bad, and it also means that it has taken all the water it is capable of.
Again I say this is an educated guess, I can't test it myself due to a violent allergy to all things bee related.
Again I say this is an educated guess, I can't test it myself due to a violent allergy to all things bee related.
Life is like a cup of tea, savor it slowly or it will be gone too fast
Mar 14th, '07, 05:12
Posts: 94
Joined: Nov 18th, '06, 09:13
Location: "Land of the Morning Calm" South Korea
Thanks for the info guys, guess I will keep it to a moderate. I think maybe a few teaspoons or tablespoons of honey per liter or so of green tea will help out. I can use this as my "guilty pleasure" tea. 
I will probably try out Stevia for my sweetner though, it's natural and doesn't have anything bad to it. 
I will probably try out Stevia for my sweetner though, it's natural and doesn't have anything bad to it.