What Is Instant Tea?

If you don't like the bother of making tea by heating the water and steeping the tea, instant tea can be a quick alternative. It's especially handy when you want to make iced tea; it cuts back greatly on the time required because you don't have to use hot water and then wait for your tea to cool.

Instant teas are made using either whole or processed tea leaves that have had the liquids extracted and then are turned into a powder by freeze-drying, vacuum-drying or spray-drying. Decaffeinated versions of instant tea can be made from decaffeinated tea leaves, and other ingredients are often added to instant teas, including sugar or artificial sweeteners to flavor the tea. Instant teas aren't usually made with as high quality tea leaves as loose-leaf teas.

The nutrition in a cup of prepared instant tea varies depending on the type you choose. For example, unsweetened instant tea has just 2 calories per cup. It doesn't provide a significant amount of any nutrients except manganese with 47 percent of the daily value. Instant tea brands containing artificial sweeteners have about 5 calories per cup and provide about 18 percent of the DV for manganese, while those versions made with sugar have 91 calories, almost 22 grams of sugar and 16 percent of the DV for manganese in each cup. You need manganese for healing wounds, forming bones and proper metabolism. It also acts as an antioxidant to help prevent damage to your cells.

Unsweetened instant black tea may be good for blood sugar levels. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2007 found that drinking this type of tea helped limit increases in blood sugar by increasing the amount of insulin released after meals. The authors note that this may be due to beneficial plant chemicals called polyphenols found in the tea.

An article published in The American Journal of Medicine in 2005 noted that some commercial instant teas are very high in fluoride; some regular strength instant teas contain well over the maximum amount allowed in drinking water once they're prepared. This is could be a problem for people who drink large amounts of instant tea. Consuming too much fluoride can cause a condition called skeletal fluorosis, which causes your bones to be denser but more brittle than normal.

Instant tea typically contains caffeine unless it is a decaffeinated version. For example, instant iced tea has between 11 and 47 milligrams of caffeine per cup. Getting more than 500 milligrams of caffeine per day can cause anxiety, headaches and difficulty sleeping.

Many types of instant teas are made using artificial sweeteners. While these are generally safe, some preliminary research shows they may increase your risk for diabetes and weight gain and that they may be addictive, according to Harvard Medical School. Unsweetened instant tea with fresh lemon juice for flavor is a healthier option.