Many pregnant women can consume moderate amounts of Lipton Green Tea without experiencing any adverse effects. However, the caffeine, calories or sugar found in some Lipton Green Tea products may be of concern to some pregnant women. When deciding whether or not to consume these products during pregnancy, always consider your overall nutrition and caffeine consumption and examine the nutritional facts of the specific Lipton product you want to drink. If you have any specific safety concerns, talk to your doctor.
Caffeine During Pregnancy
Most of the potential health risks associated with drinking Lipton Green Tea during pregnancy are due to the caffeine in the beverage. Although research is conflicting, the March of Dimes notes that caffeine may decrease blood flow to the placenta and increase the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. Since caffeine crosses the placenta, it also may affect the unborn baby. Newborns born to mothers who consumed large amounts of caffeine are more likely to have faster heart and breathing rates. These infants also are likely to sleep less during the first few days after they are born. Birth weight may also be influenced by a pregnant mother's caffeine consumption, although studies are conflicting on this issue. Because of all of these potential risks, the March of Dimes recommends that pregnant women consume no more than 200 mg of caffeine per day during pregnancy.
Amounts of Caffeine
All of the Lipton Green Tea products contain caffeine, but the specific amount can vary greatly depending on the product, according to Lipton's website. The Mixed Berry, Orange, Passionfruit, Honey and Mint flavors contain 20 mg of caffeine per serving when prepared as directed. The Blueberry, Red Goji, Raspberry, Purple Acai, Peach and White Mangosteen flavors contain 22 mg of caffeine per serving. There are 25 mg of caffeine in each serving of the Citrus and Cranberry Pomegranate flavors and 30 mg of caffeine in each serving of the Lemon Ginseng flavor. The bottled green iced tea beverages contain 10 to 12 mg of caffeine per serving or 25 to 30 mg of caffeine per bottle. Even the decaffeinated green teas contain caffeine, but only 4 mg per serving.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts of Lipton Green Tea vary depending on the specific product, according to Lipton's website. The green tea bags typically provide about 5 to 20 mg of potassium, but do not contain any calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, sugar, fiber, protein or any other vitamin or mineral. The Lipton Green Iced Tea Mix contains 70 calories, 18 g of carbohydrates and 17 g of sugar per serving when the mix is prepared as directed. The Lipton Green Tea "To Go" powders generally do not contain any calories, nutrients, vitamins or minerals. An exception to this is the Blueberry Pomegranate "Energize" flavor, which provides 10 percent of the daily value of vitamin B-6, niacin, vitamin B-12, pantothenic acid and riboflavin. The regular bottled iced tea products generally contain between 50 to 90 calories and up to 23 g of carbohydrates per serving. Most of these carbohydrates come directly from sugar. The diet bottled iced tea products usually have 5 calories or less and do not contain sugar. If you are concerned about your calorie or sugar intake, select the Lipton green tea bag products and avoid the non-diet bottled iced tea beverages.
Considerations
Although Lipton Green Tea does have some drawbacks, it also has some benefits. Each Lipton Green Tea product contains flavonoids. Flavonoids may have anti-inflammatory properties, and may suppress the growth of tumor and prevent blood clots. However, more research needs to be done to confirm these potential benefits.
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