Hansens Natural Green Tea Pomegranate Soda

By: Tanya Taylor, PhD | Feb 26, 2007

I have been on the lookout for beverages that have the latest marketing hype ... antioxidants, especially pomegranate, acai and blueberry juices. Yes I love the 100% juices but I also like diversity, so I was curious to try Hansens Natural Green Tea Soda- Pomegranate . Hansen's Natural (and Diet) Sodas have no caffeine, no preservatives and no artificial flavors or colors in them. The label reads:

I put "citric acid" in bold in the ingredients list because this is one tart, acidic tasting soda - and I loved it! That's just the way I like my carbonated beverages - when you take that first swig and you have to say ... Aahhhh ... and rub your throat a little. Other than an acidic taste, there wasn't much other flavor - no pomegranate and no green tea flavor. I love the prominence of the word Pomegranate on the label, which may lead one to actually believe that this plays a major part in this beverage. Alas, I have learned my lesson from the Juice Juice 100% Juice - Grape fiasco, which is actually grape flavored apple juice [read about my shock here]. Similarly, don't be mislead by this label, this is pomegranate FLAVORED soda.

Although there is more citric acid than green tea in this soda, it does have 35 mg EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), which is the compound found in green tea thought to be responsible for its beneficial effects. But is 35 mg enough? Not nearly. You would need at least 240 - 320 mg of polyphenols (and by extension EGCG) daily to see any beneficial effects - and that's the low end of the scale. But every little bit helps, and thank you Hansen for putting the actual amount on your label.

One can is 16 fluid ounces or 2 servings. One serving has 90 calories and 22 grams of sugars. So one bottle is 180 calories. This is not a "diet" product, but it's less calories than a can of regular Coca Cola.

One 4 pack of Hansens Natural Green Tea Pomegranate Soda cost $3.59 at the time of purchase from Meijer SuperStore. You probably could have gotten a 12 pack of Coca Cola or Pepsi for that price, but since I am no longer a slave to soda - I have beaten my 3 - 6 can a day habit - I would probably buy this when I am in the mood for a few sodie-pops. I think I might just give up Coke and Pepsi for good. I mean, first I discovered Izze Sparkling Pomegrante [read the review] and now this - say goodbye to a former loyal customer Coke and Pepsi!

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