What’s the best vitamin c tea? In this article, we’re going to talk all things vitamin c and tea. We’ll reveal which tea is highest in vitamin c, why does green tea have vitamin c and the synergistic benefits of consuming vitamin c with tea.

Let’s get brewing!

The best vitamin c tea

So right off the bat, what’s the best vitamin c tea? If you’ve been reading our other blog articles you can probably guess the answer is matcha. Matcha is the highest tea in virtually all nutrients, including vitamin c.

The reason matcha has the highest vitamin c in tea is because you are consuming the entire leaf, rather than just an extraction. Even though vitamin c is water soluble, a lot of it stays inside the leaf when you brew a normal green tea. 

Do other teas contain vitamin c?

So does tea have vitamin c if its in loose leaf form? Yes, but as we will cover in the next section it can be finicky. Depending on how its processed and how its brewed, you can really lower the vitamin c in tea.

What lowers vitamin c in tea

So now that we’ve explained the best vitamin c tea, let’s briefly go over what can lower the vitamin c in tea.

Oxidation

One major factor that lowers the vitamin c in tea is oxidation. This is the process that is used to make black and oolong teas, and it’s why unoxidized teas like white tea and green tea tend to be the highest vitamin c tea.

During the oxidation process, the polyphenols in the tea leaf are converted into theaflavins and thearubigans. The leaf changes from green to brown and the flavor trades these fresh and vegetal flavors for warmer notes of caramel and chocolate. The antioxidant content of the leaf is also reduced, including vitamin c.

Temperature

In addition to oxidation, the brewing temperature can also reduce the vitamin c in tea. Vitamin C begins to degrade when exposed to heat, and the rate of degradation increases as temperature rises. Hot water also exposes the tea to more oxygen, which decreases the effectiveness of the vitamin c.

This is a double edged sword because hotter water extracts the vitamin in tea more effectively, but it also damages the potency of that vitamin c. The reason matcha behaves differently is because it doesn’t need to be extracted, so you can use cooler water and still get all of the vitamin c.

Fermentation

Ferment a tea and vitamin c can actually increase! Fermentation can increase vitamin C in the case of a tea like kombucha because the live bacteria and yeast work in an acidic liquid environment that can produce, release, and protect vitamin C as the tea ferments.

This does not extend to puerh teas however, only fermented liquid teas like kombucha. 

Why does green tea have vitamin c

But why does the tea plant produce vitamin c? It’s certainly not to prevent us from getting colds! The vitamin c in tea acts as a front line antioxidant that protects the tea leaves from damage.

This damage occurs during photosynthesis as the plant produces reactive oxygen species. The younger leaves are more vulnerable, and therefore these leaves need higher levels of vitamin c. The green tea with vitamin c in the highest concentrations are sencha, gyokuro and matcha as these teas are made with the younger leaves.

List of tea and vitamin c content

Here is a chart that explains the different types of teas and their vitamin c content. The reason green tea and vitamin c seem to go hand in hand is because green tea is unoxidized. During the oxidation process used to make black tea and oolong tea, the vitamin c content is reduced.

This chart shows the total vitamin c content in 5 grams of leaves, but it’s important to remember with leaf teas, not all of it ends up in your cup. This is why matcha comes out on top when it comes to vitamin c, because all of the vitamin c in the leaves gets consumed.

The benefits of vitamin c with tea

So are there benefits of combining green tea and vitamin c? When you add vitamin c to your green tea, you are enhancing the health benefits of an already healthy drink. Here are a few reasons why you may want to add a little squeeze of lemon to your cup of tea.

Increasing antioxidants

In addition to being an antioxidant itself, vitamin c can also help protect green tea catechins from breaking down during digestion. This allows more of these antioxidants to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

Preserving the benefits

Vitamin C also lowers the pH of the drink, creating a more acidic environment that slows oxidation.

Better iron absorption

One of the most cited side effects of green tea consumption is that it can inhibit the bodies ability to absorb iron for up to an hour after drinking it. Vitamin c appears to blunt this effect, so if you combine green tea and vitamin c, you may be able to absorb more iron from your next meal.

You may want to try enjoying your green tea with vitamin c to get even more health benefits!

Final thoughts on vitamin c tea benefits

So if you want to get the benefits of vitamin c and green tea, your best bet is to go for a tea like matcha. This is unoxidized, made from the young leaves and it can be prepared at lower temperatures. If you really want to boost the benefits, you can combine green tea and vitamin c and squeeze a little lemon into your matcha.

Finally, when you drink matcha you are consuming the entire leaf. This means you get more caffeine, more theanine and more vitamin c per sip of this tea than with any other! If you want to try the best pesticide free matcha we’ve found during our travels around Japan you can browse our website.