Old Orchard Brands Green Tea Gets Healthy Kick From New Study

20/11/07 A Purdue University study funded by the National Institutes of Health released earlier this week has the phone lines ringing off the hook at leading beverage innovator, Old Orchard Brands. The study suggests that the combination of green tea and citrus increases the health benefits of tea. Since news of the study hit, Old Orchard reports online sales for its ready-to-drink organic Premium Green Tea Honey with Lemon have increased 400 percent week-to-week.

The study compared the effect of various beverage additives on naturally occurring antioxidants found in tea. These antioxidants are relatively unstable in non-acidic environments, such as in human intestines, so only a small percentage remains after digestion. The new findings suggest that complementing green tea with citrus juices likely increases the amount of antioxidants available for the body to absorb.

The ready-to-drink tea category is growing faster than any other segment of the beverage industry due in part to increased consumer awareness of the benefits of diets high in antioxidants. At more than $1 billion, the RTD tea category is twice the size of the energy drink segment.

"We introduced our line of organic tea/juice blends exactly one year ago," said Mark Saur, president and founder of Old Orchard Brands. "The product line has resonated well with consumers already in the know regarding the health benefits of tea, but certainly this study is creating awareness with a broader audience in the short term. Ideally a number of these people will decide to make it part of an ongoing healthy diet."

Old Orchard Brands Premium Tea is certified organic by the USDA and contains no preservatives, artificial colors and/or flavors. The line features four distinctive blends-Green Tea Pomegranate, Green Tea with Honey and Lemon, White Tea Southern Peach and Red (Rooibos) Tea with European Black Currant. It is available at Kroger stores across the U.S. at a suggested retail price of $2.99 per 64-ounce bottle.