When temperatures fall, it’s not uncommon to exchange your usual iced beverage for something warm and soothing—like tea. As you sort through your stash of tea bags or loose leaves, though, you might wonder if there’s one type that stands out as the healthiest.
While dietitians agree that all teas deliver some benefits, three experts say one variety has the most to offer.
All three dietitians Health spoke to agree: green tea tops the list for wellness.
According to registered dietitian and The Sound of Cooking founder Cindy Chou, RDN, green tea has been studied more extensively than other varieties, providing stronger evidence for its health benefits.
Green tea contains high amounts of antioxidants—compounds that can neutralize free radicals, unstable molecules that damage cells—like L-theanine and a group of flavonoids called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). These antioxidants may explain research pointing to green tea’s potential benefits, experts said.
Chief among them, according to Maggie Moon, MS, RD, author of The MIND Diet: 2nd Edition, is a boost to brain health.
A 2017 review, for example, found that green tea influenced factors such as anxiety, memory, and attention, while a 2025 study reported that older adults who regularly drank green tea had fewer of the brain lesions associated with dementia compared to non-drinkers.
Green tea’s benefits may extend to the cardiovascular system as well. Studies have found that drinking green tea may help lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol and total cholesterol, indirectly supporting heart health. (That said, evidence suggests black tea may offer similar benefits.)
When it comes to cancer prevention, however, the evidence is less convincing. Still, one study found some, albeit “weak,” evidence that green tea might reduce the risk of certain cancers—including bladder, gastric, and esophageal types—but found no similar association for black tea.
In general, a cup of green tea is a healthy choice—one you can enjoy hot in the winter or iced in the summer. Just remember that it does contain caffeine—about 30 to 50 milligrams per cup, Moon said—so it might not be appropriate for everyone.
Chou noted that experts recommend that pregnant and breastfeeding women limit their caffeine intake to under 200 milligrams per day and that children under 12 avoid caffeine altogether.
People with anxiety disorders that are exacerbated by caffeine may also need to limit green tea, added Jennifer Bianchini, MS, RD, IFNCP, RYT, functional dietitian and founder of Body to Soul Health.
“For most healthy adults, less than 400 milligrams of caffeine (up to about eight 8-ounce cups of green tea) is generally considered safe,” Chou said. That said, caffeine can affect different people in different ways, and some people are especially sensitive.
All teas offer health benefits. But when you have the choice—and you’d like to make it an especially healthy one—opt for green tea. Its bevy of antioxidants may support critical areas of well-being, including your cells, brain, and heart.
