The Ingredient List on an Arizona Diet Green Tea Label

Arizona Diet Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey is a beverage manufactured in the United States. Arizona was started in New York City in 1992 by friends and business partners John Ferolito and Don Vultaggio. The brand is marketed as a healthy alternative to drinking soda. According to the company website, the goal is to create products using natural ingredients without artificial flavors or colors. The diet green tea does contain an artificial sweetener.

Brewed green tea is the first ingredient on the Arizona diet green tea label. In the United States, ingredients are listed in order of predominance, with the most predominant ingredient listed first. Green tea is filled with antioxidants, a substance that combats free radicals in the body. Free radicals damage cells. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, green tea can also help ward off high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries, and certain types of cancer.

Honey is the second ingredient on the Arizona diet green tea label. Honey is a natural sweetener. High in carbohydrates, it serves as a natural energy source.

Citric acid is the third ingredient on the Arizona diet green tea label. Citric acid is a natural organic acid that is found in citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit. Manufacturers sometimes use citric acid as a flavoring. It is also a natural preservative.

Ascorbic acid is the fourth ingredient on the Arizona diet green tea label. Ascorbic acid is a water-soluble version of vitamin C. Vitamin C is important to help grow and repair cells and tissue in your body. It is also an antioxidant. People who have vitamin C deficiencies are prone to diseases such as scurvy.

Natural flavors is the fifth ingredient on the Arizona diet green tea label. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the term natural flavor is used to describe any extracts or essential oils made from a fruit, vegetable, herb, plant material, meat, poultry or seafood. It can also be a fermented version of one of those products.

Sucralose, the sixth ingredient on the Arizona diet green tea label, is an artificial sweetener with zero calories and zero carbohydrates. Arizona uses Splenda in its diet tea product, an artificial sweetener made from sugar.

The seventh ingredient on the Arizona diet green tea label is acesulfame potassium, or acesulfame K, another artificial sweetener. Although the Food and Drug Administration has approved acesulfame K as a food additive, in the September 2006 issue of "Environmental Health Perspectives," Dr. Myra L. Karstadt writes that further study is needed to further determine the long-term safety of the sweetener.

Ginseng extract is the final ingredient on the Arizona diet green tea label. Ginseng is an herb found in Asia. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, traditional uses of ginseng include decreasing blood sugar levels, lowering blood pressure and increasing stamina.