“Tea can have just as much caffeine, we just tend to find that it takes longer to hit you, it’s more of a steady buzz. Where coffee brings you up then down pretty quickly.” ~ Courtney Kammerer

The following guest post, written by Bret Wingert, explores some of the in-depth details on caffeine and more specifically,  it’s influence with compounds specifically found in tea, and it’s effects on the human body.

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There’s a lot of folklore and myths about caffeine and tea – All tea comes from the same plant and all teas contain some amount of caffeine.

So, How much is in my cup?

This is one of the most asked questions we get. The answer is: “It depends”. A variety of factors determine the caffeine content in the dry tea leaf and in the steeped leaf.

Since caffeine is a natural pesticide, the younger shoots and leaves have more caffeine than the more mature tea leaves. Like wine, the terroir (e.g., type of tea plant, soil texture, climate, and elevation) plays a role in how much caffeine the tea leaf produces.   For example, a Silver Needle white tea with only buds can approach the caffeine of black teas.

Figure 1 Ref. Dr. Paul Holmgren, PhD, www.Drpaulsupdates.org

Processing methods also matter when it comes to the caffeine content in your cup. Green and black teas undergo different processing and the oxidation step of black tea production changes the cellular structure of the leaf in such a way that caffeine is more readily available to dissolve in water.   The result is that green teas generally yield less caffeine in the cup than black teas.

Steeping time and water temperature have a great impact on the caffeine level in your cup as well. Caffeine is water-soluble and the longer it is exposed to water, the more caffeine molecules are released – in short, the longer and hotter you steep your tea, the more caffeine you’ll end up with. This explains, in part, why your green or white tea tends to have less caffeine than your black tea. The recommended steeping time for most green and white teas is 2-3 minutes in 175F water, whereas black tea is typically steeped between 3-5 minutes in boiling water.

How does tea compare with other sources of caffeine?

Due to the many factors contributing to the caffeine content, it is difficult to provide exact measurements. On average, however, an 8 oz cup of black tea has 85 mg caffeine and an 8 oz cup of green tea has 40-60mg of caffeine. In comparison, an 8 oz cup of drip coffee contains 135 mg, a 12oz can of Coke 34mg.

Why does tea give me a lift and not a jolt?

The caffeine in tea is called theine (tay-eene) and metabolizes differently in the body than the caffeine in coffee. Researchers found, for example, that the high content of antioxidants found in tea slows the absorption of caffeine, resulting in a gentler effect that seems to last longer and without the abrupt let-down often experienced with coffee.

Besides caffeine, tea also contains the amino acid L-theanine (L-tay ah neen). L-theanine is relaxing and counteracts the stimulating effects of caffeine by increasing those neurotransmitters in the brain whose overall effect is to quiet brain activity. Instead of getting the jitters, tea drinkers experience a sense of calm with improved brain function. Recent studies also show that L-theanine may help protect the liver, alleviate high blood pressure and improve immune system function.

Are decaffeinated teas better for me?

During the decaffeination process, the tea leaves are first moistened before the caffeine is extracted using a solvent. Ethyl acetate, methylene chloride, or highly pressurized carbon dioxide strips the caffeine from the leaves. To remove any solvent residues, the leaves are steamed and finally dried again. The decaffeination process greatly reduces the amount of caffeine, but won’t remove it completely. On average, a cup of decaffeinated tea still has 5mg caffeine.

Teas decaffeinated with the gentler CO2 method retain most of the health properties, but even here, some of the antioxidant properties may be lost.

Note: Some recommend steeping/rinsing tea for 30 seconds to “decaffeinate” tea.  Analysis shows that this does not workand removes a lot of flavor and “good stuff” as well.

Some practical suggestions:

- Want a lot of caffeine? Drink black tea or high-end white teas with lots of buds

- Want to go light on the caffeine – Green Teas (steeped properly) are a good choice.  Go for a Bancha to minimize the caffeine

- Want Zero Caffeine? Avoid Tea – consider herbals such as Rooibos that are caffeine free without the extra processing

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Bret Wingert is Founder & Vice President of Souvia Tea, a growing loose tea retail and wholesale provider with stores in Pheonix and Scottsdale. More of his insights and writing can be found at @souviatea or souviatea.com/blog .

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