Whether it’s tea bags to loose-leaf tea, different tea types contain different amounts of caffeine. While 8 ounces of a typical coffee will contain between 90 and 250 mg of caffeine, a typical black tea may contain between 12-75 mg of caffeine. For this reason, coffee still has more caffeine than most teas in the world.
If you want to avoid caffeine, you should consider using herbal teas instead of other types of teas, with the only exception to this being the Yerba Mate which has more caffeine than all other herbal teas in the world. Caffeine level measurements are usually reported in terms of mg/8 oz cup, but the issue here is people rarely consume 8 oz of tea or coffee.
Most teas should have between 15 and 70 mg of caffeine per cup and it remains a myth that white and green tea are always lower in caffeine, as research has concluded that there are several brands of white and green tea that have caffeine levels higher than 70 mg.
New hybrids of teas such as Zest Team which is designed to boost the body’s energy levels have been found to contain higher quantities of caffeine than other teas in the world today. Most teas come from the evergreen plant, Camellia sinensis, especially the white, green, black, and Oolong teas. This plant contains substantial amounts of caffeine.
Most herbal teas, on the other hand, are not made from caffeine-rich plants.Researchers believe that one of the main primary functions of caffeine in plants is to act as a defense system to deter insect and other herbivores through the bitter taste, as well as stimulating features. It is important to note that the younger the leaves of tea plants, the higher the caffeine levels.
There are several factors that contribute to the amount of caffeine in a particular tea. These include:
- The tea-growing region
- Variety of plant
- Age of plant
- Age of leaf
- The length of the growing season
- Soil nutrients
- Other conditions such as field conditions, the amount of rainfall, and conditions such as pest infestation.
The final caffeine content of a tea can also depend on the final processing method used in making the tea. How a tea is prepared will play a critical role in how much caffeine eventually ends in your cup. For instance, the temperature of water, brewing time, as well as the total time the leaves are allowed to steep. Generally, the hotter the water, the more the leaves, and the longer the steeping time the more caffeine there will be.
Which is the most caffeinated tea?
When all teas are subjected to the same factors, the most caffeinated tea is black tea, which contains between 60-90 mg per 8 oz cup. This is followed by the Oolong tea, which contains between 50-75 mg per 8 oz cup.
The green tea follows the Oolong tea when it comes to caffeine levels, with levels ranging from 35 to 70 mg, while the white tea contains the least amount of caffeine, at between 30-55 mg per 8 oz cup.
Despite the variations in the amount of caffeine in different tea, one cannot generalize on the caffeine contents by simply distinguishing between tea types. The United States of America’s department of Agriculture still believes that the general myth of black coffee having more caffeine than other types of tea is not acceptable.
The ministry of Agriculture seems to have based this assumption on the fact that no two different types of teas can be subjected to the same factors at the same time; hence, the factors of steeping tea, the concentration of caffeine in the individual tea leaves, as well as temperatures of water will eventually determine how much caffeine is present in tea. The parts of the plants used in making a tea can also determine how much caffeine is inside. For instance, the leaves, stem, root, buds, and sometimes flowers are used in making a tea.
Leave buds and younger leaves, for instance, have higher caffeine than matured and older leaves. While the older leaves seem to use up most of their caffeine to repel insects and other herbivores, younger leaves still retain most of their caffeine.
Similarly, some caffeine contents of some plants are mostly concentrated in their stems. Most white teas are made from matured leaves that have lost most of their caffeine concentration, which is the reason why white tea seems to have the lowest caffeine levels.
How much caffeine in tea is safe to consume?
According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a daily consumption of between 100 and 300 mg of caffeine is tea is considered relatively safe for most people; however, pregnant women are advised to stay away from caffeinated tea and coffee at all trimesters of pregnancies.
It is also believed that the consumption of between 500-600 mg of caffeinated tea can cause serious health problems. Individuals suffering from impaired liver functioning and those taking certain medications do have lower safety thresholds when it comes to caffeinated tea.
With this minimum threshold, an adult can take a maximum of 4 – 6 cups of 60 mg caffeinated tea a day, while pregnant women have a limit of between one or two cups. Those consuming weaker Teas such as the white tea containing 30 mg per cup can consume twice the recommended daily limits.
Different people also react to caffeine in different ways, hence the amount that is considered safe for an individual may not be safe for someone else. There are certain hidden components of tea that can also interact with the effect of caffeine in tea. For instance, tea contains L-theanine, which is known to interact with caffeine in the body and allows some smaller dose of caffeine to have much more effect in the system.
The effect of substances like L-theanine can be positive, causing higher levels of concentrations and alertness—this explains why tea is known to boost alertness in people who seem to have difficulty maintaining peak performances with the consumption of other caffeinated substances such as coffee.