Though coffee is the drink with the greatest source of caffeine, not everyone is down for the bitter taste or adding calories with sugar and sweeteners. Tea doesn’t contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, but those who prefer tea leaves to coffee beans, you can still get your extra caffeine kick.
Like with coffee, the caffeine levels of tea are affected by different factors. Although black tea, green tea, milk tea, and oolong tea are all “true teas” derived from the same plant, the Camellia sinensis, each drink contains a different level of caffeine.
In an average 8 ounce cup:
- Black tea has 60-90 mg
- Oolong tea has 50-75 mg
- Green tea has 35-70 mg
- White tea has 30-55 mg
While this list is a typical rule, a tea’s caffeine levels can change depending on oxidation, brewing and steeping methods, tea grades, and growing methods.
What Is Oxidation?
A key influencer in a tea’s caffeine levels is oxidation, which is a series of chemical reactions that browns the tea leaves and effects the caffeine, flavor, and aroma of the final drink, according to World of Tea. To achieve oxidation, the tea leaves are rolled to produce cracks so the oxygen reacts with the plant’s enzymes. The less a tea is oxidized, the lighter it will be in caffeine, taste, and aroma. In general, black tea is the most oxidized and has the most caffeine, while white tea is the least oxidized and has the least caffeine.
The Different Types Of Tea:
Black tea, such as Earl Grey and English Breakfast, is the most oxidized and flavorful tea, which also makes it the most caffeinated. Each 8-ounce cup of black tea contains between 60 to 90 milligrams of caffeine.
Oolong tea rests between black tea and green tea regarding levels of oxidation, with each cup containing 50-75 mg of caffeine. This type of tea has been linked to lowering cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar levels, preventing allergies and helping with weight loss. It is traditionally a Chinese tea and still most popular in Southeast Asia.
Green tea is a common choice for tea drinkers who are looking to sip on a relaxing warm cup. It is low on caffeine, containing 35-70 mg per cup, and have a bittersweet taste. There is evidence indicating that drinking green tea can lead to a stronger immune system because the teas, such as Jasmine, are rich in antioxidants.
White tea only undergoes minimal oxidation, if any at all. This means that white tea has significantly less caffeine than its green and black counterparts, with only 30 to 55 mg per 8 oz cup. Along with its lack of caffeine, white teas such as White Peony are also more mild and sweet in taste.
Herbal Tea And Fruit Tea
Herbal teas and fruit teas are not classified as “true teas” from the Camellia sinensis plant. Instead, they are a mix of herbs, fruits and flowers.
Herbal teas and fruit teas, including chamomile and peach teas, do not contain any amount of caffeine because they are not made from the same plant most other teas are derived from and therefore do not undergo oxidation. However, because many herbal and fruit teas are made alongside “true teas,” sometimes contamination can occur and herbal teas might contain a few milligrams of caffeine.
How Do Steeping Methods Affect Caffeine Levels?
While in general black tea is the most caffeinated and white tea is the least caffeinated, the way you prepare the tea also plays a part in how much caffeine each cup has. Using more tea leaves, a higher temperature of water and longer brewing time all increase the levels of caffeine in your tea, regardless of type. For example, if you brew a green tea at a higher temperature and for a longer amount of time than an average cup of oolong tea, the green tea can have a higher concentration of caffeine even though oolongs are normally more caffeinated.
How Does Tea Grade Affect Caffeine Levels?
Tea grades are categories that are assigned to tea depending on the condition of its leaves. There are whole leaf grades, broken leaf grades, fannings grades and dust grades. As a general rule, broken leaves typically dispense more caffeine into your drink than whole leaves. Teabags hold very broken grades, so they tend to give your tea greater caffeine levels than if you use loose tea leaves. However, using tea bags prevents the tea from reaching their full flavor and aroma potential, so the taste is more subdued than if you were using loose leaves.
What About Caffeine In Powdered Teas?
Powdered teas, such as Matcha green tea, are particularly high in caffeine. The caffeine content is so high in Matcha that some choose to drink it regularly in place of coffee because, typically, the caffeine levels in Matcha are double the levels of regular green tea. This is because Matcha is made from crushed leaves, not just an infusion of leaves and hot water. By drinking Matcha, you are consuming entire tea leaves, so you are drinking all of the caffeine it contains instead of a fraction. Matcha is also shade-grown, which influences its caffeine levels (read more on shade-grown teas below).
Do Growing Methods Affect Caffeine In Tea?
It’s not all about how you steep your tea, a drink’s caffeine levels are also influenced from how the leaves are grown. Shade-grown teas like Matcha have higher levels of caffeine because of shifts in chlorophyll and amino acids that take place as the plants are shaded from sunlight before harvest.
Ingawa kahawa ni kinywaji chenye caffeine nyingi, si kila mtu anayependa ladha yake kali au kuongeza kalori kwa sukari na vitamu. Chai haina caffeine nyingi kama kikombe cha kahawa, lakini wale ambao wanapendelea majani ya chai kwa maharagwe ya kahawa, bado unaweza kupata kick yako ya ziada ya caffeine. Kama ilivyo na kahawa, viwango vya kafeini katika chai huathiriwa na mambo mbalimbali. Ingawa chai nyeusi, chai ya kijani, chai ya maziwa, na chai ya oolong ni "chao halisi" zinazotokana na mmea uleule, Camellia sinensis, kila kinywaji kina kiwango tofauti cha kafeini. Katika kikombe cha wastani cha 8 ounce, chai nyeusi ina 60-90 mg, chai ya Oolong ina 50-75 mg, chai ya kijani ina 35-70 mg, na chai nyeupe ina 30-55 mg. Oksidation Ni Nini? "Kama matokeo ya athari ya oxidation, ""mfululizo wa athari za kemikali ambazo huchoma majani ya chai na kuathiri caffeine, ladha na harufu ya kinywaji cha mwisho.""" Ili kufikia oksidi, majani ya chai huzunguzwa ili kutokeza nyufa ili oksijeni iingilie kati na enzymes za mmea. Kadiri chai ilivyo chini ya oksidi, ndivyo itakavyokuwa nyepesi katika kafeini, ladha, na harufu. Kwa ujumla, chai nyeusi ni oxidized zaidi na ina caffeine zaidi, wakati chai nyeupe ni chini ya oxidized na ina caffeine kidogo. Chai nyeusi, kama vile Earl Grey na English Breakfast, ni chai yenye oksijeni na ladha zaidi, ambayo pia inafanya kuwa na kafeini zaidi. Kikombe kimoja cha chai nyeusi kina miligramu 60 hadi 90 za kafeini. Oolong ni chai ya rangi ya kijani na rangi ya kijani, na kila kikombe kina caffeine ya 50 mg. Aina hii ya chai imehusianishwa na kupunguza kolesteroli, kudumisha viwango vya sukari ya damu, kuzuia mzio na kusaidia kupoteza uzito. Ni chai ya jadi ya Kichina na bado ni maarufu zaidi katika Asia ya Kusini-Mashariki. Chai ya kijani ni chaguo la kawaida kwa wale wanaokunywa chai ambao wanatafuta kunywa kikombe cha joto cha kupumzika. Ni chini ya caffeine, yenye 35-70 mg kwa kikombe, na kuwa na ladha bittersweet. Kuna ushahidi unaoonyesha kwamba kunywa chai ya kijani inaweza kuimarisha mfumo wa kinga kwa sababu chai kama vile jasmine zina antioxidants nyingi. Chai nyeupe hupata oksijeni kidogo tu, ikiwa ipo kabisa. Hii inamaanisha kuwa chai nyeupe ina caffeine kidogo kuliko chai nyeusi na kijani, na ni 30-55 mg kwa kikombe cha 8 oz. Mbali na kutokuwa na kafeini, chai nyeupe kama vile White Peony pia huwa na ladha laini na tamu zaidi. Chai ya Mimea na Chai ya Matunda Chai ya Mimea na Chai ya Matunda haifanyiwi kama <unk> chai za kweli <unk> kutoka kwa mmea wa Camellia sinensis. Badala yake, ni mchanganyiko wa mimea, matunda, na maua. Chai za mimea na matunda, pamoja na chai za chamomile na peach, hazina kiasi chochote cha caffeine kwa sababu hazitengenezwa kutoka kwa mmea huo ambao chai zingine nyingi zinatokana na hivyo hazipiti oksidi. Hata hivyo, kwa sababu chai nyingi za mitishamba na za matunda hutengenezwa pamoja na "chao halisi", nyakati nyingine uchafuzi waweza kutokea na chai za mitishamba zaweza kuwa na miligram chache za kafeini. Mbinu za Kuingiza Mafuta Hutaathirije Kiwango cha Kofiini? Wakati chai nyeusi ina caffeine nyingi na chai nyeupe haina caffeine nyingi, njia ya kutayarisha chai pia ina jukumu katika kiasi cha caffeine kila kikombe. Kwa kutumia majani ya chai zaidi, joto la juu la maji na muda mrefu wa kutayarisha, yote huongeza viwango vya kafeini katika chai yako, bila kujali aina. Kwa mfano, ikiwa unaweka chai ya kijani kwenye joto la juu na kwa muda mrefu kuliko kikombe cha kawaida cha chai ya oolong, chai ya kijani inaweza kuwa na mkusanyiko wa juu wa kafeini, ingawa oolong kawaida huwa na kafeini zaidi. Aina ya Chai Huathirije Kiwango cha Caffeine? Viwango vya chai ni makundi ambayo hutolewa kwa chai kulingana na hali ya majani yake. Kuna madarasa ya majani nzima, madarasa ya majani kuvunjwa, madarasa fannings na madarasa vumbi. Kwa kawaida, majani yaliyovunjika hutoa kafeini nyingi zaidi katika kinywaji chako kuliko majani yote. Matofaa ya chai yana kiwango cha juu cha caffeine, na kwa hivyo huongeza kiwango cha caffeine ya chai yako kuliko kutumia majani ya chai. Hata hivyo, kutumia mifuko ya chai huzuia chai kufikia ladha yao kamili na harufu ya uwezekano, hivyo ladha ni zaidi subdued kuliko kama wewe walikuwa kutumia majani huru. Namna Gani Kahawa Iliyo Katika Chakula cha Chai? Chai zenye unga, kama vile chai ya kijani ya Matcha, zina kiasi kikubwa cha kafeini. Matcha ina kiasi kikubwa cha caffeine, na baadhi ya watu huamua kunywa caffeine badala ya kahawa kwa sababu caffeine yake ni mara mbili ya ile ya chai ya kijani. Matcha hutengenezwa kwa majani yaliyopondwa, sio maji ya moto. Matcha ni chai ambayo hutumia majani yote ya chai, na hivyo kunywa caffeine yote ambayo ina, badala ya sehemu ndogo. Matcha pia hupandwa kwa kivuli, ambayo huathiri viwango vyake vya kafeini (soma zaidi juu ya chai zilizopandwa kwa kivuli hapa chini). Je, Mbinu za Kulima Huuathiri Kofi Katika Chai? Si kila kitu kuhusu jinsi wewe steep chai yako, kinywaji cha viwango vya caffeine pia ni kuathiriwa na jinsi majani ni kukua. Matcha ni chai ya kivuli ambayo ina kiwango cha juu cha caffeine kutokana na mabadiliko ya chlorophyll na amino asidi ambayo hufanyika wakati mimea inapokuwa na kivuli kutoka kwa jua kabla ya kuvuna.