Does Green Tea Contain Caffeine?
Does green tea contain caffeine?
Caffeine is currently one of the most 'black-listed' substances of our modern times. It stimulates the central nervous system , dilates blood vessels, increases heart rate and speeds up metabolism.
It also helps move wastes through the body.
Caffeine can be quite toxic in extreme quantities - producing irritability, nervousness and insomnia.
The good news is that you would need to drink 2 to 3 cups of tea for every cup of coffee to receive the same amount of caffeine.
The amount of caffeine in green tea is considerably lower again because of the different fermentation process it undergoes. Black tea contains just over 2% caffeine by weight.
If you want even less caffeine, you can infuse the leaves for a shorter time. Smaller leaves extract caffeine into the water faster.
Following are the caffeine quantity approximations for teas with various brewing times.
Caffeine in a 5oz. Cup:
Decaffeinated tea...........4mg.
green tea, loose leaves.....8-16mg. (maximum infusion time)
Oolong tea, loose leaves....12-55mg. (maximum infusion time)
Instant tea(8ozs.)..........12-28mg.
Black tea, loose leaves (brewed 3 mins.)...20-46mg.
Black tea, tea bag (brewed 5 mins).........46-108mg.
Iced tea (12oz. can)........22-36mg.
As you can see, green tea comes out very well with a low caffeine level, if you are looking at cutting down on your caffeine intake.
All the current research into green tea's effects on the body is creating a lot of optimism in the scientific community. It shows that the benefits from drinking green tea are definitely positive. Tea drinking has long been seen as a peaceful occupation by all the cultures that have enjoyed it for centuries.
It is thought that the flavonoids in green tea (polyphenols) have a calming effect on the body and that this is only one of the very many medical benefits that green tea, because of its chemical composition, has on drinkers.
The only category of person who should be wary of the caffeine in green tea, is pregnant women. It is important for them to moderate their caffeine intake during pregnancy and breat-feeding, as caffeine crosses the placenta and also appears in breastmilk.
So does green tea contain caffeine? Yes, a little, but it may turn out that it is one of the healthiest beverages of all time!
Access the amazing "The Tea Centre" website to browse online and find out about a whole range of fine teas. If you are
in Australia, these can be ordered and in no time at all, you'll be sampling delicious and fragrant teas.
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