One of the most often asked questions we receive is…”How much caffeine does this tea have?” It’s a complicated question, with a complicated answer! The industry has long been guilty of making contradictory statements about caffeine in tea. But now we can put some scientific evidence behind it and make statements closer to reality.
Although tea is known to have less caffeine than coffee, many factors come into play. For instance, it was once thought that the variety of tea – Black Tea, Green Tea, Oolong, White – determined the amount of caffeine. Most published articles stated that black tea carried the most, while white tea carried the least. Oolong and green tea were in the middle.
A new scientific study has been led by Bruce Richardson, who, after owning his own retail tea business for 14 years, has become a leading author and authority on tea – a true tea maestro. Mr. Richardson partnered with Dr. Bruce Branan, Professor of Chemistry at Asbury College, Kentucky, for a scientific study of caffeine in tea.
Seven well-known teas were tested, with careful attention to standardized procedures and the use of new state-of-the-art equipment. The Asbury study concluded that most teas contain approximately 55 milligrams of caffeine per 7-oz cup, regardless of tea type. Coffee, by the way, carries 130-200 milligrams of caffeine per cup. While these results were expected for Assam (commonly consumed for its known high caffeine levels), it was a surprise to find that the white and green teas also tested at this level.
Richardson then consulted his contacts in the tea industry to learn how tea processing affects caffeine levels. He discovered that caffeine is most prevalent in the newest leaves of the tea bush. Although teas made from the youngest leaves are known to be higher in antioxidants and nutrients than teas made with older leaves, they are also higher in caffeine.
That means teas made with just the bud are the highest in caffeine, and teas made with two leaves and a bud (most green and black teas) have considerably less. Regardless of the variety of tea you consume, your caffeine intake will likely remain the same, assuming identical temps and steeping times.
Generally speaking, broken tea leaves will infuse more caffeine into your brew than whole (loose) leaves. Grocery-store teabags often contain very broken grades of tea, which tend to impart higher caffeine levels.
What does all this mean to the tea drinker? Water temperature and steeping times matter more to caffeine levels than the type of tea you drink. So if you want to reduce your caffeine intake, use lower water temperature and steep for shorter times. You will also get more infusions from your tea, as the flavor and caffeine will carry over to your next brew. Or switch to a 50% blend of tea and fruit/herbal ingredients to halve the caffeine level.
Rooibos and Fruit Tisanes are naturally caffeine-free because they do not contain any actual tea. Cottage Garden Teas offers many caffeine-free and Decaf Teas for those who wish to remove all caffeine from their diets, as well as many tea-herb fusions for reduced caffeine levels.
