How Much Caffeine is in Your Tea?

Whether you enjoy tea to kickstart your morning or taste different flavors, each sip offers a unique caffeine experience. But have you ever wondered just how much caffeine lurks in your favorite tea?

According to the FDA, a healthy adult can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine per day. However, this might not be the same for all, especially for caffeine-sensitive people.

So, from this article, discover the total caffeine content in your tea per and manage your daily intake effortlessly.

What is caffeine?

Caffeine, bitter in taste, is one of the natural chemicals found in plants. It acts as a psychoactive stimulant, boosting your energy, and concentration. You may also sense an increased cortisol and adrenaline rush in your body. But, it might not have the same effect on people who are intolerant to caffeine.

Does your tea have caffeine?

All traditional teas made from Camellia Sinensis plants naturally contain caffeine. They are black tea, oolong tea, white tea, and green tea.

However, if you choose our Danfe Tea's herbal products like jasmine, moringa, rose, etc, they are totally caffeine-free.

For caffeine-sensitive people, you’ll also find decaffeinated tea.

How much caffeine is in your tea?

Well, the concentration of caffeine differs based on the type of tea you choose. Generally, black tea contains the highest, green tea offers a moderate kick, while white tea provides a gentler lift. We have included the approximate caffeine range in nine different types of tea below.

Black tea

The average amount of caffeine in black tea ranges from 30 - 60 mg. As per the FDA, a cup of 8 fl oz black tea has 47.4 mg of caffeine.

Oolong tea

On average, oolong tea’s total caffeine is around 10 - 60 mg per serving in an 8-ounce cup.

Green tea

According to the FDA, the caffeine level in an 8-ounce green tea ranges from 30 - 60 mg.

Matcha tea

As Matcha Tea is powdered green tea, they have a higher concentration of caffeine that is 18.9 - 44.4 mg. 

White tea

In White tea, you’ll most likely find a caffeine quantity of 6-55 mg.

Masala tea

Masala tea is a mixture of black tea and spices like cardamom, ginger, etc. In loose-leaf masala tea, you may expect 118 mg of caffeine. Similarly, in a masala tea bag, there’s 116 mg of caffeine.

Golden tips

In an 8-ounce cup, the caffeine level in Golden Tips tea varies from 40 to 95 mg.

Silver tips tea

In an 8-ounce cup, Silver Tip tea contains 30-50 mg of caffeine.

Milk tea chai

Milk tea chai’s caffeine content is 95 mg per cup.

Factors That Affect Caffeine Amount in Tea

Apart from the tea type, there are also other factors that impact the caffeine content. For Instance, some teas may be rich in caffeine because of their processing method or the tea leaves used. Let’s explore them below.

Processing Method

Firstly, the tea’s processing method can significantly influence the caffeine proportion. This includes the roasting, crushing, and oxidation process.

• Roasted: The tea leaves that are roasted usually have lower caffeine because of the heat exposure.
• Crushed: The tea that is processed by crushing has more caffeine in contrast to the whole tea leaves. One of the best examples is matcha vs loose-leaf green tea caffeine.
• Oxidized: Black teas have higher levels of caffeine because it is 100% oxidized. Unoxidized Green teas often have low caffeine. Likewise, half-oxidized Oolong tea has moderate caffeine.

Climate

Next, high-altitude tea has comparatively lower caffeine and a sweeter taste. But, the shade-grown tea leaves, rich in chlorophyll, naturally contain high caffeine. Similarly, in lower or warmer climates, there’s caffeine present in the tea plant.

Tea Leaves Age

Young tea leaves and buds generally tend to have high concentrations of caffeine. So, some teas made with harvested leaves like Darjeeling Indian black tea or Japanese green tea have larger caffeine.

On the other hand, there isn’t much caffeine in tea that is harvested after the leaves have fully developed.

Flush

Tea plants go through the continuous process of sprouting throughout the year. Then they're harvested in different seasons: spring, summer, and autumn.

First flush teas are harvested in the spring, second-flush in summer, and third flush in autumn. 

The first flush contains higher caffeine than the second and third flush.

Tips to Control Your Caffeine Intake in Tea

Although you can’t manage the natural caffeine content in your tea, you could adjust your daily consumption. All you need to do is slightly modify your preparation method in terms of tea quantity, steeping time, and water temperature. It can increase or decrease the caffeine level in your cup of tea.

• Serving Size: The bigger your tea serving size, the more excessive caffeine you are taking. 
• Brewing Time: The longer you spend infusing your tea bag or leaves, the higher the caffeine you’ll extract in your drink. If you want to reduce the caffeine intake, simply shorten the steeping time of your tea.
• Water Temperature: If you use boiling water(100°C) to make your tea, you’ll get two times more caffeine than the 80°C water. For cold water, you’ll have a very light and low caffeinated tea, despite the longer steep.

Is caffeine in tea bad for you?

While moderate caffeine consumption has beneficial effects on your health, excessive intake can have negative consequences.

When you drink too much tea, you may experience symptoms like insomnia, anxiety, dehydration, headache, increased heart rate, etc. That’s why caffeinated tea should be most likely avoided by

• Children below 12 years stated by American Academy of Pediatrics
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women
• People with anxiety disorder
• Insomniacs (People with sleeping disorder)
• Someone who’s diagnosed with diseases like cardiovascular, ulcer, arrhythmia, and high blood pressure

Caffeine-free Teas

If you are caffeine-sensitive, pure herbal teas could be an excellent option for you! Here are some of the herbal teas you can try.

• Holy Basil
• Tulsi
• Spearmint
• Cardamom
• Ginger
• Jasmine
• Lemon
• Lemongrass
• Rhododendron
• Rose

FAQs for Caffeine in your Tea

How much caffeine is in your tea vs coffee?

Coffee has two times more caffeine than tea. While there’s 47.4 mg of black tea, there’s 94.8 mg of caffeine in coffee per 8-ounce cup.

How much caffeine is in chai tea?

In Chai Tea, caffeine can range from 40 to 60 mg in an 8-ounce cup.

Which tea is highest and lowest in caffeine?

Generally, of all the teas, black tea has the most caffeine, while white tea has the least. However, as mentioned, other aspects also equally contribute to the caffeine content in your drink.

Can pregnant women drink tea?

Caffeine might have some effects on pregnant women. So, we suggest you consult your doctor or dietitian before you incorporate lifestyle changes such as trying new tea.

Conclusion

To sum it up, there are mainly three types of tea: caffeinated, caffeine-free, and decaffeinated. However, depending on your lifestyle, you could decide how much tea you wish to consume.

Danfe Tea provides an extensive range of loose-leaf teas with varying degrees of caffeine. If you want to try out, explore the rich flavors of teas from the Himalayas. Whether you’re seeking high-caffeine, low-caffeine, or caffeine-free beverages, you will surely enjoy the unique flavor of our tea.