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How Much Caffeine is in Tea?
The amount of caffeine in tea is dependent on the type of tea one is referring to. There are significant differences in green tea and black tea, for example. The other difference, of course, is in whether the tea has been specifically manufactured to reduce the amount of caffeine in it.
Generally speaking, the amount of caffeine in black tea, by far the most popular type of tea in the West, including the United States, is slightly more than the amount of caffeine in major soft drink brands -- at least those that are not specifically known for their caffeine content. In some cases, this may be enough of a difference to encourage some individuals to change their minds on what they going to drink.
The other thing to remember when choosing a tea is that brands originating from outside the United States often have a different caffeine content, on average, than those from with the U.S. In fact, there are often 33 percent more milligrams of caffeine in brands from outside the United States. This may also play a role in the decision-making process of some tea drinkers, especially if caffeine is a concern.
In general, caffeine in tea is thought to average approximately 60 milligrams for brands in the United States. This compares to Pepsi®, which has 37.5 milligrams. Coca-Cola Classic® has 34 milligrams of caffeine. However, oftentimes people do not drink as much tea, especially hot tea, in a single sitting as they may various soft drinks. Therefore, comparisons using the same amount of liquids may not be the most accurate measure.
For green tea, the caffeine content is much lower. This is just one of the many of the health benefits associated with the green tea product. It has 66 percent less caffeine, on average, than American brands of black tea. Although the tea is less popular in Western cultures, its health benefits have increasingly helped it gain market share. Caffeine is just one of the considerations which may be helping this product gain market share all over the world.
For those who like the taste of black tea, there are other options that may help them if they are concerned about caffeine. These products are called decaffeinated tea, or decaf tea. This type of tea is not completely caffeine free, but cuts down by as much as 90 to 95 percent amount of caffeine in a product. This can be done with no noticeable effect on taste.
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![A cup of tea.]()
By: gtranquillityA cup of tea. -
![Herbal teas usually contain little or no caffeine.]()
By: hitdelightHerbal teas usually contain little or no caffeine. -
![Caffeinated tea typically has almost double the caffeine of popular colas.]()
By: RTimagesCaffeinated tea typically has almost double the caffeine of popular colas. -
![Assam and other bold black teas typically contain higher levels of caffeine when compared to other teas.]()
By: Fisher PhotostudioAssam and other bold black teas typically contain higher levels of caffeine when compared to other teas.
Discussion Comments
@SurfNturf -I have heard of cases like that because those drinks have as much caffeine as a few cups of coffee. I think that caffeine overdose like that reminds us of the dangers of caffeine intoxication.
A few cups of coffee in the morning are fine but drinking coffee throughout the day doesn’t seem healthy. Caffeine also acts like a diuretic and makes you feel a little dehydrated after a while. You should really drink more water when you drink anything with caffeine.
I think that a little caffeine is great. They say that the benefits of caffeine include improved memory and alertness and it is also supposed to reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer’s.
I think that if your caffeine levels are moderate and you don’t drink too much caffeine it should not have any negative effects. I think that the problem lies when we drink too much caffeine.
There was a story that I was watching in the news the other day in which a young man had to be rushed to the emergency room because he had about 15 energy drinks that day.
He was a truck driver and drank these on the road without even realizing how much caffeine he was ingesting. He said that is heart was racing and beating really fast. It was sort of scary.
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