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Is There Caffeine in Green Tea?

T. Alaine
T. Alaine

Most varieties of green tea that have not been treated by a decaffeinating process naturally contain varying amounts of caffeine. There is no single standard for the amount of caffeine in green tea, as the many different preparations, types of tea, and methods of brewing all produce different measures. While many commercial green tea preparations hover around 30 milligrams of caffeine per serving, depending on a variety of possible treatments and processes, the amounts of caffeine in green tea generally waver between 15 and 75 milligrams per cup.

Many people find it helpful to compare the amount of caffeine in green tea to the amount of caffeine in coffee. Most green tea brews will have a little bit less caffeine than standard brewed coffee, however green tea has far less caffeine than espresso coffee. Black tea also tends to contain more caffeine than most preparations of green tea.

Green tea.
Green tea.

The tea leaves themselves are a good place to start decoding the amount of caffeine in green tea. Young, tender, sweet buds and leaves will generally produce a tea that contains higher level of caffeine. Generally, these parts of the tea plants produce richer, sweeter, higher quality green tea, but the natural price of this robust flavor is higher amounts of caffeine.

Green tea contains comparatively less caffeine than coffee.
Green tea contains comparatively less caffeine than coffee.

There are a few options for purchasing or brewing green tea that is lower in caffeine if high levels are a concern. First of all, many commercial brands of tea bags are available in decaffeinated preparations. These teas contain very little or no caffeine, but purists tend to criticize a decrease in nutritional value and flavor integrity due to the additional processing.

Green tea has much less caffeine than espresso.
Green tea has much less caffeine than espresso.

In order to maintain the integrity of flavor and also decrease the caffeine in green tea, it may be wise to avoid commercially prepared and packaged tea bags. Tea bags contain a single-serving dose of tea, and therefore usually produce a brewed cup with higher amounts of caffeine. Unlike tea bags, loose tea leaves are potent enough to be reused, and each reuse results in lower levels of caffeine in the tea. Individuals seeking a highly caffeinated cup of green tea should enjoy cups brewed from new tea leaves, as the tea brewed from unused leaves will produce the highest levels of caffeine. Accordingly, green tea enthusiasts who do not wish to consume as much caffeine can simply brew the leaves, discard the first cup of tea, and proceed to brew another cup with the same leaves to produce a beverage with less caffeine.

Discussion Comments

literally45

I completely agree with the article that fresh green tea has more caffeine.

I usually drink green tea that I get from the grocery store. Last week, my coworker gave me some Chinese green tea that she brought from China. The tea she gave me is amazing. It's clearly very fresh because it has a more vibrant green color and a stronger scent. I drank it after dinner and the caffeine in it kept me up! This never happens with my regular green tea!

ddljohn

@turquoise-- I think that depends on your tolerance to caffeine. Green tea has very little caffeine. As far as I know, white tea has the least caffeine, then green tea, then black tea.

If you don't drink much caffeine in general, green tea might be enough to wake you up in the morning. I drink both coffee and black tea everyday so my caffeine tolerance is kind of high. When I drink green tea, nothing happens. That's why I usually have it in the evening.

Green tea is extremely beneficial though. It's full of antioxidants, it suppresses appetite and it's gentle on the stomach. My sister drinks several cups of green tea daily for weight loss.

turquoise

I don't like black tea or coffee. If I have green tea in the morning, will it help me wake up? Does green tea have enough caffeine content to give an energy boost?

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    • Green tea.
      By: NataliTerr
      Green tea.
    • Green tea contains comparatively less caffeine than coffee.
      By: aleksandra_1981
      Green tea contains comparatively less caffeine than coffee.
    • Green tea has much less caffeine than espresso.
      By: Alessandro Capuzzo
      Green tea has much less caffeine than espresso.
    • Green tea naturally contains caffeine.
      By: vgstudio
      Green tea naturally contains caffeine.
    • The levels of caffeine in green tea vary depending on how the tea was prepared.
      By: Fisher Photostudio
      The levels of caffeine in green tea vary depending on how the tea was prepared.