How much caffeine does a cup of tea contain? The simple answer is: it depends. There are two main variables that influence the caffeine content of a cup of brewed tea: the type of leaf and the tea preparation method. First, let’s examine the type of leaf. On average, tea leaves contain 3% caffeine by weight, although this can range from 1.4% to 4.5%. Many factors determine the caffeine content in the dry leaf, such as soil chemistry, altitude, type of tea plant, position of the leaf on the tea bush and cultivation practices. For example, the young bud and first leaf generally have slightly more caffeine than leaves picked from the lower part of the tea bush. The leaves from the small leaf China tea plant (camellia sinensis) tend to have lower caffeine levels than the leaves from the large leaf Assam tea plant (camellia assamica). One factor that does not impact caffeine level is the level of oxidation. Green, oolong, black and white teas all contain caffeine. No one category of tea has more or less caffeine than another. Again, it all depends on the particular tea in question. Next, let’s take a look at the tea preparation method. There are many parameters that affect caffeine content such as the amount of leaf, the leaf particle size, water temperature and steeping time. For example, tea steeped in hot water for a longer time will release more of its caffeine than tea steeped with cooler water for a shorter period. A smaller leaf tea will release more of its caffeine than a larger leaf tea. A Department of Nutritional Services report provides the following ranges of caffeine content for a cup of tea made with loose leaves: Black Tea: 23 - 110 mg Oolong Tea: 12 - 55 mg Green Tea: 8 - 36 mg White Tea: 6 – 25 mg thefragrantleaf/caffeine-and-tea
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 07:36:42 +0000
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