Caffeine in Green Tea

Cafffeine in Green Tea

Is there caffeine in green tea?

There is caffeine in green tea - about 30mg per 8 ounce cup (240mls). This is considerably less than a cup of regular brewed coffee of the same amount, which is around 100mg.

What this means, is the caffeine in green tea will give you that morning buzz, but without the side effects (such as anxiety, nervousness), that often come with drinking coffee.

Many women have concerns about green tea and pregnancy- to find out more on this-just click HERE.

What do the experts say?

In a report published by the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine on caffeine consumption. It states that caffeine is �the most common mood-altering drug in the world�. It also states that in North America between 80-90% of adults and children consume caffeine. The average is around 280mg per day.

This equates to around 3 cups of regular coffee, or 9 cups of green tea. I realised I was drinking too much caffeine (over 6 cups a day), and found green tea was a great alternative.

The lower amount of caffeine in green tea means you can safely have 6-7 cups a day, without experiencing the side effects associated with drinking coffee.

Are there green tea side effects?

The report also states that over-consumption of caffeine (over 200mg) may result in �negative mood effects�, such as anxiety, nervousness and an upset stomach.

It also states that people with anxiety disorders, insomnia and pregnant women should reduce their consumption of caffeine, or eliminate it altogether.

What about decaffeinated green tea?

Many people look for decaffinated green tea, which you can buy in many supermarkets. Decaf green tea is very difficult to find in Japan, home to one of the highest drinking populations in the world. This is because removing the caffeine also alters the taste of the green tea. It also often removes much of the great health benefits- such as the polyphenolic content.

There are two methods used to remove the caffeine in green tea:

1. The first method involves using ethyl acetate, in this method much of the goodness is lost.
2. The second method uses carbon dioxide, and this method retains more of the nutritional goodness than the first method.

A tip to reduce the caffeine in green tea at home

If you would like to reduce the caffeine content in green tea, you can simply discard the green tea after the first brewing, and re-brew the tea. With each brewing the caffeine content will be reduced.

For more great info on Japanese green tea return to the home page

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