Morning cup tea invigorates no less than coffee. Why does it help to wake up, gives a boost of energy? It's simple: the effects of caffeine. It excites nervous system, relieves fatigue, prevents lethargy, drowsiness. Many people doubt it, but there is definitely caffeine in green tea.

There is a common misconception: how stronger drink, the more alkaloid. It's not like that at all. Its content depends on the characteristics of growth, composition, location of the tea plantation, climatic conditions.

The colder the air, the slower the leaf grows and takes in more of this substance. Its amount also increases in direct sunlight.

The brewing method also affects. The longer it is brewed, the more it will be.

The process should not take more than 6 minutes, otherwise lipids and oils will begin to oxidize, giving bitterness.

How much alkaloid is there in one cup? Young leaves contain about 5% of this substance, and mature leaves - up to 1.5%. But, combined with tannin, it has a milder effect on the body.

How does it work?

The alkoloid has the following properties:

• gives a charge of vivacity;
• removes fats;
• helps with a hangover;
• prevents intoxication of the body;
• has a diuretic effect;
• normalizes blood circulation and pressure.

Green tea extract contains a large number of caffeine, therefore it is used to produce cosmetics: it tones the skin, keeps it youthful.

This substance is a psychomotor stimulant: enhances mental activity, gives a charge of strength, cheerfulness. In not large doses tones up the body, but it overuse can cause health problems. It dilates blood vessels, increases the number of heart contractions. Also stimulates thermogenesis, burns calories. Due to the increased breakdown of glycogen, subcutaneous fat is destroyed.

Doctors assure that an alkaloid is safe for a healthy person if consumed in moderation. How much caffeine is in green tea? What dose is considered acceptable? It is 1000 ml per day: you can drink a maximum of 12 cups.

How to brew?

To "Decaffeinate" drink, you need to pour the leaves for one minute hot water, then drain it, and pour boiling water over them again. After a few minutes, you can brew. Such a measure will allow to isolate the main dose of the alkaloid - its content will decrease by about 80%.

Who is "in the lead"?

Does green or black tea contain more caffeine?

Studies have proven that it is the former that contains a large dose of alkaloid. At the same time, its amount per cup was taken into account, recalculation was carried out for 1 sachet. In black, the dose was no more than 71 mg per sachet.

"Leaders" - varieties without added flavorings. This green tea has a high caffeine content - about 80 mg. This data is taken per cup, not dry sheets. In this case, the weight of the bag was taken into account: they can be 2 grams and 1.5 grams each. According to research, the highest dose for HERITAGE tea is 85 mg. And the "loser" was trademark DILMAH - about 60 mg.

People who want to reduce their alkaloid intake should not choose crushed leaves in sachets. As a rule, there is more of it, but the aroma is much poorer than that of leaf.

Plus, the leaves can be steeped two to three times before discarding.

Who is contraindicated for?

Why is it important to know if green tea contains caffeine, in what quantity? There is a category of people for whom the alkaloid is contraindicated.

It increases acidity, so it should not be consumed by those who suffer from stomach ulcers, gastritis. It is not recommended for people with high blood pressure, vascular diseases, atherosclerosis.

It is not advisable to drink tea if there is tachycardia, insomnia, hyperexcitability.

It is worth refraining from it for pregnant women, during lactation, before childbirth and during menstruation.

What do you need to know?

Many mothers mistakenly believe that this tea is less strong, so they offer it to young children. But it is worth remembering that doctors recommend giving it to babies after 2 years.

The caffeine in green and black tea and coffee is different. The first one has a significant advantage over the "coffee" one - it is not addictive, it is excreted from the body after 6 hours.

For the tea itself to be beneficial, you must drink it properly. Do not use it on an empty stomach, as it will irritate the stomach lining. But it is good to drink after meals to improve digestion.

In dry form, there is actually more caffeine in tea than coffee. But cooked it is the other way around. When cooked, a cup of tea contains ~ 3 times less caffeine than coffee, since preparation requires 3 times more coffee beans!

Factors that affect the amount of caffeine in a cup of tea

• Tea variety... For example, 100 g of black tea contains 20 mg of caffeine. As a rule, the higher the quality and the more expensive the tea, the more caffeine it contains. Most of the caffeine is found in young tea leaves (buds), which are present in any tea. 1 leaf of the flush contains ~ 4-5% caffeine, the second leaf - ~ 3-4%, the third - ~ 2-2.5%, and the rest - ~ 0.5-1.5%.
• The amount of tea in the cup... If you like very strong tea, then the caffeine content and the energy effect from such tea will not be worse than from coffee.
• How were the tea leaves / coffee beans grown?
• How was coffee roasted or tea leaves cut?
• Climate and soil features where tea or coffee was grown?
• Tea leaf fermentation rate... The lower the fermentation of the tea, the more caffeine the tea contains.
• At what temperature was the drink brewed?The higher the water temperature, the less caffeine is in tea leaves or tea beans. The Chinese never brew tea with boiling water!
• Duration of brewing a drink... The longer you brew tea or coffee, the more caffeine will be.

What is the difference between caffeine in tea and coffee?

The caffeine in tea has a milder effect on the nervous system and heart than the caffeine in coffee. Tea caffeine is not found in pure form, but with tannin, which forms theine substance, which is slowly absorbed into the bloodstream and quickly excreted from the body.

It is impossible to poison yourself with theine! For those who believe that if you drink 10 or more cups strong tea and they can be poisoned - this is a myth.

Caffeine in tea: good or bad?

A good and properly prepared tea is good for the body! The caffeine contained in tea does not harm your health in any way. It's another matter if you cook tea infusion, the content of which includes little nutrients and only hot water.

Green tea is considered a healing drink, which has a number of useful properties. At the same time, few people thought about the fact that it contains caffeine. As a natural stimulant of the nervous system, it eliminates drowsiness and increases energy. However, the amount of caffeine is perceived differently by each organism.

Features:

Caffeine is an alkaloid, different concentrations of which affect the body in different ways. In green tea, it arises naturally. Its concentration is associated with a number of factors:

• the location of the tea valley;
• the climatic background of the region where the bushes grow;
• soil composition;
• nuances of growth.

Air temperature also matters. For example, if the tea plantation is high, the temperature will be cool. These leaves will grow more slowly, absorbing more caffeine. The rays of the sun also contribute to this.

In addition, the amount of caffeine in green tea depends on the brewing time. The longer the tea is infused, the more caffeine will be in it. However, if the brewing time (6 minutes) is exceeded, essential oils and lipids will begin to oxidize, the drink will become bitter. The beneficial properties of theanine are also canceled.

Due to the amino acid theanine, the effect of caffeine in green tea is milder. Therefore, it does not have the same addiction that coffee connoisseurs have. It blocks the effects of the neurotransmitter, so the person does not feel tired. In addition, caffeine improves brain function and improves mood. The percentage of caffeine in dry, not yet brewed tea is higher, but without the correct dosage wonderful drink will turn into poison.

Benefit and harm

In the medical literature, caffeine is called a classic stimulant of psychomotor reactions. For example, it promotes weight loss by breaking down subcutaneous fat. However, this does not mean that you do not need exercise to lose weight. Caffeine triggers a burst of energy that can last over 2 hours. He also provokes growth fatty acids.

During all this time, muscle performance increases and calories are burned, which is especially effective when strengthened by physical exercises. Due to fatty acids, the body warms up and the body temperature rises. It is caffeine that "warms up" the blood, not itself green tea.

It also helps to improve dental health by killing bacteria in the oral cavity. Therefore, when drinking green tea, you can get rid of unpleasant odor from mouth.

When the right choice you can buy a variety, the use of which will be an excellent prevention of heart disease. If you carefully approach the issue of choice, you can reduce the content of "bad" cholesterol. In addition, green tea is effective remedyhelping with hangover syndrome and intoxication of the body. It is a good diuretic.

However, it is caffeine that drives sleep. Therefore, it is better to drink green tea in the morning, since the component will not let a person fall asleep for several hours. Due to the expansion of the vessels of the brain and muscles, any signals will affect the cells of the body to a greater extent. This will increase the number of heartbeats, increasing arterial pressure... Therefore, green tea is contraindicated for hypertensive patients.

Despite the benefits of caffeine, too much of it can negatively affect the well-being of even a healthy person. For example, if you drink a lot of cups of tea, you will not only experience insomnia, but also anxiety and even irritability. That being said, you need to know that not only the time of day matters, but also the amount of sugar added to the tea.

How much does it contain?

Caffeine is found in many drinks. To understand whether there is a lot of it in green tea or not enough, it is worth referring to the table with comparative characteristics other drinks. It should be borne in mind that the values \u200b\u200bdepend on the variety, and in the case of brewing and time. In other words, even the maximum caffeine percentage can be increased if the tea is not brewed correctly.

Knowing the average concentration in one cup, you can control the amount of alkaloid, which is especially important for hypertensive patients. To a healthy person and adolescents from 19 years old can drink caffeine no more than 300-400 mg per day. But this does not mean that this rate will be harmless if you drink the drink every day several times a day. In this case, a single dose should not exceed 150-200 mg. Drinking several cups of such a drink at once is undesirable.

It is effective for the health of the body and may reduce the risk of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes mellitus Type 2 as well as cancer. However, excessive consumption is dangerous: in the end, exceeding the concentration can lead to anxiety and arrhythmias.

Which to choose?

Since it is impossible without tea at all, hypertensive patients are interested in the question minimum quantity caffeine and how to reduce it. Even one variety can have different amount alkaloid depending on the treatment. For example, expensive, elite green teas are high in caffeine. Therefore, for those who are healthy and want to increase their activity, it is worth taking a closer look at the expensive leafy look.

If preference is given to a packaged product, you should choose the option without flavorings. For example, in a cup loose leaf tea Heritage will contain 85 mg of caffeine, while a packaged product of the same brand will have 76 mg. The concentration of Greenfield leafy composition per cup will be 80 mg, tea bags will have about 73 mg caffeine per cup.

When choosing a brand, you can go to the manufacturer's website in advance and find out how the tea was collected. In addition, you can ask different varieties, consult a specialist online.

As a rule, managers of tea companies are competent enough and will help you choose the composition for each specific case. However, it is worth considering that the benefits are more in sheet form.

How to reduce concentration?

Caffeine is found in any type of green tea, so to solve the problem, you need to start by choosing a variety. A few guidelines can help here:

• The best variety is the one that does not shade. It contains less caffeine, so Matcha and Gyokuro should not be considered for purchase.
• It is worth choosing a tea that contains particles of stems and twigs tea tree... For example, Houjicha and Kukicha are not bad varieties: the percentage of caffeine in them is small.
• Don't buy powdered drinks. In fact, these are suspensions with a large amount of alkaloid.
• There is a lot of caffeine in the upper leaves and buds. However, it is difficult for an ordinary buyer to understand the difference, so you should focus on seasonality. There is more caffeine in the spring harvest, so Shincha is not suitable, while Bunch is a good solution.

• Teas labeled "Naturally Decaffeinated" are chemically processed with ethyl acetate. It is better to remove the percentage of caffeine by boiling, if you have already chosen a variety with a lot of caffeine.
• To reduce the concentration of the alkaloid, it is worth mixing the leaves with, for example, mint or lemongrass.

People with tachycardia, insomnia, hyperexcitability and chronic diseases, drinking green tea should be careful. In this case, it is not the concentration and brewing time that is especially important, but its correctness.

How to brew and drink properly?

Insofar as healthy tea - the one that is brewed correctly, you need to briefly note the main nuances of its preparation. To get the maximum useful qualities it is better not to bring the water to a full boil: boiling water can destroy flavonoids. Just 30 seconds is enough to enjoy the drink without harm to your health.

Brewing a drink according to all the rules is different from how you used to do it modern man... Meanwhile, this is what will reduce the amount of alkaloid. The first portion must be poured out, since only the second is suitable for use. It is this nuance that will allow you to remove more than half of the caffeine from green tea, reducing it to an acceptable value in each case.

In this case, you can stand for more than 30 seconds for the first time in order to remove as much caffeine from the tea as possible. Of course, the taste will decrease, but the tea will be safe for hypertensive patients and those who have diseases of the cardiovascular system. It is important to consider that after buying new tea for the first time, you need to drink no more than half a cup.Starting to drink it little by little, it is easier to control your feelings, it is easier to monitor the body's reaction. If there is a positive trend, tea is suitable and you can slightly increase its amount per day.

However, this brewing method is not suitable for tea bags. It is a mistake to believe that it is less dangerous in terms of caffeine content, and it will not work to remove it in the same way. It is easier to brew the leaves, being able to vary the amount when needed, for example a weak brew. In addition, there is another interesting nuance: the amount of caffeine is directly related to the temperature of the brewed tea.

In addition to theanine, which is responsible for freshness and sweetness, green tea contains catechins that limit the activity of caffeine. When mixing the ingredients in hot water they make the effect of caffeine on the body gentle. But as soon as the tea starts to cool, the caffeine will gain its strength again. Therefore, you need to drink green tea hot.

Many people drink tea constantly and in considerable quantities. For most, a cup of strong tea in the morning is sacred. When wondering if there is caffeine in tea, you should first pay attention to the effect of this drink. A cup of aromatic and strong tea gives vigor, energizes and increases efficiency.

Is there caffeine in green and black tea?

Caffeine is an alkaloid produced by many plant species to protect against pests. This substance has the property of stimulating the nervous and accelerating the work of the cardiovascular systems.

In the body, this is manifested as follows:

• heartbeat accelerates;
• blood pressure rises;
• cerebral circulation improves;
• the secretion of gastric juice is stimulated;
• the vessels are narrowed;
• breathing quickens;
• increased urination;
• mood improves;
• drowsiness passes;
• working capacity increases.

For healthy body this effect is not dangerous. But for easily excitable individuals and people with heart disease, it is better to stop drinking caffeinated beverages.

So, is there caffeine in tea? The answer is unequivocal - yes. That being said, the amount of caffeine in green tea is often about the same as in highly brewed black tea. Previously, theine was found in tea leaves, a substance with a similar effect. Then the researchers concluded that these components are absolutely identical, so now they are used interchangeably. Still, theine is slightly different from its counterpart: it does not accumulate during internal organs and does not cause caffeine overdose.

It should be remembered that the maximum allowable dose of caffeine is 1000 mg, a single dose is 2.5 times less.

Exceeding these parameters negatively affects the functioning of the heart and can even lead to death. The maximum content of the substance in the blood is observed 40 - 60 minutes after ingestion, the main part is excreted within 6 - 12 hours.

Where is more caffeine in tea or coffee?

The discussed drinks may well compete with each other in the content of this component. In the dried raw materials for the production of tea, the concentration of theine is higher than in coffee beans, but this ratio changes during the brewing process. For example, in a cup instant coffeethere is exactly as much of this drink as in the same amount of green tea, which was brewed for at least 5 minutes.

Brewing time is also an important parameter. There will be much more tein in a cup of well-brewed tea than in the same amount of weak coffee with milk.

Table: how much caffeine is in tea

Many are interested in specific figures, how much caffeine is in black tea and in its other types. Interestingly, it depends on the specific varieties, as well as on the brewing time of the drink - the longer it is brewed, the more theine will be extracted from the leaves.

Also, a lot depends on the time of collecting the leaves, production technology and the quality of the final product. For example, the earlier the raw materials are collected, the less theine it contains. In small leaves, the concentration of this substance is much higher.

As a rule, the maximum concentration of theine is found in strong black or green tea, the minimum in milk oolong tea. The variety also plays an important role. Delicious and light white tea Bai Hao Yin Zhen contains a higher percentage of theine than the dark and rich Shou Mei.

Which tea has no alkaloid at all

The maximum concentration of theine in the upper leaves. Large leaves on the lower branches contain less than 1 - 2%. Elite varieties are prepared from the upper leaves, the cheapest ones from the lower ones.

Therefore, the cheaper the tea, the less theine it contains.

From non-caffeinated drinks, teas from other plants can be distinguished - ivan tea, chamomile, hibiscus, linden, mint, lemon balm, thyme, and other herbal preparations. You can reduce the amount of theine in tea as follows: add some of the other components to it - a slice of lemon, some berries, 1 tsp. chamomile or thyme.

Caffeine in decaffeinated tea

Decaffeinated tea is indicated with a “D”. But this does not mean that this substance is not present in products with such a marking at all. An insignificant amount remains of the initial volume - 3%, however, caffeine is still present in such drinks. Of course, this amount is so negligible that it can hardly bring any harm, but you should pay attention to the methods of decaffeination - not all of them are considered safe for human health.

Contrary to popular belief, caffeine is not derived from the word coffee and is found in many other beverages. Most people are interested in the question - is there caffeine in tea? Oddly enough, the answer is yes. Moreover, the caffeine content in tea is often even higher than in coffee drinks.

Where does this component come from in tea

In fact, tea contains a type of this substance called theine. They are similar to each other in their effect, but theine has a much milder effect on the body. Moreover, green tea contains several times more of it than black varieties. However, the caffeine in tea is never completely absorbed, so to reduce negative impact, only the second brew can be used.

Teine is formed due to the breakdown of caffeine and tannin, so the amount of alkaloids in it is much less. This substance is absorbed into the blood more slowly and excreted from the body faster. This allows you to consume the drink on a regular basis and in large quantities, the more the caffeine in tea is absorbed by the body easier.

Not all teas are caffeinated. There are special decaffeinated varieties that retain the richness, aroma and taste properties, but they do not excite the nervous system. This component is absent in the hibiscus and in all herbal infusions.

Which variety to choose

The amount of caffeine in a drink depends on several factors:

• grade;
• harvesting place;
• the degree of leaf fermentation;
• the holding time of the infusion.

Than more expensive variety, the higher the theine content in it, because for elite species take only young leaves and buds of the plant. So, the first leaves contain 4-5% of the substance, the second - about 3%, the third - 2.5, and the rest - up to 1.5%.

The amount of theine also depends on the place of growth. On high-altitude plantations, the harvest ripens more slowly, which allows the leaves to remain green for a long time with a pristine chemical composition.

The lower the degree of fermentation, the more caffeine it contains

Therefore, the most caffeinated varieties are green, oolong and white. But here big influence also has a method of brewing. They are poured over with warm, but not hot, water, so that the leaves do not release so many theine compounds into the drink.

Brewing time also matters when deciding which tea has more caffeine. Ideally, it is infused for 5 minutes. Prolonged infusion of the brew leads to oxidation of phenol and essential oils, which gives the infusion bitterness and astringent taste.

To understand where there is more caffeine - in tea or in coffee, it is necessary to analyze the percentage of the required amount of infusion per 100 grams. There is a special table for the caffeine content of tea and coffee.

Green

After answering the question whether there is caffeine in green tea, it is interesting to know its amount. One cup contains 13 to 30 mg, while 100 grams of black coffee contains 60-65 mg. The composition of instant coffee is somewhat different from natural coffee and the amount of theine in it is reduced - from 30 to 40 mg per 100 ml.

In green tea, caffeine is mixed with tannin and has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular system and contribute to the gradual release of energy. The caffeine in green tea fights hangovers well by blocking the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Knowing how much caffeine is in green tea, you can deduce the maximum daily dose of the drink.

A glass of green tea contains 5-8 times less teine \u200b\u200bthan coffee. Indeed, for its preparation, only 0.4 g of tea leaves are required, which is similar to 0.012 g of caffeine. Whereas in a glass of coffee its content is from 0.05 to 0.1 g. The difference is obvious! Although green tea has properties similar to coffee and perfectly stimulates performance.

Black variety

There is a well-established myth that the black variety is the leader in the content of alkaloids. However, we managed to find out that a strong degree of fermentation releases this substance from its composition.

How much caffeine is in black teas? One cup contains 70 mg of this substance. Compared to other drinks, this is not much. For example, a cup of coffee can contain up to 100 mg of theine, but green tea contains 10 mg more than black tea. Even in a glass of Coca-Cola, its value reaches 40 mg.

Where it is not

This alkaloid can be dangerous for the health of the heart and blood vessels, especially if used in large doses and constantly. Therefore, it is better for people to whom it is contraindicated to give preference to broths and infusions that are free from it. Herbal preparations Is the best replacement traditional drinks... For example, chamomile, lime and jasmine. They are great for relaxing, soothing and completely harmless. It is good to drink them before bedtime. Doctors advise pregnant women to switch completely to them.

There are no psychostimulants and fruit broths that children love so much, so parents can not worry and give it at any time. Rosehip decoction is especially useful.

Choosing an invigorating drink, it is still better to choose tea products. It has a milder effect on the body and has fewer contraindications. Please note that the maximum daily dose of alkaloids is 1 gram. To understand if your drink contains allowable dose, look at the table above. Try not to abuse strong drink and often replace it with herbal and flower infusions.