Facts on Caffeine in Tea

 

• Decaffeinated tea is not caffeine free. It still contains up to .4% by dry weight caffeine content.
   
• The longer the tea leaves have fermented, the greater their caffeine content.
   
• The smaller the tea leaf, the stronger the extraction of caffeine.
   
• The first and second leaves of the tea plant are believed to contain the largest amount of caffeine at 3.4 %.
  
   

*Caffeine content (Ref.: International Food Information Council, All About Tea by William H. Ukers)

Type of Tea	Milligrams of Caffeine			Caffeine
	Avg Per Serving	Range	Per Ounce*
Black tea	40	25-55	5.	naturally caffeinated
Oolong tea	30	12-55	3.75	naturally caffeinated  somewhat less than black tea
Green tea	20	8-30	2.5	naturally caffeinated  somewhat less than oolong tea,
White tea	15	6-25	2.	naturally caffeinated  somewhat less than green tea
Decaffeinated tea	2	1-4	.5	Caused from removing most of the caffeine from black, oolong, green, or white tea
Herbal "tea"	0	0	0.	Naturally caffeine free

Does Tea Contain More Caffeine Than Coffee?

Tea has only 1/2 to 1/3 as much caffeine as coffee when you compare them cup for cup.  In dry form, coffee actually has less then tea in dry form.  Next time you brew that pot of coffee, consider how much less your brewed cup of tea will have.  Unless of course you consume your tea dry. (Ref.: Caffeine by The Institute of Food Technologists' Expert Panel on Food Safety & Nutrition.)

What Determines Caffeine Levels?

The amount of caffeine in tea depends on a number of things,  the variety of tea leaf, where it is grown, size and cut of the tea leaf, and how you brew or steep as well as how long. Studies from the Caffeine Institute also show that caffeine levels can vary depending on the location of the tea leaf on the plant. (Ref.: Caffeine by The Institute of Food Technologists' Expert Panel on Food Safety & Nutrition, All About Tea by William H. Ukers)