Green tea is a popular drink among many individuals. It is not hard to understand why green tea is so popular, as it is a refreshing, hydrating drink that can also provide a feeling of calmness.
Green tea has also been associated with many beneficial effects on one’s health and could potentially assist with weight loss.
While there is evidence of green tea benefits concerning health, you may ask yourself, does green tea have caffeine in it? If so, what is caffeine, and what does it do? Keep reading to find out!
Does Green Tea Contain Caffeine?
So, yes, green tea does contain caffeine, albeit lower than other teas. That being said, there are caffeine-free green tea varieties available on the market. Decaffeinated teas are widely available in the U.S., including decaf green tea bags and decaf green tea leaves.
Does Green Tea Have Caffeine?
Is there caffeine in green tea? Green tea does contain caffeine, albeit lower than other teas. Green tea is derived from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Many people have been drinking green tea for centuries, and it is the second most consumed beverage worldwide after water.
The other main varieties of tea are oolong tea and black tea. All three of these teas are derived from the same plant. The difference between them is green tea is made from unfermented leaves, oolong is made from partially fermented leaves, and black tea is made from fermented leaves.
Since green tea is made from unfermented leaves, it has the highest polyphenol content. Polyphenols are antioxidants that have been shown to have health benefits and be protective against cancer and heart disease.,
Green tea also contains the amino acid L-theanine, which may promote a calming effect.
Another benefit to green tea that is attributed to it being made from unfermented leaves is that it has the lowest caffeine content in comparison to oolong and black tea.
There are various forms of green tea blends and products, but does the caffeine content vary by product?
Does Green Tea Extract Have Caffeine?
Green tea extracts[1] can come in the form of concentrated liquid or powdered green teas. Green tea extracts contain caffeine if derived from pure green tea or they can be decaffeinated if derived from decaffeinated green tea.
Green tea extracts can be used in food, beverages, and supplements.
Does Jasmine Green Tea Have Caffeine?
This depends on the brewed green tea and whether or not it was made from regular green tea leaves or decaffeinated green tea leaves. This is because jasmine tea is made by adding jasmine flower petals to brewed tea. This can be done to any cup of green tea that is or is not decaffeinated.
Does Organic Green Tea Have Caffeine?
Regular organic green tea does have caffeine, but decaf options are available as well. The only difference between organic green tea and conventional green tea is the use of certain pesticides and fertilizers.
What Is Caffeine And What Does It Do?
Caffeine is widely consumed in food, beverages, supplements, and drugs, as detailed in a 2016 review article.[2] The most common way people consume caffeine is through brewed coffee, but other popular sources include tea varieties, chocolate food products, certain soft drinks, and energy drinks.
The 2016 review also explained that caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and reviews how caffeine is digested and how it can impact our mental alertness and physical state. The findings are explained in the sections below.
How Is Caffeine Absorbed?
When we consume caffeine, it is rapidly absorbed by our bodies. While there is individual variation, typically, caffeine levels will reach their peak concentration within one hour of caffeine consumption.
The effects of caffeine can last for three to five hours, depending on the person and if they consumed the caffeinated food or beverage alone or with a meal.
Effects Of Caffeine On Mental Alertness
Eating foods or drinking beverages with a caffeine content of 32 to 300 milligrams has been associated with enhanced basic cognitive functions such as attention, vigilance, and reaction time. These findings were found to be enhanced when an individual was sleep-deprived or fatigued.
While low doses of caffeine have been shown to reduce anxiety, too much caffeine has been shown to have the opposite effect and can increase anxiety.
Effects Of Caffeine On Physical Performance
Physical performance, including endurance, muscle strength, and muscular endurance, have all been shown to be enhanced with caffeine consumption. Caffeine intake was also linked to a reduced perception of effort while exercising and lower pain sensations when exercising.
Caution should be used, however, as too much caffeine, or very high doses of approximately 450 milligrams or more, can negatively impact physical performance due to increased anxiety and stomach upset.
Caffeine Safety
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends healthy adults consume no more than 400 milligrams[3] of caffeine each day. It’s important to note there is individual variability in caffeine tolerance, the amount of caffeine you can tolerate may differ.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women and women planning to become pregnant are advised to speak to their healthcare provider if they have questions about caffeine intake. Caffeine-related concerns can also be directed to a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
Overall, consuming caffeinated beverages or foods containing caffeine can have positive effects on our everyday lives. They can alleviate sleepiness and enhance productivity and physical performance.
Caution should be exercised regarding overcoming caffeine, as too much caffeine can have negative effects. These negative health effects include trouble sleeping, jitters, anxiety, fast heart rate, upset stomach, nausea, health, and feelings of unhappiness.
How Much Caffeine In Green Tea?
Now that we know green tea does contain caffeine, exactly how much caffeine does green tea have? The fact sheets below list the caffeine content and other nutritional components of green tea.
Tea Fact Sheet for an eight-ounce cup of brewed green tea:[4]
- Energy (calorie): 2.4 kilocalories
- Water: 240 grams
- Protein: 0.5 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 0 grams
- Magnesium: 2.4 milligrams
- Potassium: 19.2 milligrams
- Caffeine: 28.8 milligrams
An eight-ounce cup of decaffeinated green tea[5] contains 0 grams of caffeine. Notably, there are also some slight variations in the nutritional value of decaf green tea compared to regular green tea.
Tea Fact Sheet for an eight-ounce cup of brewed green tea:
- Energy (calorie): 0 kilocalories
- Water: 240 grams
- Protein: 0 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 0 grams
- Magnesium: 2.4 milligrams
- Potassium: 36 milligrams
- Caffeine: 0 milligrams
Does Caffeine In Green Tea Have Any Drawbacks?
Green tea does not have a high caffeine content and has less caffeine than many other caffeinated drinks. Drinking green tea in moderation should not lead to any of the negative side effects of excess caffeine consumption that were mentioned earlier in this article.
Green tea may lead to a positive outcome, as drinking moderate amounts of caffeine has been shown to improve mental and physical performance.
Choosing to drink green tea in excessive quantities could become problematic, as too much of anything isn’t good. For example, if you drink 14 cups daily, your caffeine intake would exceed the FDA’s recommendation of 400 milligrams of caffeine per day.
You should also be mindful of what other foods and beverages you are consuming throughout the day and consider their caffeine content as well.
Caffeine In Green Tea Compared To Coffee
Although we now know green tea is lower in caffeine than other teas, we may still be wondering, does it have more caffeine than coffee? The answer is no; green tea has less caffeine than coffee. But how much caffeine does it have compared to coffee?
Within an average 8-fluid-ounce cup of brewed coffee,[6] there are 94.8 milligrams of caffeine. This is much higher than the caffeine content in an 8-fluid-ounce cup of green tea, which is 28.8 milligrams.
Also, within an 8-fluid-ounce cup of decaffeinated brewed coffee,[7] there are 2.37 milligrams of caffeine, compared to decaf green tea, which has 0 milligrams of caffeine.
Therefore when comparing side by side,green tea has much less caffeine than coffee. If you are watching your caffeine intake but prefer coffee over green tea, you could try drinking decaf coffee, as it is lower in caffeine than regular green tea.
The Bottom Line
Green tea is a satisfying drink that can provide a calming sensation. Drinking it in moderate amounts will provide a safe level of caffeine, which could positively affect your mental and physical state.
Choosing green tea will also allow you to consume many beneficial antioxidants compared to other green tea beverages.
While caffeine can have negative outcomes if consumed excessively, drinking green tea in moderation should not cause harm. As individual tolerance to caffeine will vary, be sure to listen to your body and adjust your caffeine intake as needed.
Lastly, if you enjoy green tea but are trying to reduce your caffeine intake, you can always try decaf green tea.
+ 7 Sources
- Younes, M., Aggett, P., Aguilar, F., Crebelli, R., Dusemund, B., Filipic, M., Frutos, M.J., Galtier, P., Gott, D., Gundert-Remy, U., Lambré, C., Leblanc, J., Lillegaard, I.T., Moldeus, P., Mortensen, A., Oskarsson, A., Stankovic, I., Waalkens-Berendsen, I., Woutersen, R.A. and Andrade, R.J. (2018). Scientific opinion on the safety of green tea catechins. EFSA Journal, [online] 16(4). doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5239.
- McLellan, T.M., Caldwell, J.A. and Lieberman, H.R. (2016). A review of caffeine’s effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, [online] 71, pp.294–312. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.09.001.
- Office (2021). Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? [online] U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much.
- Usda.gov. (2023). FoodData Central. [online] Available at: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2346060/nutrients.
- Usda.gov. (2023). FoodData Central. [online] Available at: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171910/nutrients.
- Usda.gov. (2023). FoodData Central. [online] Available at: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171890/nutrients.
- Usda.gov. (2023). FoodData Central. [online] Available at: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171889/nutrients.