HOW MUCH CAFFEINE IS FOUND IN GREEN TEA-min

HOW MUCH CAFFEINE IS FOUND IN GREEN TEA?

///

Caffeine is a natural stimulant that helps you keep alert. Tea is one of the plants with caffeine, and you might be interested in knowing how much caffeine is found in it.

Coffee, tea, yerba, and beans are among the plants with caffeine. In fact, more than 60 plants on earth possess this powerful and natural stimulant. People take caffeinated drinks to remain active and be energized for boosted productivity. However, too much caffeine could leave your heart beating irregularly, and you could suffer from insomnia. That’s why knowing how much caffeine is found in green tea is critical, especially if you are sensitive to but need it, or if you have a limit.

Understanding caffeine

This write-up starts by explaining what caffeine is. Caffeine is a stimulant that occurs naturally in about 60 plants. These include vegetables, beans, regular tea, green tea, and some fruits. People take a caffeinated drink to boost their brain functionality, elevate moods, and reduce the risk of chronic illnesses, including cancer and diabetes.

Caffeine works in the body to fight fatigue and promote alertness. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that accumulates in the body the whole day, and when its levels rise, it induces tiredness. However, caffeinated drinks target and fight it, hence the relationship between the drinks and alertness. Other health benefits of caffeine include weight loss and energy boost. Still, how much caffeine is found in green tea is a major concern since tolerance levels differ from one individual to another. Besides, taking too much of it consistently leads to addiction, insomnia, sleep problems, irregular heartbeats, and fatigue.

How much caffeine can you reap in a single cup of green tea?

It is noteworthy that the amount of caffeine in a cup of green tea differs from a cup to another depending on the type of tea and other factors. However, the amount varies from 30 to 50mg for every 230ml cup of tea. On average, such a cup would have 35mg of caffeine. Tea growing conditions, the type of green tea leaves used, how hot the tea is, and how much it was brewed all affect the amount of caffeine it contains. For instance, young green leaves offer more caffeine than older green leaves. In addition, brewing the tea for long concentrates the amount of caffeine you will reap from the green tea. And the more it is, the higher the caffeine levels.

Another factor influencing how much caffeine there is in green tea is the type or form of green tea a person takes. Powdered forms, including matcha, have high caffeine levels. However, since a person takes only small portions, say half a teaspoon, for the 230ml cup, the levels taken are low. In addition, bagged green tea has more caffeine than loose tea. Producing bagged tea infuses more caffeine due to the crushing of the green tea leaves, hence the higher caffeine amounts than loose tea.

Other caffeinated drinks have higher caffeine levels than green tea

If you thought that green tea has higher caffeine levels than other drinks, you might be surprised to know that the truth is different. Compared to yerba mate, coffee, espresso, and some energy levels, green tea has the least levels of caffeine. Energy drinks, yerba mate, black tea, plain, brewed coffee, and espresso have 72-80mg, 65-130mg, 25-110mg, 102-200mg, and 240-720mg of caffeine, respectively. Soft drinks’ caffeine levels range between 23 and 37mg, close to what green tea has. While green tea has 35mg, black tea and plain coffee have 55mg and 100mg of caffeine in the 230ml cup, respectively. However, by drinking green tea, you get synergistic effects of caffeine and a focus-inducing substance called L-theanine, also found in green tea. Therefore, the effect is mild but with great buzz, especially if you are handling some tasks that require great focus from your side.

Should I be worried about the caffeine in green tea?

While green tea will help you remain focused and boost your alertness, taking too much of it might leave your heart pumping irregularly, and you might have difficulty sleeping. Therefore, you might be concerned about the green tea caffeine. However, there is nothing to worry about if you keep your green tea levels within the recommended amounts. On average, caffeine tolerant levels are 6mg/kg, or 400mg per day for an adult over 19years. However, the 400mg should not be consumed once but should be spaced. Many people drink 200mg of caffeine once, and this is okay. Still, one person’s soup might be the other’s poison; hence 200mg may not be good for you, and you might have to find your best fit, which should be lower. With 400mg of caffeine per day in spaced proportions, you need not worry about the negative side effects of taking too much caffeine.

Incredible health benefits of caffeine in green tea

The caffeine in green tea has many benefits; hence the lower people have for this tea. They include;

  1. Fat burning; green tea is popularizing for many reasons, including weight loss. The caffeine in the tea has been linked to fat burning, and people on a weight loss quest take the tea to lose extra pounds.
  2. Improved performance; athletes, sportspeople, and people on workouts regularly drink green tea to boost their performance.
  3. Energy boost; caffeine is known for rejuvenating a person’s energy; hence it is drunk for energy.
  4. Mood elevation; the caffeine in green tea inhibits the adenosine neurotransmitter, which induces fatigue, elevating your moods.
  5. A boost for focus; alongside L-theanine compound in green tea, caffeine boost focus. Therefore, green tea would be ideal for you if you need to focus on a task.

Conclusion

Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee, regular tea, green tea, and many other plants. It’s known for boosting focus and alertness by inhibiting the functioning of adenosine neurotransmitters. The 230ml cup of green tea has 35mg of caffeine, but this varies depending on the type of tea used, the nature of the leaves, the growing conditions, and how long the brewing took place. The recommended daily intake is 400mg which should be spaced and not taken once. If this is maintained, there would be nothing to worry about.

Crystal Kadir

MS, Durham University
GP

The work of a family doctor includes a wide range of clinical diversity, which requires extensive knowledge and erudition from a specialist. However, I believe that the most important thing for a family doctor is to be human because the cooperation and understanding between the doctor and the patient are crucial in ensuring successful health care. On my days off, I love being in nature. Since childhood, I have been passionate about playing chess and tennis. Whenever I have time off, I enjoy traveling around the world.

Latest from Health