Green Tea Caffeine Levels (Plus How to Reduce Them) (2024)

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The Caffeine Content of Green Tea Varies

By

Lindsey Goodwin

Lindsey Goodwin

Lindsey Goodwin is a food writer and tea consultant with more than 12 years of experience exploring tea production and culture.

Updated on 02/5/23

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Green Tea Caffeine Levels (Plus How to Reduce Them) (1)

Although it's a common myth that green tea is naturally caffeine-free, green tea does contain caffeine.

A cup of pure green tea usually contains around 25 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce serving. This is considered to be a low amount of caffeine. It's roughly 1/4 the amount of caffeine you'd find in a typical cup of coffee and roughly 1/2 the amount of caffeine you'd find in a typical cup of black tea.

The more complex (and complete) answer is that theamount of caffeinein green tea varies from type to type, and green tea can contain anywhere from 12 mg of caffeine to 75 mg of caffeine, or even more for some types ofmatcha green teaand other powdered green teas.There are many factors that influence the level of caffeine in tea, including green teas.

What Is Decaf Coffee?

You'll see a lot of variance in commercially-available tea drinks, such as bottled drinks or drinks prepared in coffee houses or tea shops.

Here are some samples published by the producers of various green tea drinks:

  • Lipton Brisk Green Tea (12 oz.) - 6 mgcaffeine (4 mg per 8 oz.)
  • Arizona Green Teas (23.5 oz.) - 22 mgcaffeine (under 7.5 mg per 8 oz.)
  • Snapple Green Tea (16 oz.) - 15 mgcaffeine (7.5 mg per 8 oz.)
  • SoBe Green Tea (20 oz.) - 35 mgcaffeine (14 mgper 8 oz.)
  • Nestea Peach Green Tea (20 oz.) - 42 mgcaffeine (16.8 mg per 8 oz.)
  • Caribou Green Tea Smoothie (12 oz) - 44 mg caffeine (29.3 mg caffeine per 8 oz.)
  • Starbucks Green Tea Creme Frappuccino (Tall / 12 oz.) - 75 mg caffeine (50 mg per 8 oz.)

This is only a small sampling, of course, and it's dependent on many variables (the type of tea, proportion of water to tea, presence/absence of other ingredients, serving size, brewing time, etc.).Predicting the exact amount of caffeine in a given green tea is very difficult, very few companies publish their teas caffeine levels and you can't accurately test it without lab equipment.

However, if you want to avoid caffeine in green tea, you can reduce caffeine in your green teas with these techniques:

  • Skip the coffee house green teas.As you can see from the sample caffeine levels in green tea drinks from Starbucks and Caribou Coffeehouses, coffee shop green tea drinks tend to be higher in caffeine than other green tea drinks.
  • Opt fordecafgreen tea.Remember that decaf green teas are NOT caffeine-free, but they arelower in caffeine than other green teas.
  • Drink green tea blends.A blended green tea, such as a 50-50 blend oflemongrassand green tea or mint and green tea, typically contains about half the caffeine of its unblended counterpart. (Similarly, bottled green teas usually contain less caffeine because the liquid brew is blended with other liquid ingredients.)
  • Don't try to 'decaffeinate at home'. Home tea decaffeination is a myth.
  • Brew green tea correctly.Many people useboiling waterto brew green tea or brew green tea for more than three to four minutes. This increases the level of caffeine in your cup. Instead, use simmering water and brew for 30 seconds to four minutes, with an optimal brew time of one-and-a-half minutes to three minutes for many green teas.
  • Drinkwhole-leafgreen teainstead of green tea bags.Teabags have more caffeine than loose-leaf tea(usually).
  • Drink lesstippygreen teas.Tea budsor 'tips' are typically higher in caffeine than older, more mature leaves. For that reason, spring harvest teas (like Shincha) are often (but not always) higher in caffeine than late-harvest teas (like Bancha).
  • Drink 'twig teas.''Twig teas' are made from the twigs, or stems, of thetea plant. They are naturally very low in caffeine. Popular twig teas include Kukicha and Houjicha.
  • Drink green teas that are not shade-grown. Matcha and gyokuro are naturally very high in caffeine because they are shade-grown teas. (Shade-grown teas react to a lack of sunlight by increasing their levels of chlorophyll and some other chemical compounds, including caffeine.)
  • Avoid powdered green teas. Powdered green teas, such as matcha, are consumed as a suspension instead of an infusion. That means you're drinking the leaf instead of an infusion of the leaf, and you're consuming every last bit of caffeine it has to offer.

If you want a caffeine-free "tea" with a flavor that's roughly akin to green tea, wesuggest a caffeine-free herbal tea/tisane like jiaogulan, green rooibos or lemon balm.

Factors Influencing Caffeine Levels in Tea

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Green Tea Caffeine Levels (Plus How to Reduce Them) (2024)

FAQs

How to get rid of caffeine from green tea? ›

8. Discard the first infusion. A good number of tea drinkers argue that steeping tea for 45 seconds and pouring out the liquid removes a considerable amount of caffeine. However, one study claims that to remove 50 percent of the caffeine, you would need to steep for tea for three minutes.

How to make green tea less caffeine? ›

If you use a shorter brewing time, the water won't have as much of a chance to extract the caffeine from the tea leaves. Normally, we recommend a brewing time of 1 minute for most Japanese green teas, but a 45 second brewing time would extract less caffeine.

What is the best way to remove caffeine from tea? ›

First, bring your water to a boil. Then, pour it over your tea leaves and steep for about [20, 30, 45] seconds. Pour off and discard the water and then brew the tea as you normally would. You have just removed [50, 75, 80, 90] percent of the caffeine, but kept most of the antioxidants and flavor.

What cancels out caffeine? ›

Besides waiting it out and avoiding caffeine, there isn't any effective home remedy to clear caffeine from your system. All the same, you can reduce its side effects by staying hydrated, going for a walk, and eating fiber-rich foods.

How long does it take for green tea caffeine to wear off? ›

According to the FDA, the half-life of caffeine — the time it takes for the starting amount of the substance to reduce by half — is between four and six hours. This means that up to six hours after drinking a caffeinated beverage, half of the caffeine you consumed is still present in your body — keeping you alert.

What is the fastest way to counteract caffeine? ›

What you can do to feel better
  1. No more caffeine. Don't consume any more caffeine today, not to state the obvious. ...
  2. Drink plenty of water. Caffeine is a diuretic, which means that you need to drink extra water to make up for what you're peeing out. ...
  3. Replace electrolytes. ...
  4. Take a walk. ...
  5. Practice deep breathing.
Jun 2, 2023

How to lower the caffeine content of tea? ›

If you're looking to reduce caffeine intake, consider steeping your tea for a shorter duration. Water temperature: Hotter water tends to extract more caffeine from tea leaves. Using slightly cooler water can help moderate caffeine content.

Does adding lemon to green tea reduce its benefits? ›

Science shows tea and lemon go hand in hand even more than we thought. Research has found a benefit of green tea with lemon is that fresh lemon juice added to green tea increases the body's absorption of antioxidants called catechins which would otherwise be lost during digestion.

Can you get caffeine free green tea? ›

Twinings Pure Green Decaffeinated - 20 Tea Bags.

How do you clean caffeine out of your body? ›

Physical Activity. Drinking caffeine increases adrenaline in the body, and performing a physical activity is the only way to burn it off. Exercise and movement will help use the excess energy caffeine provide and helps to break it down quicker. Coffee and exercising both increase blood pressure temporarily.

How is caffeine removed from green tea? ›

There are two ways to decaffeinate tea: you can either strip the caffeine from the tea using the solvent Ethel Acetate {which is also remarkably good as a paint hardener} or you can combine the tea with CO2 in a high-pressure environment to transfer the caffeine from the tea to the CO2.

How can I make caffeine leave my system faster? ›

Exercise: Exercising after caffeine consumption can make your body metabolize the caffeine faster and clear it out of your system. Try a brisk walk, running, swimming, anything to get your body moving. Make sure you hydrate well before and after the exercise.

What absorbs caffeine quickly? ›

When it is consumed in beverages (most commonly coffee, tea, or soft drinks) caffeine is absorbed rapidly from the gastrointestinal tract and distributed throughout body water. More rapid absorption can be achieved by chewing caffeine-containing gum or other preparations that allow absorption through the oral mucosa.

What neutralizes the effects of caffeine? ›

Water. An effective way to get rid of your jitters is to flush out your system with water. Drinking water will decrease the effects of caffeine in a relatively short time. Being dehydrated can sometimes enhance your jitters, so filling up on some good ole' H2O will only help.

Does peeing flush out caffeine? ›

View Source . Caffeine has very high bioavailability, which means that nearly all of the caffeine consumed is taken up by the body. Within an hour after consumption, the liver and kidneys begin to process and eliminate caffeine through the urine.

How can I reduce the side effects of green tea? ›

To avoid these side effects, do not drink green tea on an empty stomach. Instead, consume green tea after each meal. If you suffer from acid reflux disease, stomach ulcers, avoid green tea since it can increase acidity.

How do you get caffeine out of your system ASAP? ›

Physical Activity. Drinking caffeine increases adrenaline in the body, and performing a physical activity is the only way to burn it off. Exercise and movement will help use the excess energy caffeine provide and helps to break it down quicker. Coffee and exercising both increase blood pressure temporarily.

Can you get caffeine withdrawal from green tea? ›

While tea does contain caffeine, it generally contains less than coffee. This makes it a suitable alternative for those wanting to decrease their caffeine intake without experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

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