The Truth about Caffeine in a Tea Cup

Caffeine is a stimulant, which activates the heart and nervous system, providing energy, heightened alertness, and increases mental, and physical endurance levels. It is a naturally occurring substance, which is extracted from leaves, seeds & fruits of many plants. The most common plants in which caffeine is found are coffee beans, cocoa, and tea. 

It’s interesting to know that caffeine is found in these plants because these plants act as a natural pesticide, protecting themselves from the outer world (insects who attempt to eat them).

There are a lot of things said about the consumption of caffeine because it disrupts the sleeping molecule in the body. And when you think of caffeine, you think of coffee. But do you know that on an average, how much caffeine in a cup of tea is? 26.1mg. 

Now, this varies based on various factors like 

• Properties of the leaf 

To understand how much caffeine in a cup of tea, we have to realize that it depends on the kind of leaves we use to make tea. The location, area, weather, soil quality in which the plant has grown is equally responsible. So make sure you pick the right buds to extract caffeine. 

• Amount of tea used

Now, on an average 26.1mg caffeine is found in a cup of tea but, if you’re a tea lover, who tends to put a lot of tea leaves (loose leaves) in your tea, then you’ll have more caffeine. But, the more caffeine, the more your tea becomes stronger and eventually tastes like liquor. 

• The temperature of the water used

The heat required to brew a cup of tea is also responsible for how much caffeine is in a cup of tea. The brewing time also determines how much caffeine in a cup of tea is released. 

• Length of infusion 

The amount of time used to brew tea leaves is also responsible for determining how much caffeine in a cup of tea is extracted. The longer a tea is steeped or infused, the more caffeine is released into your water. 

If we ask about caffeine in a cup of coffee differs from how much caffeine in a cup of tea then it’s a simple answer that it hits your body slowly when drinking tea. “tea’s energy” extracted from caffeine will be released slowly and will last longer than coffee’s energy. It will shock you to know that caffeine in a teacup is more than the caffeine found in a cup of coffee. 

You have to understand that if you’re making tea from tea bags, then tea bags contain broken leaves of smaller size, they produce an infusion with more caffeine than loose tea does. 

To eliminate caffeine intake, you can switch to herbal tea. Herbal infusion includes Chamomile, Rooibos, and Peppermint that are made from botanicals and are not related to Camellia sinensis, making them caffeine-free.