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High Caffeine Tea – What Tea has the Most Caffeine?

The question “What tea has the most caffeine?” is not as easy to answer as you might think. In fact, the caffeine content in teas depends on many factors. General statements such as “Black tea has the most caffeine” are therefore often only half true. In this article, we explore different types of high caffeine teas, such as Matcha, White Tea, Black tea and Guayusa, and the factors influencing their caffeine content. You will also find out how you can influence the caffeine content in your cup.

What tea has the most caffeine for energy and alertness

Caffeine in Tea – There are No Fixed Rules

Many tea merchants try to give you precise and fixed rules such as “white tea has the lowest caffeine content, followed by green tea” and so on. However, as you will learn in this article, the opposite may actually be the case. The truth is that it is impossible to make such universal statements about caffeinated tea. There is green tea with a very high caffeine content and green tea with almost no caffeine at all. To be able to assess whether you can still drink your tea late at night without worrying, it is important to understand what determines the caffeine content.

Before we look at the caffeine content of the individual tea varieties, I would like to dispel a myth about caffeine in tea…

Tea does Not Contain Caffeine, but “Theine” – Is That True?

This is actually a common misconception. When caffeine was first discovered in tea, it was called “Theine” because it was thought to be different from caffeine. Today we know that it is exactly the same molecule. Nevertheless, the caffeine in tea has a different effect to that in coffee. The reason for this is the substance L-Theanine – not to be confused with Theine.

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Matcha with lots of caffeine

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50g

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The Different Effects of Caffeine in Tea and Coffee

The effects of caffeine in tea and coffee are different on the human body. The main reason for this is Theanine. Theanine is an amino acid found almost exclusively in classic tea from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Like caffeine, it crosses the blood-brain barrier and affects your mood. It is a very powerful substance that induces a feeling of relaxation and increases alpha brain wave activity, leading to a balanced, meditation-like state.

Studies have shown that Theanine works synergistically in combination with caffeine to enhance the positive aspects of caffeine – in other words, improving cognitive ability and performance – but reduce the negative effects of caffeine such as anxiety and jitters. Tea is stimulating, not agitating

Studies have also shown that the EGCG and polyphenol content in tea could influence the effects of caffeine. This is thought to happen by reducing or slowing down the absorption of caffeine. Therefore, you get a more delayed stimulant effect compared to drinking caffeine in coffee, which has a very rapid onset but then a rapid decline. While the energy level of caffeinated tea lasts very long and evenly, with coffee you will have an energy drop after a while, which will make you crave another cup of coffee. In addition, the combination of substances in tea is much easier on the stomach. So although the caffeine in tea and coffee is the same, it has significantly different effects.

“Tea is stimulating, not agitating”

What Influences the Caffeine Content in Tea Leaves?

Tea leaves contain caffeine
  1. Age of the leaves: The first important factor in determining what tea has the most caffeine is the caffeine content in the source material. Around 1 % to 5 % of the weight of the tea leaf is caffeine, and this wide variation depends on a variety of factors. For us humans, caffeine is a great pick-me-up, but the tea plant actually produces the caffeine as an insect repellent. It protects the plant from insect bites. It is mainly produced in the buds and the very young leaves because these are the parts of the plant that are tender and soft and therefore preferred by insects. So the first conclusion we can draw from this is that teas made from buds and the very first leaves are likely to have higher levels of caffeine. This is especially true for certain green teas, black teas and some White teas. Other varieties, such as Oolong tea and Pu Erh tea, which are made from older, larger leaves, tend to contain less caffeine.
  2. Time of picking: The time of year when tea is picked also plays a role. In summer, there are more insects and so the plant produces more caffeine. Therefore, teas picked in summer tend to have a higher caffeine content than teas picked in spring.
  3. Variety of the tea plant: Assamica varieties have a higher caffeine content than Sinensis varieties. A strong Indian Assam tea, for example, is therefore interesting for tea drinkers looking for a stronger caffeine kick.
  4. Growing conditions: Last but not least, the growing conditions also have a decisive influence on the caffeine content in the tea leaves. If the teas are grown in the shade, as is the case with the Japanese green teas Gyokuro, Kabusecha and Tencha (from which Matcha is made), the plant also produces more caffeine.

So now we already have a few clues that make a difference to the caffeine content of the raw material, the tea leaves. Processing also plays a major role, which brings us a step closer to the question of which type of tea has the highest caffeine content.

The Role of Processing on the Caffeine Content of Tea

As far as the role of processing on caffeine content is concerned, the situation is very unclear. There are some preliminary studies that show that more caffeine is retained if the leaves are left to wither for a long time. This is particularly the case with White tea, Black tea and dark Oolongs.

Some studies suggest that prolonged oxidation could slightly reduce the caffeine content. This would in turn reduce the caffeine in Black teas and dark Oolongs.

So now we have an understanding of which types of tea tend to contain more caffeine than others and why. With this knowledge, you can look at the following table. Note, however, that there is another very important factor. And you can influence this factor: the preparation.

Max. lösbarer Koffeingehalt bei 100°C, Ziehzeit >4Min; in mg Max. lösbarer Koffeingehalt bei 60°C, Ziehzeit 2 Min; in mgTee-MengeWasser-Menge
Guarana1411413g300 ml
Matcha mittlere Portion 1361364 Bambusspatel (4g)80 ml
Weißer Tee75 – 13037 – 652 TL (3g)300 ml
Silver Needle / Yin Zhen146732 TL (3g)300 ml
White Peony / Pai Mu Tan115572 TL (3g)300 ml
Gelber Tee79 – 14039 – 702 TL (3g)300 ml
Grüner Tee8 – 1424 – 72 2 TL (3g)300 ml
Green Needles (China)142712 TL (3g)300 ml
Mao Feng (China)115572 TL (3g)300 ml
Gyokuro (Japan)101 – 13855 – 69
3 geh. TL (4g)300 ml
Darjeeling (Indien)96482 TL (3g)300 ml
Chun Mee (China)91462 TL (3g)300 ml
Assam (Indien)82412 TL (3g)300 ml
Tencha (Tencha)82412 TL (3g)300 ml
Gunpowder (China)70352 TL (3g)300 ml
Sunrouge
(Japan)
59 – 7429 – 372 TL (3g)300 ml
Sencha (Japan)54 – 6227 – 612 TL (3g)300 ml
Bancha (Japan)43222 TL (3g)300 ml
Hojicha (Japan)43222 TL (3g)300 ml
Genmaicha (Japan)42212 TL (3g)300 ml
Karigane vom Gyokuro (Japan)41202 TL (3g)300 ml
Karigane vom Sencha (Japan)24122 TL (3g)300 ml
Kukicha (Japan)1892 TL (3g)300 ml
Sannenbancha mit Blätteranteil (Japan)8 – 144 – 71 EL (5g)300 ml
Oolong Tee58 – 7229 – 362 TL (3g)300 ml
Schwarzer Tee31 – 9615 – 482 TL (3g)300 ml
Schwarzer Tee Darjeeling (Indien)7765 – 962 TL (3g)300 ml
Schwarzer Tee Ceylon (Sri Lanka)6660 – 722 TL (3g)300 ml
Mate-Tee30 – 8515 – 472 TL (3g)300 ml
Guayusa50 – 10025 – 502 TL (3g)300 ml
Kaffee Arabica45 – 100 mg45 – 100 mg4g125 – 150 ml
Espresso50 – 149 mg50 – 149 mg4g25 – 45 ml

Source: https://www.gruenertee.com/koffeingehalt-tee-kaffee/

How You can Influence the Amount of Caffeine you Consume

How can you influence how much caffeine actually ends up in your cup? The wonderful thing about loose leaf tea is that, unlike ground coffee, you have a lot of control over the amount of caffeine you extract in the brewing process. With tea bags, control is more difficult because they are often made from broken leaves and tea dust, which extract the ingredients very quickly. This produces a stronger and probably very caffeinated tea.

Using loose leaf tea, you have four brewing parameters that can control the amount of caffeine in your cup:

  1. Quantity of tea leaves: The more leaves you use, the higher the caffeine content will naturally be. The minimum number of leaves you need to make a tasty tea depends on the type of tea.
  2. Length of infusion time: The shorter the brewing time, the lower the caffeine content will be. However, the effect is reversed after 2 minutes. This is because more L-theanine is then released, which dampens the effect of caffeine again.
  3. Number of infusions: Even if the first infusions contain the most caffeine, caffeine is still extracted during further infusions. More infusions therefore mean that you will drink more caffeine.
  4. Water temperature: The water temperature has the greatest influence. Boiling hot water will extract much more caffeine than cooler water. This is why green tea is generally considered to have a lower caffeine content, as it is traditionally brewed at lower water temperatures. Green tea can be brewed at 60°C or even cooler, whereas Black tea and Oolong tea, for example, require up to 100°C.

The above parameters apply to every type of tea, regardless of whether it is a classic tea, Mate or Guayusa. The only exceptions are Matcha and Guarana. As these are powdered and you therefore consume the whole leaf, you consume all the caffeine, regardless of the temperature or time. You can only adjust the amount of powder.

Caffeine content of Mate, Guayusa and Guarana

The caffeine content in Mate, Guayusa and Guarana is influenced by a number of factors, ranging from cultivation and processing to preparation. In contrast to the classic teas I have discussed so far, these three teas do not have different varieties with different caffeine content. Here you can only influence the caffeine content based on the preparation.

Mate Tea:

Caffeine Content: Mate tea contains around 30-85 mg of caffeine per cup, making it a popular alternative to coffee.

Cultivation and processing: The caffeine content in Mate can vary depending on the growing region, the maturity of the leaves and the drying process. Leaves from older plants generally contain more caffeine.

Preparation: The amount of caffeine that passes into the drink depends on the water temperature and the brewing time. Longer infusion and hotter water lead to a higher caffeine content in the cup.

You can order high-quality , laboratory-tested mate tea order directly from us here!

Guayusa:

Caffeine content: Guayusa can contain even more caffeine than Mate, with around 50-100 mg per cup.

Cultivation and processing: The amount of caffeine in Guayusa depends on the variety and the growing location of the plant. The ageing of the leaves also plays a role.

Preparation: Similar to Mate tea, the infusion time and the temperature of the water influence the caffeine content in the finished cup of Guayusa.

You can order high-quality Guayusa tea directly here with us!

Guarana:

Caffeine content: Guarana powder allows to prepare a caffeinated tea with one of the highest caffeine contents among natural sources. One gram of powder has up to 47 mg of caffeine.

Anbau und Verarbeitung: Der Koffeingehalt variiert je nach Herkunftsregion der Pflanze und der Reife der Früchte. Die Art der Verarbeitung, insbesondere das Trocknen und Mahlen der Samen, beeinflusst ebenfalls den Koffeingehalt.

Preparation: As Guarana usually comes in as a powder, the caffeine content depends mainly on the dosage. A higher amount of powder leads to a stronger caffeine kick.

Enjoying Tea in the Evening – Does Herbal Tea have Caffeine?

Tea that does not contain caffeine, so that it can be drunk in the evening

As beneficial and stimulating as a classical caffeinated tea may be during the day… late in the afternoon or evening you may wanna switch to a tea that does not contain caffeine. So… does herbal tea have caffeine? The good answer is: Usually not. While there are some exceptions (like the before mentioned Mate and Guayusa), almost all other herbal teas are naturally caffeine free, such as Chamomile, Ginger, or Rosebuds.

There are countless other herbal teas without caffeine. To name a few popular ones:

Of course, there are many other mono-herbal teas without caffeine. Most herbal tea blends and fruit teas do not contain caffeine either. You can check the list of ingredients for one of the following ingredients to make sure the tea does not contain caffeine: Green Tea, White Tea, Black Tea, Oolong, Pu Erh, Mate, Guarana, Guayusa, Matcha

Decaffeinated teas

A few words about decaffeinated teas… Although decaffeinated Green or Black teas are available and can be a valid option for some, you should consider the following: decaffeinating tea is an industrial process that uses solvents – either ethyl acetate or supercritical CO2 – which dissolves out caffeine, but also many other good ingredients in terms of health benefits and flavors. I would therefore advise against decaffeinated tea.

If you do wanna drink low caffeine tea, there are still some types of classical tea, that naturally contain very low caffeine. The green tea “Bancha” is made from big leaves and usually has very low caffeine. Another choice is Kukicha, a green tea made from the stems of the plant, not the leaves. These have a very low, or even negligible, caffeine content. Kukicha has a pleasant roasted note and tastes similar to roasted Mate tea.

How Much Caffeine is Healthy?

How much caffeine is too much? That’s not so easy to answer because everyone metabolizes caffeine differently and can build up a tolerance if you drink more of it. General guidelines suggest that around 400 to 500 milligrams per day is a safe upper daily limit. For pregnant women, the maximum guideline is about 150 to 200 milligrams per day. Caffeine is definitely not suitable for children under the age of 4. Above this, the amount of caffeine should be adapted to body weight. When calculating, you can assume about 1.0 milligram per 2.5 kilograms of body weight.

Consuming too much caffeine can lead to potential health risks such as insomnia, increased heart rate, and anxiety. To manage your caffeine intake, be mindful of the type of tea you choose and how you brew it. Adjusting the quantity of leaves, infusion time, number of infusions, and water temperature can help you control and limit your caffeine consumption.

Conclusion: Which tea has the most caffeine?

As you now know, the actual content of caffeine in tea depends on many factors, which makes it impossible to make exact statements about the amount of caffeine. Unless you want to subject your tea infusion to a laboratory analysis. It will probably be cold by the time you get the results.

Based on the amount of caffeine in the dry matter and the fact that you dissolve it completely in water, we can say with great certainty: Matcha tea has the most caffeine. You can get high-quality organic matcha from us here. You are also very likely to find high amounts of caffeine in guayusa tea and in camellia sinensis teas made from buds and very young leaves. The latter includes the white teas Yin Zhen and Pai Mu Tan, the Yellow Tea Yun Shan and black spring teas(Darjeeling First Flush, Assam Tippy, Yunnan Golden Tips / Dianhong).

High caffeine teas can be a healthier alternative to energy drinks for sustained energy. They provide a calm and energized effect, different from the nervy, jittery sensation of energy drinks.

Order Matcha with lots of caffeine directly here!

Matcha with lots of caffeine

29.9 €

50g

Tobias