Black tea is enjoyed in many forms, whether it’s part of your breakfast as English tea, an afternoon snack as chai, or a once-in-a-while indulgence as Bobba tea. And often, it’s seen as a healthier alternative to coffee due to its lower caffeine content. But how much caffeine does black tea contain?
An 8 oz. cup of black tea contains 40 to 100 mg of caffeine. The exact amount depends on the type of tea and how it’s brewed. A light tea, like Earl Grey, usually contains 40-60 mg of caffeine, while a strongly brewed English Breakfast tea can contain up to 100 mg per cup.
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that has long been used to increase alertness, reduce fatigue, and improve focus. But if consumed in large amounts, it can also have unpleasant side effects like nervousness, irritation, and headache. So, knowing how much caffeine you take with each tea cup is important. Let’s look at the average amount of caffeine in black tea and how it compares to other caffeinated drinks.
How Much Caffeine is in Tea?
Generally, black tea contains the highest levels of caffeine out of all teas. A typical cup of black tea contains around 40-100 mg of caffeine. While green tea usually has about 25-75 mg of caffeine per cup, white tea contains 10-30 mg, and oolong has 50-75 mg.
However, remember that all teas come from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis. And caffeine makes up around 3-4% of its dry weight. So the difference in caffeine levels depends on how the tea is processed (fermentation/oxidation) and brewed.
Naturally, the more tea is oxidized (like black and oolong tea), the more caffeine it will release. And the longer you steep your tea, the more caffeine you get.
So, green and white tea contain less caffeine because they’re less oxidized and have shorter processing times.
Similarly, cut or withered tea leaves, like in tea bags, release more caffeine than whole leaves because they’re more exposed to water.
Is All Black Tea Caffeinated?
Yes, all types of black tea are caffeinated. However, there are tons of blends of black tea, so the exact amount of caffeine in each bland can vary. And it depends on the type of leaves used, their growing conditions, when they were harvested, and how they were stored.
For example, English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast teas can have up to 100 mg of caffeine per cup because these blends contain robust tea leaves sourced from Assam, Ceylon, and Kenya.
Traditional Earl Grey is made from a lighter variety, Keemun tea, produced in China, so it has slightly lesser caffeine. Similarly, Russian Caravan is a blend of black teas and oolong, a fermented tea containing up to 60 mg of caffeine.
However, different tea producers have their own secret blends, so this also affects the caffeine content.
Some decaffeinated varieties of black tea are also available on the market. They are made by treating the leaves with carbon dioxide. However, even decaffeinated versions can contain 4-10 mg of caffeine per cup.
Black Tea vs. Coffee: What is the Caffeine Difference?
Coffee generally has a higher caffeine content than black tea. A typical 8 oz cup of brewed coffee contains 95-150 mg of caffeine. In contrast, black tea has around 40-60 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup, almost half of the amount present in coffee.
That’s because black tea and coffee are different drinks obtained from two different plants. While black tea is made from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis, coffee comes from the seeds of Coffea arabica or Coffea canephora plant.
Interestingly, tea leaves have around 3.5% caffeine, while coffee beans have only 1.1–2.2%. Still, a cup of coffee contains more caffeine than a cup of tea because we use more coffee beans in a cup than tea leaves. The coffee is also brewed with much hotter water, releasing more caffeine.
However, just like oxidation in tea, coffee roast also affects the caffeine content of the brew. For instance, dark roast coffee has a more robust flavor but less caffeine than light roast coffee. Similarly, espresso, a concentrated coffee, has more caffeine than a regular cup.
So, if you’re looking for a milder caffeine boost, go for black tea. But coffee is a better choice if you want something more potent and intense.
Black Tea vs. Green Tea: Which Has More Caffeine?
Black tea has more caffeine than green tea, but this difference is measured between a cup of brewed black tea and a cup of green tea. Depending on the blends, black tea can have 40-100 mg of caffeine per cup, while green tea can have 25-75 mg of caffeine per cup.
We mentioned brewed tea because both black and green tea leaves come from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, so the amount of caffeine is the same in both. The difference lies in the way they are processed and brewed.
Black tea is fully oxidized and sometimes wethered, which makes it easy to release more caffeine molecules. We also use more tea leaves in a cup of black tea and often brew it for several minutes in hot or boiling water.
On the other hand, green tea is the least oxidized type of tea. Its leaves are preserved green and rolled into small palettes to keep the leaf shape intact.
For brewing, green tea leave are steeped for only 1-2 minutes in hot water (but not boiling). This process keeps more caffeine inside the leaf, making it less concentrated. On the other hand, matcha contains more caffeine due to it’s higher concentration. All of this adds to the difference in caffeine content, and black tea ends up having more caffeine.
Does Steeping Your Tea Longer Increase the Caffeine Content?
The simple answer is yes; steeping your tea longer can increase its caffeine content. But there’s a lot more to it than just that.
Hot water acts as a solvent and breaks down the polyphenols in tea leaves. But you have to use hot water to make it accessible; tea leaves sitting for an hour in a cold cup of water won’t release any caffeine.
Every tea is different and has its own optimal steeping time. Generally, 60% of caffeine is released in the first 6 minutes with boiling water. Cut leaves, like in black tea, or ground leave, like in tea bags, release all their caffeine in around 15 minutes. So, steeping longer than this won’t have any effect.
On the other hand, if you’re brewing a rolled-leaf tea like green tea, the leaves may still be releasing some of the caffeine after 15 minutes.
However, steeping your tea for too long can also release unwanted compounds, such as tannins, which can make your cup bitter and dark. You may also lose out on some of the other healthy compounds due to oxidation. So it’s essential to find the balance and stick to the recommended steeping time.
What are the Health Benefits of Black Tea?
Black tea is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, which have many health benefits. Here are some of the vital health benefits of black tea:
It Helps Boost Your Immune System
Black tea is rich in theaflavins and thearubigins, two antioxidants that help eliminate free radicals and prevent cell inflammation. Both these functions are directly involved in immunity against chronic diseases and infections.
These antioxidants also act as guards against cancer. There are promising results from studies backing that people who drink black tea regularly are less likely to develop cancer.
Improves Heart Health
Black tea also contains catechins, another type of antioxidant that helps reduce cholesterol levels and triglycerides in the bloodstream.
High cholesterol is the primary cause of plaque buildup on the arterial wall, resulting in heart diseases like atherosclerosis, stroke, or heart attack. Catechins in tea decrease the amount of bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase the amount of good cholesterol (HDL).
Aids in Digestion
Black tea is an excellent source of polyphenols and tannins, which have been found to help maintain healthy gut flora. Polyphenols also help to reduce bloating and gas, while tannins are known for their anti-inflammatory properties.
They also help reduce the symptoms of digestive issues like IBS, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.
Boosts Mental Health
L-Theanine is an amino acid found in black tea. It is known to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression by stimulating the production of alpha waves that help you to concentrate better. As a result, a cup of black tea can also improve cognitive function and memory power.
Maintain Blood Sugar
The catechins in black tea are known to reduce insulin resistance, which is a significant risk factor for diabetes. It means that when we drink black tea, our body can better manage blood sugar levels and prevent spikes.
It works for everyone who has diabetes and non-diabetics alike. However, ensure you don’t add sugar to your cup of tea to get full benefits.
Helps Skin
Apart from these, black tea is also known to have anti-aging properties because it makes the skin resistant to UV rays. Which helps reduce wrinkles and fine lines and makes your skin softer and brighter. Drinking black tea also helps reduce eye strain, eliminate bad breath, improve oral health, and boost metabolism.
To Close
So, as you can see, black tea is not just a delicious beverage but also has a plethora of health benefits. Adding black tea to your daily diet can be a great way to maintain overall health and well-being.