How Much Caffeine Is In Green Tea?

Green tea is known for its numerous health benefits. The beverage has also been linked to slowed brain aging and improved brain function. Some studies also suggest that it can reduce the risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. 

On average, green tea contains 30-50 mg of caffeine per 8-ounce serving. However, that can vary depending on the plant, its growing conditions, whether you’re using younger or older leaves, and how the leaves are processed and brewed. Both coffee and matcha have more caffeine than green tea.

Like black tea, there’s caffeine in green tea, which can be a problem for those looking to limit their caffeine intake. So let’s see if green tea contains more caffeine than a cup of coffee and matcha, if it’s something to worry about, and the benefits you can get from the drink.  

Does Green Tea Contain Caffeine?

Green tea bag

Since green tea is not a herbal tea, it does contain caffeine. An 8-oz cup of green tea generally contains around 35 mg of caffeine, but it can vary from 30 to 50 mg per serving. 

Caffeine in green tea occurs naturally, which is why the amount depends primarily on the variety of the plant and its growing conditions, as well as how it’s brewed and processed. For instance, green tea made with older leaves typically contains less caffeine than younger ones.

The kind of green tea and how you make it also influence the amount of caffeine. For instance, bagged teas are more caffeinated than loose-leaf teas, most likely because the leaves in the latter are crushed, allowing more caffeine to be extracted into the drink. Meanwhile, powdered green teas, such as matcha, contain more caffeine than loose and bagged green tea.

Plus, the hotter the water and the longer the leaves are brewed, the more caffeine is infused into your drink.  

How Much Caffeine is in Green Tea Compared to Coffee?

Different kinds of coffee contain different amounts of caffeine. For example, while an 8-ounce cup of green tea contains 30-50 mg of caffeine, the same amount of instant coffee contains 27-173 mg of caffeine. Similarly, an 8-ounce cup of plain brewed coffee has 102-200 mg of caffeine, while an espresso cup has 240-720 mg of caffeine. You can read our coffee and tea caffeine comparison here.

Should You Worry About the Caffeine Content in Green Tea?

Caffeine is a commonly-used stimulant and is considered safe if it’s taken in the recommended amounts. If you’re over 19 years old, you shouldn’t take more than 400 mg of caffeine daily. However, you should space out the caffeine intake and limit it to around 200 mg (equal to 4 8 oz cups) in one go to prevent any adverse effects.

So overall, green tea contains less caffeine than other caffeinated drinks, and as long as you consume caffeine within the recommended amounts, there’s nothing to worry about. 

Green Tea vs. Matcha: Which Has a Higher Caffeine Content?

Matcha contains more caffeine than regular green tea. While one cup or 8-ounce of green tea contains about 30 mg, matcha made with around 2-4 grams of powder can contain 38-176 mg of caffeine.

As mentioned earlier, the caffeine content in green tea can vary depending on the brewing time, freshness, and type, but it’s still less than the caffeine content in matcha. According to a study, green tea contains 10-23 mg of caffeine per gram, while one gram of matcha contains 19-44 mg of caffeine.

What are the Health Benefits of Drinking Green Tea?

Green tea is famous as a superfood. Unlike oolong and black tea, it’s less processed, which is just one of the reasons why it’s rich in antioxidants and nutrients and provides the following health benefits:

Provides Many Nutrients

Green tea includes many beneficial things, such as caffeine, which stimulates your nervous system and improves mental alertness; fluoride, which makes tooth enamel stronger; and amino acids like L-theanine, which enhances mental focus.

It’s also rich in catechins, especially EGCG or epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which is believed to help with weight loss, reduce inflammation, and prevent brain and heart disease.

Good Addition to a Weight Loss Regime  

While there’s not enough evidence suggesting green tea can lead to weight loss in obese and overweight people, research on green tea extracts proves that it might help. For example, caffeine in green tea can help suppress appetite. 

One study even suggests it might help speed up calorie burning with a process known as thermogenesis. However, most of the research is done on a highly concentrated extract of green tea and not on a cup of green tea itself.

Might Reduce Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis 

Happy Woman Drinking Green Tea Outdoors

Green tea has shown promising results when it comes to decreasing inflammation. According to a study in The Journal of Nutrition, rats who consumed green tea extract in water and were induced with RA showed less severe symptoms than rats with RA who drank just water. 

While more research in humans is needed, researchers do agree green tea might be helpful when used as part of the conventional treatment for RA. Research also suggests green tea can have a similar anti-inflammatory benefit in rats with osteoarthritis, but it’s hard to say if it’ll have the same effects in humans.

Can Help with Cancer

Green tea might also help repair damaged skin. In a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, rats who consumed green tea polyphenols in water showed improved skin cell repair damaged by UV rays, but it’s hard to say if the same would happen in humans. But studies suggest it might help treat skin diseases like genital warts and eczema. 

The drink might also help protect you against some kinds of cancer.

Cancer results from free radicals attacking your body’s healthy cells, but antioxidant-rich beverages and foods like green tea can help prevent that from happening. EGCG, in particular, can help provide that protection.

Research also suggests green tea extract can delay the onset and even prevent the recurrence of some kinds of cancer. But since most of the study involved cell cultures or mice instead of humans and is done with green tea extract instead of a cup of tea, it’s hard to say how it affects humans.

Can Reduce Blood Sugar

People with type-2 diabetes have a condition known as insulin resistance, where the liver, muscles, and cells can’t break down glucose for energy, resulting in high blood sugar.

If not managed properly, diabetes can increase the chances of complications like eye problems, amputations, nerve damage, and heart disease.

However, green tea might help lower insulin resistance when made part of a healthy diet. According to a study published in the Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, those who drank 150 ml of sour or green tea thrice a day for a month noticed positive results.

Helpful for the Heart

In addition to lowering cholesterol, NCCIH suggests green tea might help with high blood pressure, leading to better heart health. However, a lot of green tea can interact with blood pressure medications, so be careful.

Helps Reduce Anxiety

A cup of green tea might also reduce the symptoms of various anxiety-related disorders like social anxiety disorder, OCD, and anxiety. Research suggests that amino acids L-theanine and caffeine can lower anxiety and even influence other brain functions like attention and memory.

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