How Much Caffeine is in Tea?

Whether your favorite tea is a black, green, or white tea, it comes from the same tea plant; Camellia sinensis. The “color” of the tea refers to the amount of oxidation the tea leaf is subjected to during processing.  White tea is not oxidized at all, it is the dried tea leaf in it’s natural state. Green tea is only allowed to oxidize very slightly, Oolongs a bit more, while black tea is allowed to completely oxidize.

Where a particular tea falls in the oxidation spectrum determines it’s caffeine content.  Thus, a full-bodied black tea will contain the most amount of caffeine, whereas a white tea will contain only a minimal amount.

Here is a little tip for curing even the most severe case of the Mondays: Try a cup of Matcha tea!  Though Matcha is a green tea, it is made by whisking the powdered leaf into hot water, rather than steeping.  Steeping teas releases the caffeine into the water. When it’s consumed, the caffeine goes directly into the blood-stream causing a sudden spike and later, a crash. Since the tea leaf is actually ingested when drinking Matcha, you end up consuming more caffeine (and nutrients) but it’s stimulating effects come on more gradually and last longer. There is no “crash” after the fact.

Check out the chart below to see exactly how much caffeine is in the average cup of your favorite beverage.

White Tea………………..15 mg.
Green Tea………………..20 mg.
Oolong Tea………………30 mg.
Black Tea…………………40 mg.
Coffee……………………..110 mg.