Time and again, a lot of people discuss the difference between the caffeine present in green tea to that found in coffee. If you think that caffeine is something that is found in coffee and tea alone, you are mistaken!
The truth is that caffeine occurs naturally in leaves, seeds, and in some cases the fruits of 60+ plants. At times, you might not even be aware of the fact that you are consuming caffeine!
Caffeine in green tea vs coffee
So, talking about green tea and coffee, it is quite natural for you to think that coffee has way more caffeine content in it when compared to green tea.
This is because of the popular belief that coffee is the one that wakes you up in the morning, so it must be stronger!
Well, this is actually true! The caffeine content in a standard cup of your hot brew coffee is between 70-140 mg. While it is between 7 mg-84 mg per gram in green tea.
This is because not every green tea is the same.
There are different varieties of green tea and the main ones include sencha, bancha, and matcha. Out of these, matcha is expected to have the highest caffeine level but that again depends on the variety of matcha.
When it comes to coffee, the caffeine content varies based on the type of roast. Lighter coffee blends have more caffeine in them when compared to dark roasts.
Also, brewed coffee is stronger than its instant counterpart.
Overall, it can clearly be seen that green tea has lower caffeine content when compared to coffee. Also, green tea is a go-to beverage for anyone who wants to get a mini-energy perk-up in the afternoon.
How do people respond to caffeine differently?
Now, to know what is better for you green tea or coffee from the caffeine point of view, you must understand how much caffeine you can handle. In other words, it depends on your body’s metabolism and tolerance.
Different people react differently and you will get the answer by yourself.
- Some people need a hot coffee brew in the morning to kick-start their day.
- Then there are those who feel restless, jittery, and sleepless after consuming it.
- The third category is of those who feel absolutely nothing!
You may fall into any of these categories and that will help you find out how much caffeine is right for you.
To give you an example, consider this. Suppose you drank coffee at 11 in the morning and you are all charged up till 4 in the evening, it definitely means that your body metabolizes caffeine slowly.
Another factor is the amount of caffeine you have on a daily basis. If you consume it regularly you are obviously going to develop a tolerance towards it and your coffee may perhaps not work the way it used to once upon a time.
Should you worry about the caffeine content in green tea?
Being a stimulant by nature, it is always recommended that you consume caffeine within limits. For adults, it is okay to consume 400 mg a day. This doesn’t mean that you can guzzle down 400 mg in one go. Limit it to 200 mg at a time.
Now, as already mentioned, green tea has lower caffeine content when compared to coffee, so it should not be much of a problem for you.
Moreover, when consumed within limits, caffeine helps in enhancing the functioning of the brain. It also helps improving mood, revving up the body’s metabolism, and boosting performance during a workout.
Possible side effects of caffeine
Whenever something is consumed in excess, it leads to undesirable side effects. The same applies to caffeine. As discussed above, caffeine has different effects on different people.
However, generally speaking, too much of it can lead to:
- irritability
- nausea
- improper sleep cycles
- restlessness and
- abnormalities in heart rhythm.
In case you are caffeine sensitive or an expecting/lactating mom, you should consume caffeine within limits.
How to reduce the caffeine levels in green tea?
If you love drinking green tea and want to reduce its caffeine content, you can easily do so by adopting the following tips:
- Buy decaf green tea. Though it is not completely free of caffeine, it does have a relatively lower amount in it when compared to normal green tea.
- Choose green tea blends. They contain half the amount of caffeine than what is present in unblended tea.
- Don’t use boiling water for making green tea and don’t steep it for more than 3-4 minutes.
- Opt for loose green tea leaves instead of tea bags as they tend to have more amount of caffeine.
- Consume green teas that are not grown in shade. Matcha is particularly high in caffeine because it is shade-grown.
Final Thoughts
If you want to keep your caffeine consumption low as it makes you feel anxious, you can choose to drink green tea over coffee. The tips mentioned above to reduce caffeine can come in handy.
Moreover, if you have no issues with caffeine, drinking coffee within limits should cause no harm to you. So, it is all up to how your body takes caffeine.
Based on that, you can decide whether you want to be a green tea person or a coffee person.