Does green tea have caffeine?
Caffeine has been known to give a whole heap of benefits - from giving that first jolt in the morning to keeping high concentration and perky vibe throughout the day.
The good news for big caffeine fanatics is that our favorite - and most frequently consumed [1] - stimulant can come from different sources.
Coffee may be the most popular, but it can also come from caffeine mints and pills, chocolate (beverage and milk bars alike), cake, yogurt, and tea!
Yes - tea. That seemingly innocuous cup of tea can give you that much-needed boost.
It’s such a healthy, delicious drink and there are many ways to drink it. But just the same, tea can give you your daily caffeine fix without the jitters.
Does green tea have caffeine in it?
Let’s cut to the chase.
Like any other tea, green tea can be a good source of caffeine.
The level of caffeine may not be as high as that found in a tall cup of coffee. But it’s enough to get you out of your morning or afternoon slump.
Both coffee and tea can give you the caffeine fix that you need, but one eases into your system and the other hits you like a truck.
On average, a tall cup of coffee (8-oz serving) usually contains 100 mg to as much as 400 mg of caffeine, while a cup of green tea of the same size is anywhere between 30 and 50 mg. [2]
Related article: How much caffeine is in your favorite brand of coffee?
To give you an idea, here’s a table showing the various brands of green tea.
Sources: The Spruce Eats; Caffeine Informer
What happens to your body after consuming green tea?
After consuming green tea, this is exactly what happens to you:
- Green tea helps you lose weight. Green tea boosts the metabolism naturally and can burn as much as 70-100 calories a day - all thanks to catechins (ECGC and polyphenols), the antioxidants found in it. [3] What’s more, drinking green tea frequently can help you lose 3.5 kg in a year.
- Green tea reduces blood cholesterol levels. It enhances the relationship between bad and good cholesterol by keeping the former at a minimum. In fact, green tea significantly lowers total cholesterol, “bad ones included, in the blood to 2.19 mg/dL. [4]
- Green tea prevents cardiovascular diseases. It helps you steer clear from heart disease and stroke by lowering heart disease risk. [5] And even after a heart attack, it can speed up the recovery of the heart cells!
- Green tea lowers the risk of cancer. The hero here are the antioxidants, which are found to be more effective than vitamins C and E. It helps the body protect cells from damage related to cancer [6]
- Green tea helps slow down the development of Alzheimer’s. According to Medical News Today, “researchers found that the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) stops the formation of beta-amyloid plaques - a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease - by interfering with the function of beta-amyloid oligomers. [7]
- Green tea is good for diabetics. It improves metabolism and prevents increasing of blood sugar levels. Polyphenols found in tea regulate glucose in the body and help in preventing or controlling diabetes. [8]
- Green tea reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Antioxidants in green tea help prevent brain cell damage, which could cause Parkinson’s disease. [9] It can delay the onset of Parkinson’s by helping cells regenerate - thanks to the antioxidant EGCG.
- Green tea strengthens the immune system. It contains flavonoids and polyphenols which help in strengthening the immune system, making your body become stronger and fight against infections.
Registered dietitian Patricia Bannan cites a study that showed "catechins, a particular type of polyphenols in tea, kill certain viruses. Another Harvard study showed that people who drank 5 cups a day of black tea for two weeks had 10 times more virus-fighting interferon in their blood than other who drank a placebo hot drink. Both black tea and green tea are rich in L-theanine, an amino acid thought to help enhance immunity that’s found in both regular and decaf versions." [9]
Green tea before bed?
The benefits of green tea go on, even before hitting the hay. Let me count the ways:
- It leads to better sleep by helping you relax and calming your nerves. Drinking a cup right before bedtime makes you sleep faster and get deeper slumber.
- Because you get quality sleep, green tea also results in a much better waking time the morning after. Suddenly you find yourself full of zest and feeling refreshed. Read this related article on how caffeine affects your mood.
- It gives you better cognitive functions. A cup at night actually makes you smarter by making your brain functions more effective. Here’s an article on how caffeine affects your concentration and mental performance.
- Drinking a cup of green tea before sleeping aids in digestion. Green tea contains laxative properties that allow your digestive system to flush out the waste come sunrise.
Bonus
If you’d like to know more about the benefits of green tea and how you should make it, here’s Dr. Mike telling us more!
Sources
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4462044/
[2] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-in-green-tea#section3
[3] https://www.self.com/story/foods-that-naturally-speed-up
[4] http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/94/2/601.long
[5] https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/green-tea-may-lower-heart-disease-risk
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3831544/
[7] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319748.php
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