Wednesday 20 July 2011

Caffeine in Coffee vs Tea

Before comparing the quantity of caffeine in tea and coffee, let's study this compound in a bit details. Caffeine is a white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that is bitter in taste. It is a psychoactive stimulant drug and was first discovered by a German chemist. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in coffee beans and tea bush. In humans, it acts as a stimulant for the Central Nervous System. It wards off drowsiness temporarily and restores alertness. In one sentence, caffeine stimulates our senses. Caffeine content in coffee depends on the type of coffee beans and the method of preparation. Similarly caffeine levels in tea also depends on the quality of leaves, growing conditions, processing techniques and strength of brew. Go through the following content to know the amount of caffeine in coffee vs tea.

Amount of Caffeine in Coffee

Caffeine content in coffee varies for different types of coffee. It's different for Arabica and Robusta. Robusta has more caffeine content than Arabica. The roasting process of beans reduces the caffeine content in the beans. Dark roast coffee has less caffeine than lighter roast. Go through the following list and get the approximate value of caffeine in the following types of coffee. Read more on caffeine content in coffee.

Types of Coffee     Caffeine (mg) in 8oz
Brewed Coffee     180
Caffè Latte     75
Brewed Decaf Coffee     15
Cappucino     75
Caramel Macchiato     75
Single Espresso Macchiato     75
Double Espresso Macchiato     150
Frappuccino Blended Coffee     85-90
Caffe Americano     75
Instant coffee     70

Amount of Caffeine in Tea

Caffeine content in tea depends highly on the method of preparation. The color of the tea is not a standard to determine the caffeine content. For example, darker teas like Japanese lapsang souchong has much less caffeine than pale green tea gyokuro, which is also a type Japanese tea. Black tea has the highest caffeine content and white tea the least. This gradation is done based on the processing techniques, quantity and quality of the leaves. Know the caffeine content in different types of tea from the following chart. Read more on caffeine content in tea.

Types of Tea     Caffeine (mg) in 8oz
Black Tea     45
Green Tea     25
White Tea     15
Oolong Tea     30
Decaf Tea     2

Caffeine in Tea vs Coffee

The comparison between caffeine in coffee vs tea shows that 8 oz of tea has much less caffeine content than 8 oz of coffee. But the fact is tea leaves, many a times contain more caffeine than coffee beans. The distribution and comparison that makes tea more lighter in caffeine content is simple. An ounce of tea yields 20 - 30 cups, whereas the same quantity of coffee just serves 2 cups. Thus, a cup of tea has much less caffeine than a cup of coffee.

That was about caffeine in coffee vs tea. But do you know which beverage has the most caffeine content in it? The answer is SPIKE Shooter from Biotest. It is a diet supplement with a body building aim and has a proprietary blend. 8.4 ounce of this drink has 300 milligrams of caffeine in it. This drink is consumed only under certain conditions and strictly not allowed for children under 16. It has strong stimulants and it is required to follow the warnings and recommendations before consuming. You can begin with half can daily and should not exceed more than one can.

I hope this article with the details of caffeine in coffee vs tea has given you sufficient information on caffeine content in tea and coffee. Be it a cup of tea or a cup of coffee, do not exceed the dose of caffeine to 300 milligrams, or else it might lead to caffeine intoxication.

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