I had someone ask me the other day, “Does Green Tea Have Caffeine?”. In answering this question, we got into a conversation about caffeine in general and the relative caffeine contents for various teas, in comparison to each other, and inevitably to coffee. What I realized is that there seems to be good amount of confusion when it comes to this topic.

To get a good answer, we need to step back and look at caffeine for a minute.

What is Caffeine? Caffeine, was discovered in 1819 by a German chemist, as a natural compound found in coffee. Later, around 1827, it was determined that tea contained a substance strikingly similar, while initially named “Theine”, it was later determined to be the same compound found in coffee and so the Caffeine name stuck and “Theine” was dropped.[1] Caffeine can be found in varying quantities in the leaves and fruits of many different plants.

What is the role of Caffeine? Caffeine in plants acts as a natural pesticide killing off specific insects that attempt to feed off of the plants. In humans, as we know, it’s a central nervous system stimulant that can give us energy or the jitters depending on when we take it and how much.

What factors determine Caffeine content? There are many factors that determine caffeine content, most notably in tea and coffee, the factors include: variety, growing conditions, processing, preparation. Some studies have even shown that in tea the location of the leaf on the plant can affect caffeine level.[2]

So how does tea stack up in the ranks for caffeine content Well, it depends.
Tea actually contains more caffeine than coffee, when measured in it’s dried form. Does this go against everything you thought? You’re not alone, fortunately for us, we don’t generally consume tea in it’s dry state.
Once prepared, tea in contrast to coffee, has about 1/2 to 1/3 the caffeine.

So now that we’ve got that straightened out, “Does Green Tea Have Caffeine?
Yes, but not as much as you might think.

Caffeine content varies by sample, but in general, this is how tea stacks up.
Black tea contains the most caffeine, while white tea comes in with the least. Below are the types of tea ranked in order by average caffeine content.[3]
Black Tea – About 40mg per 8oz.
Oolong Tea – About 30mg per 8oz.
Green Tea – About 20mg per 8oz.
White Tea – About 15mg per 8oz.

What about decaffeinated tea?
Decaffeination is the process by which the caffeine is removed from tea. This can be green tea, black tea, oolong, whatever; any type of tea can be decaffeinated, though green tea and black tea are by far the most commonly seen decaffeinated.
There are two primary methods of decaffeinating tea, the first involves soaking the beans in a solvent, the second, water.
Water extraction is the most common, and involves soaking the leaves for a short period of time. To maintain flavor, the water can then be run through charcoal filter and then re-added to the leaves, where through the process of evaporation, the flavor can be maintained.

Decaffeinate your own tea
Because the majority of caffeine is released in the first 30-40 seconds of steeping, you can decaffeinate, or at least partially decaffeinate, your tea at home by steeping your leaves briefly, tossing the water and then steeping the tea.

I hope this has cleared up some of the confusion about caffeine and tea, and at the very least, you’ve learned more about caffeine than you ever wanted to know.

Happy Steeping!

1. The World of Caffeine by Routledge
2. Caffeine by The Institute of Food Technologists’ Expert Panel on Food Safety & Nutrition, All About Tea by William H. Ukers
3. Internation Food Information Council, All About Tea by William H. Ukers

I love it when we get study after study that shows the benefit to green tea, but this is a great one, especially coming up on holiday season.

A New study supported by the National Institutes of Health and appearing in the Journal, Obesity shows once again that green tea my help in the fight against fat.

The study, conducted at Penn State showed that in mice green tea helped the body from absorbing fat and further optimized how it used what was absorbed.
The study was performed by feeding two groups of mice identical high fat diets, while supplementing one group with green tea. What the found was that while both groups gained weight, the group that was also supplemented with green tea gained weight at a 45% slower rate.

In their study they found that the green tea had no affect on appetite, rather it influenced how the fat was absorbed and processed.

Researchers believe that this same benefit could achieved in people by drinking several cups of green tea a day.

Beefeater, the well know Gin Distiller, has recently released a new blend that reaches back to the tea merchant history of it’s founder, James Burrough.

As Beefeater describes its inspiration; “When Desmond Payne, our Master Distiller, stumbled across a fragment of one of his [James Burrough's] early Victorian [tea] price lists, inspiration struck”.

The new blend entitled Beefeater 24, references the 24 hour period in which the gin’s botanicals which include Japanese Sencha, and Chinese Green Tea, are steeped together to flavor the Gin.

While I can’t speak to the flavor, I certainly find it exciting to see the depths to which Tea is penetrating into our products and culture in the United States. I never would have thought I’d see tea in a nightclub.

Another Great Green Tea Recipe.
This one traces it’s origins to the Imperial Court of Beijing.

Ingredients:

Sauce Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons brewed DragonWell(Lung Jing) tea
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon dry sherry
Pinch freshly ground white pepper
1 3/4 teaspoons tapioca flour
2 tablespoons Chicken Stock

2 1/2 cups peanut oil
One 1/4-inch-thick slice fresh ginger, peeled
3/4 pound medium shrimp (about 24), shelled and deveined
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup chopped scallion in (whites only in 1/4-inch diagonal pieces)
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper in 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1 orange, cut thinly into rounds, then half moons, for garnish

1/2 tablespoon Dragon Well loose green tea leaves
1/4 cup water

Directions

To brew the tea, place the tea leaves in a bowl. Boil the water and pour over the leaves. Cover the bowl and steep for 10 minutes. Strain the tea. Reserve the tea leaves and 2 tablespoons of brewed tea for the sauce.

In a bowl, mix the sauce ingredients and reserve.

Heat wok over high heat for one minute. Add the peanut oil and slice of ginger. Add shrimp to oil until they begin to turn pink, about 5 seconds, turn off the heat. Remove the shrimp and drain. Transfer the oil to a bowl and discard the ginger slice.

Return 1 tablespoon of the reserved peanut oil to the wok. Heat over high heat for 20 seconds. When oil begins to smoke, add the minced ginger and stir briefly. Add the scallion and cook, stirring about 15 seconds. Add the shrimp and reserved tea leaves and cook, stirring, for 20 seconds. Add the peppers and cook about 20 seconds. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, stir the sauce mixture, pour in, and stir well.
When the sauce bubbles and thickens, turn off the heat and move to a platter, traditionally this dish is garnished around the edges with orange slices.

Breast cancer survivors are at a high risk for depression which can pose a major health risk even after the cancer is in remission.
A recent study evaluating depression symptoms in Chinese women who were treated for breast cancer, showed regular consumption of green tea may be beneficial to fighting depression.

The women in the study (1,399 of them) with an average age in the mid 50′s were found to have a much lower risk of depression if they consumed Green Tea regularly. The reduction in risk for depression equated to about 36% less likelihood of developing depression than their non-tea-drinking counterparts.

While this study focused solely on breast cancer survivors, it is likely that the benefits for depression can be applied to other groups at higher depression risks.

Yet another of the many Green Tea Benefits, as if the joy of drinking it wasn’t enough.

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, online January 4, 2010

World Tea News reported that on Jan 12 Starbucks officially announced that they would be replacing it’s current line of Tazo teas with a whole-leaf version.

Starbucks will now carry a total of 10 whole leaf teas; adding a Vanilla Rooibos herbal tea and an Orange Blossom Green Tea to their current selection of teas. The new whole-leaf teas will be packaged in a three-dimensional sachet to allow more room for tea movement during steeping.

The driving factor behind this as stated by Starbucks is that they want to bring a whole-leaf tea experience to their customers to compliment their quality coffee experience. Along with these changes, the company has introduced new training for their baristas including sourcing and steeping information, however, it does not appear that this will include temperature changes and will largely leave steep times up to the consumer.

I think that bringing better tea to the masses is always a step in the right direction, and am glad to see Starbucks make this change.

The full article from World Tea News including the interview can be found here.

Tea smuggling is nothing new in Afghanistan and Pakistan where the illegal importation of green tea is undermining the the genuine importers who follow the law and pay the appropriate import taxes. Customs reports that the yearly consumption of tea in Pakistan is around 175 Million Kg’s, with only 105 Million Kg’s of that being imported legally.

More information about tea smuggling in Pakistan can be found here.

Green Tea Steamed Rice

3 cups green tea
2 cups long grain rice

Following standard cooking directions for you preferred method of cooking, substitute the Green Tea for water.
Any form or rice can be used, but ensure you modify the tea quantities to accommodate the rice you choose.

Varying the type of tea will also vary the flavor. Genmaicha with Brown rice will add an earthy subtle flavor, while Sencha, or Gyokuro will bring a greener flavor.

Green Tea Poached Salmon
4 heaping teaspoons loose green tea ( could use 4 bags if needed )
2 cups boiling water
4 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 half-pound salmon steaks

1. Steep tea in 2 cups hot water for 4 minutes. Remove all tea leaves.
2. Add garlic, ginger, and sesame oil to tea and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add salmon to pan and sear for 1–2 minutes, on one side. Turn salmon over and add tea mixture to skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and poach for 7–10 minutes, until salmon flakes easily.

Serve with Braised Spinach or Green Tea Steamed Rice.

We regularly hear claims about all the wonderful benefits of Green Tea, and recently more and more research is being done to validate these claims. One such study released this week has shown some very good promise in the prevention of lung cancer.

The study performed in Taiwan has shown that regular consumption of Green Tea can significantly lower your risk of developing lung cancer.

The Study which compared 170 lung cancer patients and 340 healthy individuals showed a 13x lower risk of developing lung cancer in smokers. Even nonsmokers who drank green tea were shown to be 5x less likely to develop lung cancer than their counterparts that did not regularly drink green tea.

The protective effect is believed to be provided by the antioxidants in green tea and benefits can be seen from as little as one cup of tea per day.

While the study shows very good promise in the prevention of lung cancer, the American Lung Association cautions that drinking Green Tea should in no way be thought to offset the effects of smoking. Further, the most significant decrease in risk of lung cancer can be achieved by quitting smoking.

The article which appeared on Healthday can be found here.