When people ask, “Does green tea have caffeine?” I usually give them this answer. Yes, it does, but the amount varies between 10 and 80mg per cup. Besides, the catechins in the beverage are good for your health. So, you probably shouldn’t worry too much about the caffeine, as long as you are careful about your total daily intake.
According to the experts at the Mayo Clinic, exceeding 500mg per day can cause health problems like anxiety, nervousness, heart palpitations and insomnia. If most of your daily caffeine consumption comes from teas or even coffee, you are probably okay. But, if you are taking a diet aid, that could be a problem.
Despite the lack of results seen in clinical trials, most weight loss products contain large amounts of caffeine, and often other stimulants, as well. Green teas have been touted as “fat burners,” although the evidence concerning that is not very strong, either.
Many of the fat burners on the market contain relatively large amounts of tea-extracts and very large amounts of added caffeine. Some of the popular brands contain 500mg per dose.
So, when people ask, “Does green tea contain caffeine, when taken in supplement form?” Again the answer is “Yes,” with the stipulation that the amount varies. The intended purpose of the supplement will probably dictate the amount of caffeine present.
Because it is good for the immune system, there are good immune system boosters on the market that contain 200mg of the extract. On the average, the amount of caffeine in the extracts used varies between 2% and 4%. So, any given supplement should only add 4-8mg of caffeine to your daily habit.
The reason for the variation is due to the natural variation that occurs in the green tea plants. The content of the leaves of each plant varies and even the leaves of a specific plant vary. The same is true of the nutritional content. So, the number of catechins in each leaf varies, too.
Here’s another question that I get sometimes. Does green tea have caffeine, when it is decaffeinated? The answer is still “yes.” The decaffeination process is not perfect and does not remove 100% of the stimulant and chemical solvents that are typically used, which are bad for your health. You’re actually better off drinking small amounts of the caffeinated varieties, rather than the decaffeinated varieties of green tea.
What about the caffeine content when the green tea extract is included in an anti-aging supplement? And why is the extract included in those supplements in the first place?
All natural extracts contain a small amount of the stimulant. But, as mentioned above the quantity is rather minimal. As for why it is included in anti aging supplements at all, that’s due to its unique antioxidant activity.
Catechins are antioxidants. They are some of the better ones, although glutathione is far more potent. The best anti-aging supplements contain the reduced form of l-glutathione (because it is more easily absorbed by the body), a good amount of catechins and a number of other antioxidants.
In summary, if you want the benefit of green tea without the caffeine, then you’re better off taking a high quality supplements. They may help everyone live a little longer.
