Removing Caffeine from Tea

Decaffeinated tea, also known as decaf tea, is tea that has had most of its caffeine removed. Decaffeination processes are diverse, ranging from ones that are dangerous and have been made illegal, to ones that are totally safe and pose no health risks. At least one of the processes in use today involves a probable carcinogen, and the different processes also have different impacts on flavor, so it is important to know about each process if you are interested in buying decaffeinated tea.

Different decaffeination processes used on tea:

• CO2 / Carbon Dioxide - CO2 decaffeination uses highly compressed carbon dioxide gas, which becomes a fluid under pressure. CO2 is totally safe and is effective at removing caffeine. The CO2 process is good at preserving flavor; its main downside is that it is expensive.
• Ethyl Acetate - Ethyl acetate is a naturally occurring compound, common in fruit (and also occurring in small concentration in tea leaf). It is completely safe at the levels in which it remains in the tea after decaffeination. The ethyl acetate process is inexpensive, but it has the disadvantage of removing more flavor than other methods.
• Methylene Chloride / Dichloromethane - Methylene chloride, also called dichloromethane, is effective at extracting caffeine while leaving other flavors intact. However, it is a probable carcinogen and is toxic in large concentrations. Its use in decaffeination is legal in the U.S., but regulated by the FDA. Methylene chloride probably does not pose a large health risk in the low concentrations left in most decaf tea, but teas analyzed in the past have been found to have levels exceeding the legal limit. Companies using this process generally do not announce it due to the negative public perception of this chemical.
• Benzene - The original decaffeination processes used benzene as a solvent. Benzene is a dangerous chemical and can cause numerous health problems. It is not safe for use in decaffeination, and fortunately, its use for this process has been banned and discontinued long ago.
• Trichloroethylene - Another organic solvent that has been banned and discontinued for use in decaffeination.

In summary:

Of the most common methods for decaffeinating tea, CO2 decaffeination is generally the preferred method as it is safe and does a decent job at preserving flavor, but it is more expensive. Ethyl acetate decaffeination is safe and less expensive, but results in a greater loss of flavor. Methylene chloride is legal but regulated for use in decaffeination of tea, but is more marginal in terms of its safety. Other processes involving trichloroethylene and benzene were used in the past but pose serious health hazards and have been banned and discontinued.

Removing Caffeine from Tea

Do your teas have caffeine?
Yes, all real teas have caffeine.

In general, Green tea contains the least caffeine, Black tea the most due to the oxidation process, and Oolong falls in the middle range.

Also tea steeped in hot water for a longer time will release more of its caffeine than tea steeped with cooler water for a shorter period. A smaller leaf tea will release more of its caffeine than a larger leaf tea.

A Department of Nutritional Services reports the following ranges of caffeine content for a cup of tea made with loose leaves:

• A cup of Green tea (6 oz) contains 8 to 36 mg of caffeine.
• A cup of White tea contains 6 to 25 mg of caffeine.
• A cup of Oolong tea contains 12 to 55 mg of caffeine.
• A cup of Black tea ranges from 23 - 110 mg.
• Coffee generally contains 60 - 180 mg of caffeine.

How can tea be a healthy beverage if it contains caffeine?
Caffeine in moderation can actually be good for you. It stimulates the nervous system and promotes blood circulation. It also works as a digestive after a heavy or greasy meal.Caffeine increases the body's metabolism for up to four hours, which may be part of tea's weight loss attributes (don't drink your tea with sugar if your intention is weight loss).

You can also decaffeinate your own tea.

Removing caffeine from tea
Tea has a relaxing effect and can be easily decaffeinated:

• Add hot water to loose leaves and steep for 1 minute.
• Discard the liquid.
• This first brew contains most of the caffeine of the tea.
• Add water to your teapot and let steep for 2-3 minutes and drink that infusion that has only small amounts of caffeine.
• Over 80% of the caffeine is removed during the first wash of the leaves.

Discuss about Caffeine

Caffeine occurs naturally in more than 60 plants. It is found in many plants, including coffee beans, cocoa nuts, and tea leaves. When separated, caffeine is a bitter-tasting, white powder. It is then used in medicines and soft drinks.

Caffeine is an addictive drug. Some of the effects of caffeine are: your heart beats faster, your pupils dilate, blood pressure rises, your muscles tighten up, and the liver releases sugar into the bloodstream for extra energy. Caffeine operates using the same mechanisms that amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin use to stimulate the brain, and we crave it. It is estimated that about 90 percent of Americans consume caffeine in one form or another every day, making it the most popular drug by far, in America today.

Caffeine is available in so many of our foods and drinks. Caffeine is in so many foods that we eat, for instance, anything with chocolate, including cereals, milk, ice cream, coffee, tea, and colas.

Caffeine is a major ingredient in chocolate. Your best bet, for all of you chocoholics, is to buy dark chocolate, instead of milk chocolate. That way, you won't put too much caffeine into your body.

Caffeine is a major ingredient in diet bills. Those fancy diet pills being advertised online and on television are chock full of caffeine. It's the "energy" component that the companies keep harping on.

Caffeine stops absorption of beneficial vitamins and minerals in your body. Studies have shown that this chemical can prevent your body from receiving the benefits of vitamins and other beneficial ingredients in foods.

Caffeine Withdrawal causes many side effects. When one is trying to omit or cut down on the intake of caffeine, the body reacts by physical and mental side effects, such as nervousness, unable to concentrate, irritability, and hunger pains. But, in today's lifestyle, it is very difficult to stay away from it.

Caffeine and Antioxidants Contained in Hot Drinks

Does tea have more caffeine than coffee?

The answer is, yes and no! That depends. If we are talking one pound of ground coffee compared to one pound of loose tea in dry form, the answer is yes - then tea has more caffeine content than coffee. However, comparing tea and coffee cup by cup which is what we usually do, since this is what we consume, an 8 oz cup of coffee contains approx 110 mg caffeine compared to 60 mg in a cup of black tea. For green tea an 8 oz cup will contain approx 30 mg and white tea somewhere between 5-10 mg per cup. So if you are concerned about caffeine, definitely do go for the tea - the greener the better!

And tea in this connection is actual tea, made from the Camellia sinensis plant. Any other hot drink that does not contain leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant is not a tea as such, even though we tend to call a variety of hot drinks tea.

If you are looking for hot drinks without caffeine, a newer and less known product from South Africa is called rooibos, which is the African name of red bush. A drink made from this bush has approximately the same amount of antioxidants as a cup of real tea (from Camellia sinensis), but NO caffeine at all. The flavor and texture of this hot drink is somewhat different than real tea and may require some acquired taste to like it. A flavored rooibos, with e.g. fruits or spices, helps 'get the medicine down'.

Herbal teas generally have no caffeine - except for tea. (Camellia sinensis is considered an herb, but not all herbs are teas!) A blend of peppermint and spearmint has no caffeine, but not the good benefits from tea (Camellia sinensis) either. (To get the benefit of both, I usually recommend that you drink a green tea flavored with mint).

Chamomile has no caffeine, but some soothing benefits and is one of the safe drinks to give both infants as well as well as seniors.

Another drink that has shown its appearance in the American market is yerba mate. This drink is drunk as a tea, and has shown to have some good health benefits, but unfortunately also about the same large amount of caffeine as coffee.

Caffeine is not necessarily bad. It has beneficial effects on the body and can increase alertness and stimulate metabolism. Much research has been done on the caffeine area and it is believed that the caffeine in tea works in a healthier way in the body, much slower, thereby increasing metabolism on a longer term, compared to coffee in which the caffeine works immediately as a booster. Some drugs, however, may be affected by caffeine, which is why a doctor's advice is always recommended.

With the comparatively low amount of caffeine and lots of antioxidants green tea is a good companion. To get the benefits of tea in a healthy way of living, it is recommended that you drink four 8 oz cups of tea a day.

Green Tea Tablets without Side Effect of Caffeine

Do you want to add green tea as part of a healthy diet but don't want the effects of caffeine as a resulting of drinking it? There is a solution offered in green tea tablets which can give you the same benefits without the side effects.

Compared to other teas and caffeine-laden drinks such as black tea, cola, and coffee, this drink only has a portion of caffeine content. However, to recognize and get all the health properties of green tea, it is recommended that you drink 3 or more cups per day. This is obviously difficult to do, not to mention the amount of caffeine you end up ingesting as a result of drinking so many cups.

If you're like me and you're sensitive to the effects of caffeine (like the jitters, the crash, and anxiety) or prefer to go through the day without it, even the smallest amounts of it can be bothersome. This was especially true for me because I was one of those people who would just get the jitters and end up tired after a few sips of it.

So what do you do if you want the benefits of green tea without the caffeine? One way is to get the decaffeinated version. Like coffee, you can get this decaffeinated but this is mainly for people who enjoy drinking it. For people who want the health promoting properties, it is not suitable because the process of decaffeination removes many of the important nutrients.

So to get the same benefits without the caffeine, you can take green tea tablets. These tablets are made by extracting all the goodness inside the tea and putting it in a tablet form. What this means is that instead of drinking 3 cups of this excellent beverage per day, you'll get all the nutrients in one tablet.

The main ingredient is EGCG which is a polyphenol (nutrient found in various fruits and vegetables) known for its effectiveness against diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, maintaining cholesterol, even fighting symptoms of arthritis. And because it is extracted from green tea, there is a higher amount of polyphenols in the tablets than in a single cup of this beverage.

So if you're one of the unfortunate people who can't tolerate caffeine very well, there's an answer in green tea tablets. Even if you handle caffeine well, most people are not drinking enough green tea to reap its benefits. That's why these tablets are a great supplement for everyone looking to improve their health.

Green Tea without the Caffeine

Green tea is known to be one of the healthiest drinks you can possibly add to your diet. There have been numerous studies done on its various health promoting properties. If you've drank other teas you know that there is a lot of caffeine contained in them. So is green tea decaffeinated?

The answer is unfortunately no. While it's the healthiest tea out of the all the others, it still contains similar amounts of caffeine as other teas. This particular drink, on average, contains about a third of the caffeine that is in coffee. While this is still a significantly smaller amount, this is still a problem if you're one of the many people who are sensitive to caffeine but want to enjoy the benefits of drinking green tea.

As you may know, some people do not fare well with caffeine as it can be a strong stimulant. It also gives you the jitters, can cause anxiety and can result in you crashing after its effect wears off. You may also not want to depend on caffeine to get through your day or affect your performance in work. What's more, caffeine is very addictive, which is the reason why many people want to avoid it altogether.

So then what's the solution? How do you get the benefits of green tea without the caffeine? The first solution is to buy decaffeinated. What happens is that the tea goes through a decaffeination process this same process also removes many of the nutrients that contains the much talked about health properties?

The other option is much better. Nutritional companies understand the needs of consumers so they decided to take the extract of green tea and put into a tablet. Now people who are sensitive to caffeine or prefer to go without it can enjoy the health benefits without any side effects.

The main ingredient in this drink is ECGC which is a catechin (a subgroup of polyphenols) with powerful anti-oxidant and disease fighting properties. What's great about the green tea tablet supplements is that they are mixing in ingredients that work together with ECGC for better absorption and effectiveness. This results in a more beneficial supplement when you compare it to just drinking the tea itself.

So there you have it. You now have the answer to the question "is green tea decaffeinated?" You now have an alternative solution which can be taken in tablet form. If you know anybody that is sensitive to caffeine but wants to enjoy the benefits of green tea, you can recommend the tablet form as a supplement.

Enjoy the Benefits of Green Tea without the Caffeine

Green tea has long been known and proven as one of the healthiest supplements you can add to your diet but there is one thing that can be a drawback to some people. Most people do not know about the green tea caffeine content that is inside.

Some people do not respond very well to caffeine as it is a stimulant. And some people while okay with caffeine are not fond of experiencing a crash, not to mention the jitters. If you're anything like me, you don't like the crash you get from caffeine nor want to be dependent on it for your daily tasks.

There is a solution to get rid of the caffeine but first, let's talk about the health properties inside this drink. You've heard about it enough times in TV, radio, magazines and the internet to know about its health benefits. But what makes this drink so special is that it is rich in polyphenols. Polyphenols are naturally occurring nutrients which are found in many fruits and vegetables.

A subgroup of polyphenols called catechins, have proven to be powerful disease fighters. The catechin called ECGC is the main sour of green tea's disease fighting properties. Studies into ECGC have revealed that that inhibits the growth of cancel cells, lowers LDL cholesterol, protects your immune system, and relieves symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and more.
So the question now is: How do you get all these health benefits of green tea without having to also consume caffeine? There are a few solutions. The first one is to choose decaffeinated. But while there is no caffeine in these teas, the process used to remove the caffeine also removes many of the natural nutrients.

The second option is better. Nutritional companies knew about the caffeine loaded in green tea, they've decided to get rid of caffeine and extract the nutrients into pill supplements. This is the perfect way to get the benefits of this healthy beverage without the caffeine. You can take the pill and still go to sleep easily which is a better option than drinking tea before bed.

They are also adding the extracts to multi-vitamins. This way you won't have to take a multi-vitamin and another green tea tablet on a daily basis. There are also formulations that work synergistically with the drinks nutrients so that they are more effective.

As much as it's healthy for you, green tea caffeine content can be a deterrent for many people from enjoying the health benefits. So if you are not fond of caffeine look for green tea extract pills as an alternative solution.

Removing Caffeine from Green Tea

If you are like me and want to get the health benefits of green tea without having to remember to boil water and drink the recommended daily amount of tea, then you are in luck because you can get these benefits without caffeine in green tea.

I began looking into green tea after I started to notice that it was getting more attention on the television, newspaper, and radio. So, I decided to do some research and find out what I can about this thing that they were saying was so good for you.

It was nice to know that there was a long list health benefits for green tea and that there are even more and more studies being done on it. I soon found out why it was so popular, for starters it has been around for thousands of years in Asia and India.

Green Tea has been used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine to control bleeding, heal wounds, stimulant, regulating body temperature, and improve heart health. It has gained so much attention that it is being extensively studied in animals, people, and the laboratory.

Tea contains powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. The green version contains the highest concentration of polyphenols. These antioxidants attack the free radicals that are in our bodies. Free radicals are in our bodies naturally and from environmental conditions such as toxins, sun, radiation, smoke, and air pollution.

I learned that scientists have also been able to remove the caffeine in green tea and make an extract form of the tea. This is great for people with a busy lifestyle who simply do not have the time to drink tea. In short, you do not need caffeine in green tea to get all the health benefits.

The extract can then be put into capsule form and you take it once a day like a vitamin. In fact, it has been added to multivitamins which can remove the need to take a separate pill to get these health benefits.
In my research, I found out that the higher the concentration of polyphenols the better the product. There are many different companies on the market with a wide range of concentrations of polyphenols. In fact, my multivitamin is labeled as 98% Polyphenols.

My advice is to find a well known company that has the high quality polyphenols on the label. I love the product that me and my family use and would tell anyone to use it as well. Do yourself a favor a visit my webpage to find out more about improving your lifestyle.