Myths about Tea and Caffeine

[Coaster]

I was researching some tea to buy and came across the following information, which is very contrary to "what everyone knows":

 

+ Green, Oolong and Black Tea all have the same amount of caffeine. People who have been drinking green tea "because it has less caffeine" have been fooled by things they have heard.

 

+ The caffeine in tea is directly proportional to the steeping time. The idea that the caffeine mostly comes out in the beginning is a complete myth. So, the idea that rinsing the tea for 30 seconds and then throwing that out - solely to "remove most of the caffeine" is wrong.

 

+ Aging tea decreases the caffeine content. Evidently caffeine is volatile enough to dissipate due to years of exposure to air. So, old pu-erh tea has less caffeine than new pu-erh tea. In fact, old pu-erh tea would seem to be the best choice for someone trying to drink tea with less caffeine.

 

+ The research was done in Europe, so no reference to the "gongfu" style of brewing. So, it is unclear whether the shorter steeping of gongfu means less caffeine - especially since there is the same deepness of color (and taste) either way.

 

Here are a couple of links, but the above is also based on some other pages:

 

http://chadao.blogspot.com/2008/02/caffeine-and-tea-myth-and-reality.html

 

http://teawithgary.com/2012/07/03/tea-and-caffeine-part-ii-exploding-the-myths/

 

[chegg]

Hi Coaster,

 

thanks for the info. I only drink caffeine-free tea's. Blueberry, lemon and cranberry teas are really refreshing, especially with a bit of honey.

 

And don't forget the vital ingredient.......add heaps of love to it while your making it.

 

Even bless it and say a prayer before drinking the tea. Remove curses and evil spirits from the tea if you want to. Cover the tea with white light. Put a symbol of protection on the tea. Meditate while making the tea. Say Ommmmmmmmm while drinking the tea.

 

 

As everyone keeps telling me, its the journey that matters not the destination !

 

 

 

 

I now bless you all with having the best cup of tea in the world !!! :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub:

Edited November 28, 2013 by chegg

[Rara]

Cool!

 

Does anybody here limit how much they drink on a daily basis? I try and stick to 2 cups max (of anything containing caffeine)...

[Marblehead]

Hehehe. I don't limit. I drink until I've had enough. My body tells me when enough is enough.

[Rara]

Hehehe. I don't limit. I drink until I've had enough. My body tells me when enough is enough.

This is comforting to read. This means that I actually have an unlimited capacity for chocolate! Good times!

[Marblehead]

This is comforting to read. This means that I actually have an unlimited capacity for chocolate! Good times!

Hehehe. Wouldn't it be nice if we could make that equation? But then, if you are physically active most of the day you would likely burn off whatever would become body fat.

 

I eat chocolates and sugar-sweetened cookies and ice cream. But then I am pretty active most days so most of it gets burned off.

 

What puts weight on me more than anything else is peanut butter. I eat it right from the jar and I normally eat more than I should at any one setting.

 

I went out for Thanksgiving dinner and overdid myself. It'll take two days for me to recover from that.

[Rara]

Hehehe. Wouldn't it be nice if we could make that equation? But then, if you are physically active most of the day you would likely burn off whatever would become body fat.

 

I eat chocolates and sugar-sweetened cookies and ice cream. But then I am pretty active most days so most of it gets burned off.

 

What puts weight on me more than anything else is peanut butter. I eat it right from the jar and I normally eat more than I should at any one setting.

 

I went out for Thanksgiving dinner and overdid myself. It'll take two days for me to recover from that.

Well that's just it, I don't ever stop! You're currently witnessing me post on this forum by phone, exclusively. I'm done with my laptop unless it's absolutely necessary My house is a hotel...I'm all about getting out here there and everywhere!

 

I should stop flogging myself in that case.

 

As for peanut butter, I love the stuff. In fact, I just had some on a pancake for lunch. Energy food. I make flapjacks out of it too with oats, honey, and protein powder. Then again, we have somewhere in the region of a 45 year age gap, don't we? So I'm sure one day I won't be able to keep it up.

 

I might have me a third cup of tea then!

[Marblehead]

Yes, age matters just as size matters.

 

Even though I am active I don't move as fast as I used to so I naturally don't burn the sugar off as fast as I used to. I still had a 32 inch waist up until I broke my hip. I now wear 38 and I doubt that will ever decrease.

 

I started back on my vitamins, minerals and herbs this morning. Considering my age I am fortunate that I am on no medications. My suppliments do everything needed to make up for my lousy diet. I normally eat only once a day.

 

I started drinking coffee regularly when I was eleven years old and it hasn't killed me yet. I go through stages with tea. And I have no idea what inspires me when I do drink it.

 

Yes, I'm sipping on a cup of coffee now. I'm actually on break from doing a little piddle work in the gardens.

[idquest]

+ Green, Oolong and Black Tea all have the same amount of caffeine. People who have been drinking green tea "because it has less caffeine" have been fooled by things they have heard.

 

This is contrary to my personal experience. I have strong adverse reaction to caffeine. This is the reason why I had to abandon first coffee and than black tea. I enjoy green tea but I have to choose wisely. Green tea the type of Dragon Well still have bad affect on me whereas Sencha would be the mildest one.

 

The adverse effect I've mentioned is tightening/shrinking of tendons that happens in some areas of the body.

 

BTW, very dark chocolate (90-100%) has huge caffeine component compared to strong coffee. I feel that too, unfortunately, as I hate milk chocolate and enjoy the dark one,

[Coaster]

Then it may not be due to just caffeine content, because that is measured by a lab test.

 

For example, tea contains L-theanine, which helps one to relax, it's part of the reason why people feel more wired and tense from coffee. From the web:

 

Theanine is an amino acid that produces a calming effect on the brain (Yokogoshi et al. 1998b). Japanese researchers have discovered that theanine is a caffeine antagonist, offsetting the "hyper" effect of caffeine (Kakuda et al. 2000).

 

Here is another link, this is a tea site that brewed many teas and measured the caffeine (scroll down their page for the caffeine test - it seems highly related to very specific varietals, and confirms that old teas have less caffeine - and, as you mention, sencha):

 

http://camellia-sinensis.com/en/tea-and-health

 

BTW, I know people who claim to be able to tell regular coffee from decaf coffee instantly, quote "because I can feel the caffeine immediately". When I informed them that it takes at least 20 minutes for caffeine to enter the bloodstream from the digestive system, they just looked at me blankly... so we have to be carefully with anecdotal reports, even our own.

Edited November 30, 2013 by Coaster

[Coaster]

More on L-Theanine:

 

Recent interest into the possible benefits of l-theanine found in tea has raised the issue that there are few data available on amounts of l-theanine contained in cups of commercially-available teas, prepared by a standard method. HPLC along with a standard method of preparing tea was employed here to determine amounts of l-theanine in cups of tea and the effects that various preparation factors have on amounts of l-theanine extracted. Brewing time was found to be a major determinant of the amount of l-theanine extracted, while the addition of small amounts of milk and sugar made no significant difference. High levels of milk resulted in a marked lowering of the level of detectable l-theanine. Contrary to previous research, a standard (200 ml) cup of black tea was found to contain the most l-theanine (24.2 ± 5.7 mg) while a cup of green tea contained the least (7.9 ± 3.8 mg).

 

and

 

Gyokuro is known for having a high amount of L-theanine. Do you know why? L-theanine is slowly converted into catechins due to photosynthesis. Because gyokuro cultivation involves shading the tea plant, less photosynthesis occurs so that more L-theanine is left on the leaves. In fact, L-theanine gives gyokuro its characteristic sweetness and balanced flavor.
Younger leaves have more L-theanine than older ones, while later harvests have each less L-theanine. Shaded teas like gyokuro, kabusecha and matcha are a good source of L-theanine. Also look for teas made from the first harvest.

[i am]

I probably drink a gallon of tea a day...

 

I'm just thinking about it, and when I'm home on the weekends, I drink tea out of a pint glass. I fill it at least 4 times during the day. Often 4 times in the morning, and maybe twice in the afternoon.

 

I guess there could be some negative effects that I'm not feeling, but I feel pretty good.

[Marblehead]

This is contrary to my personal experience. I have strong adverse reaction to caffeine.

I have heard this from many people. In fact, my last ex-wife was that way. She had to drink caffeine free herbal tea.

[dawei]

Does anybody here limit how much they drink on a daily basis? I try and stick to 2 cups max (of anything containing caffeine)...

 

Not really and I drink rather strong green tea. I judge its strength by how many cups I can drink of the same tea leaves without replacing them. Usually a thumb nail size will easily last 8-10 cups. I alternate spicing it up with cut up ginger or a ginseng root. The root will last about 3 days.

 

And I try to drink it down to diluted state so that I finish the day with some flushing by mostly water.

[Rara]

 

Not really and I drink rather strong green tea. I judge its strength by how many cups I can drink of the same tea leaves without replacing them. Usually a thumb nail size will easily last 8-10 cups. I alternate spicing it up with cut up ginger or a ginseng root. The root will last about 3 days.

 

And I try to drink it down to diluted state so that I finish the day with some flushing by mostly water.

I had not thought of doing this. Thanks!

[xor]

Caffeine is not the only variable, there can be other side effects. Too much tea can be a factor in other things like osteofluorosis(loss of bone density from fluoride that accumulates over time).

[Rara]

Caffeine is not the only variable, there can be other side effects. Too much tea can be a factor in other things like osteofluorosis(loss of bone density from fluoride that accumulates over time).

So...next question...

 

Is drinking tea habitually a bad thing? I get us being fanatics as Taoists but if we drink it all day every day, is that not just the same as having an eating disorder or being an alcoholic?

 

Ok, so the physical difference is quite vast when you look at the effects on people. I'd rather be addicted to tea than alcohol. But still, is this something to be wary of? Like watching too much TV etc?

 

Taoist poet Li Po claimed to drink a lot of wine. He didn't seem to care. So maybe you can't have too much of one thing (provided you're in control...not IT)

 

Hmmmm *strokes non-existent white, sage-type beard*

[Marblehead]

... is that not just the same as having an eating disorder or being an alcoholic?

 

 

Well, sure it is but it's not as bad as my smoking. No, I'm not going to stop either. I have been doing both for over 60 years and neither has killed me yet.

 

But then, I would agree that have no addictions in life would be better. Probably boring too.

[Rara]

 

But then, I would agree that have no addictions in life would be better. Probably boring too.

Lol. According to another thread on this forum, boredom is in league with apathy etc.

 

Cultivation will cure the boredom and keep us sober too...

 

I've been eating chocolate relentlessly for 24 years (I guess years 1 and 2 I wasn't) I don't have diabetes yet.

 

Start as you mean to go on haha.

 

MH, you're a terrible role model

[i am]

Well, excess anything is bad. If there are pollutants or toxins in the tea leaves, and I'm drinking gallons, it's going to affect me. But I wouldn't compare it alcoholism.

 

For me anyways, tea drinking isn't an addiction. It's a pleasurable habit. If I go a day without tea, I have no side effects (other than wishing I had tea). I don't use it to wake up, and I'm not dependent on it. I just really like it.

 

A couple glasses of tea in the morning, and a couple in the afternoon post-lunch slump is definitely nothing to worry about, and is really pretty healthy. As long as you're getting quality tea without pesticides and all that crap.

[dawei]

Caffeine is not the only variable, there can be other side effects. Too much tea can be a factor in other things like osteofluorosis(loss of bone density from fluoride that accumulates over time).

 

This is a very good point and reminder... excess drinking of green tea turns the benefits around at some point. I will often be on a few months and then be off several months. For me, its like a cyclic detox use...

 

Speaking of detox: I also eat a fair amount of cilantro when drinking the tea to help purge any metals.

[dawei]

Taoist poet Li Po claimed to drink a lot of wine. He didn't seem to care.

 

In chinese, Baijiu (白酒; báijiǔ) , while one might translate it as 'white wine' is it far from the western idea of white wine. Once you realize it can be upwards of 70% or more alcohol, you won't call it 'wine' anymore yourself

 

While there is the chance of references to rice wines downwards of 30% alcohol, I am very much inclined to lean towards the high level alcohol as that is the traditional drink. Spend any time in china and you'll likely not ever be served or see 'wine' as you think call it.

 

And after a few glasses, your understand why they are often drunk... Or just watch Jackie Chan's (both movies) on Drunken Master...

[Marblehead]

MH, you're a terrible role model

Hehehe. Good thing I have never tried to present myself as being a good one. But at my age I may consider myself as a fairly good one who has not yet pissed anyone off so badly that they decided to kill me.

[Marblehead]

If I go a day without tea, I have no side effects ...

I wish I could say that about my coffee. If I don't have my morning coffee I don't even like myself. Others need to stay away.

[Marblehead]

In chinese, Baijiu (白酒; báijiǔ) , while one might translate it as 'white wine' is it far from the western idea of white wine. Once you realize it can be upwards of 70% or more alcohol, you won't call it 'wine' anymore yourself

The Koreans are pretty good at brewing that stuff too. Lucky for me I had already stopped drinking alcoholic stuff before I did my first tour over there. (I do still drink low alcohol (6.5 or 7.5) red wine on occasion but that's different.)