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Theine is a molecule present in tea leaves, acidic for the body tissues, stimulating and exciting; it is the same molecule as caffeine (find out more in our article dedicated to theine and caffeine), although initially the opposite was thought. Despite many people drinking tea as a substitute for coffee for the slightly energizing power given by theine, this molecule can have harmful effects on the body, especially if taken in excessive quantities, with repercussions on the nervous system, stomach, gastrointestinal tract, and hyperactivity. Tea is a nervine drink, and therefore acts on the nervous system, with some undesired effects in some individuals. Many people try to reduce their daily caffeine intake, looking for alternative drinks to coffee and often opting for tea, not knowing that it also contains caffeine, in the form of theine. We are often asked "which tea has less theine?" or "how much caffeine does tea contain?": we have tried to answer these questions by indicating the best low-caffeine teas.
Finding an alternative to coffee in tea certainly starts with choosing a tea with lower theine content than an espresso. A cup of espresso contains between 80 and 135 grams of caffeine: according to several studies, the daily amount of caffeine or theine should be around 350 mg per day, although this varies based on body weight, which also influences the speed at which caffeine (or theine) is metabolized by the body. Theine is a stimulant and can have side effects on the body, especially if consumed in large quantities, which is why more and more people are looking for caffeine-free or low-caffeine coffee or tea to not completely change their habits and give up their afternoon or morning tea or coffee. In particular, it is difficult to completely give up tea, as it is a beverage rich in properties and benefits for the body, rich in antioxidants and catechins.
In general, the effect of theine is different from that of caffeine: in tea, the theine content is balanced by catechins and L-theanine, substances that help concentration but have a relaxing effect on the brain. Furthermore, the effect of theine is less immediate but lasts longer compared to the awakening and energizing effect of coffee.
There are also teas with naturally lower theine content. Generally, there is a tendency to generalize the rule that black teas contain much more theine and green teas contain less. In reality, this is not a fixed rule: there are green teas with high theine content, such as matcha, and black teas with not so high theine content. This depends on the type of terroir, on the cultivation, on the leaves used, and on the processing methods such as roasting which almost completely eliminates the theine.
For example, not everyone knows that the younger the tea leaves (especially the first leaves and buds) the higher the theine or caffeine content. The buds and the tender first leaves are considered the most precious and valuable part of the tea plant; they are generally 'first flush', that is, first harvest leaves, and they are the sweetest and most tender, but they contain a lot of theine because they have the highest concentration of all substances and alkaloids.
It is often argued that black tea has much more theine than green tea which in turn has much more theine than white tea, but as already mentioned, it depends a lot on different factors, and not just on the color. For example, Gyokuro tea, Japanese green tea and the most precious green tea, contains much more theine than some black teas like Lapsang Souchong. This happens precisely because precious teas like Gyokuro and Sencha are made with the first leaves and buds of tea, with higher caffeine content. They are considered precious because despite the high theine content, they have many beneficial properties, they are sweeter and softer teas and contain very beneficial molecules such as catechin and L-theanine.
Before discovering which are the theine-free teas, or with a low content of it, let's clarify a bit about the recommended theine quantities.
Many people try to completely eliminate caffeine, not knowing that it is not necessary, and that it is enough to stay within the recommended quantities or those that work for our body. The recommended theine doses per day are about 300-350 milligrams, but all organisms are different, and some tolerate caffeine better than others. In many subjects, theine can cause unwanted effects such as restlessness, anxiety, nervousness, nausea, and headaches. In reality, these effects also depend a lot on the nature of the beverage containing it: for example, coffee and black tea tend to cause these effects much more than green tea, which instead is rich in many properties and benefits for the body: it is diuretic, antioxidant, and contains L-theanine (although in a lower amount compared to teas like Gyokuro, with higher theine content), an amino acid that gives the sweet taste to green tea and has beneficial and relaxing effects on the brain and counteracts those of caffeine. Therefore, instead of preferring a decaffeinated tea, it is preferable, if you do not want to give up your favorite drink, to choose a tea with a lower amount of theine and stay within the doses recommended by experts.
The answer is...it depends, on the type of tea: considering that a cup of coffee contains a minimum of 80 mg of caffeine, and a cup of black tea on average 40 mg of theine, there are many varieties of tea with lower theine content, for example, green tea on average contains 20 mg of theine. Based on the recommended quantities and the type of tea chosen, you can therefore drink more cups of tea per day without altering the caffeine intake too much.
Decaffeinated teas contain very little caffeine, but are chemically processed with ethyl acetate, a solvent used to retain polyphenols and decaffeinate tea and coffee, used because it is inexpensive. Often, decaffeinated teas still contain, albeit small, amounts of theine, not to mention that the process with such aggressive solvents (also used for cleaning) also changes the taste of the tea. It is better to prefer a pure tea processed naturally according to traditional methods and with a lower caffeine content: Japanese and green teas like Kukicha and Houjicha, for example, which are roasted, a process that almost completely eliminates theine content. The Bancha tea, a highly popular green tea in Japan and beyond, considered a less prestigious but widely consumed green tea, as it is the ‘classic’ green tea, is obtained from the second harvest of tea leaves and therefore contains much less theine than other green teas. The Genmaicha tea is often made with Bancha green tea and toasted rice grains, and its infusion contains very little theine. Let's discover these low-theine teas!
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The Bancha tea is a Japanese green tea. It means ‘ordinary tea’ and is highly appreciated for its flavor, but especially because it is a tea with low theine content, obtained from the second harvest of leaves, which takes place in autumn. These are the lower leaves that are less valuable and are not harvested for Gyokuro and Sencha. Having numerous benefits, Bancha tea is an excellent compromise to enjoy the taste of a true Japanese green tea without consuming excessive amounts of caffeine in one's day, and the Japanese even accompany it with meals: it is less stimulating and can be drunk throughout the day, even in the late afternoon, and can be consumed by children. Among its properties, it is also an antioxidant and is rich in minerals, and helps to soothe the stomach.
Houjicha is another Japanese green tea. As you can see, we already have two green teas among the teas with less theine: Hojicha is actually obtained from Bancha, and often also from Sencha, and is a roasted tea. The roasting process not only gives a delicious aroma and a warm, woody flavor to the tea, but also substantially reduces the theine or caffeine content in the leaves, almost eliminating it completely. It can be said that Houjicha is essentially a tea without theine, with a enveloping and warming flavor, a woody aftertaste, and aromatic notes reminiscent of bark, caramel, and coffee. This tea can be used to prepare an alternative to cappuccino, Hojicha latte.
The tea Kukicha is a very particular tea, and its name literally means 'tea in twigs.' It is always a Japanese tea, obtained from the collection and subsequent drying and roasting of the twigs of the tea plant: it is therefore composed of some leaves and the plant's stems, which when roasted give a unique flavor to this infusion, herbaceous like green tea and woody and roasted like chestnuts. Kukicha, especially if organic and processed naturally, contains up to a tenth of the amount of theine in a normal green tea, being made up of twigs that inherently contain little theine and more minerals, and being roasted during processing. This tea is an excellent alternative for those who appreciate the taste of green tea, herbaceous, refreshing, sweet, but cannot consume caffeine. The Bancha versions of this tea are very famous, but on Terza Luna we have chosen a more precious version obtained from Gyokuro and Sencha leaves, the rarest Japanese teas.
According to a study by Teaguardian, on the different caffeine contents in tea infusions, oolong teas in general contain less theine than classic green teas. For those who cannot do without green tea but are looking for a tea without theine, we therefore suggest a Tie Kuan Yin tea, or Tie Guan Yin, one of the most appreciated and precious Chinese teas, with the typically fresh taste of green teas and a floral and intoxicating aroma. It is a tea with low oxidation, and especially if drunk from the second or third infusion, it will contain truly negligible amounts of theine.
White tea is a very precious and highly sought after tea among enthusiasts, processed and cultivated mainly in China, in the Fujian province. It is a tea low in theine (or caffeine) but rich in polyphenols and methylxanthines, making it a powerful antioxidant. Generally, white teas contain about 15 milligrams of caffeine per cup, compared to the 20-25 in green teas. However, white tea is much rarer and more expensive than green tea, so obtaining it could be more complicated (but not if you look among the white teas for sale on Terza Luna!), and it also requires a longer infusion, as the flavor is very delicate, which could release more caffeine.
A valid option for those who cannot consume caffeine due to its side effects is Rooibos, the African red tea. In reality, it is not properly a tea, as it does not come from the Camellia sinensis plant but from a plant called Asphalathus lineari cultivated in South Africa, mainly. Being not a tea, rooibos does not contain theine! It is an infusion with a red color, generally, with a woody and sweet taste, less bitter than that of a tea but warmer and more enveloping. Rooibos is one of the best herbal teas for children: discover our selection of rooibos for sale online.
Genmaicha is a typical Japanese tea, very characteristic because it is composed of tea leaves, generally bancha tea, and puffed and toasted rice grains. It is a very popular tea in Japan, consumed especially at breakfast, being rich and hearty and warming, thanks to the toasting of the rice. Genmaicha is a tea with a low theine content. It has a sweet aroma, and it is the ideal tea for those who want to approach green tea but experience discomfort both in terms of taste and stomach due to the bitter component of astringent teas. Try Genmaicha for sale on Terza Luna, based on Bancha tea.
Many buy decaffeinated tea to reduce the amount of theine consumed during the day. Although in recent years the decaffeination processes of teas have improved, and many companies use carbon dioxide to eliminate caffeine, often this process is carried out with the use of chemical solvents, which can also alter the taste of the tea. Furthermore, often it is not tea leaves but rather tea bags, whose starting quality is not the best. In addition to these, if you really do not want to consume any caffeine during the day, it is better to prefer a herbal tea: visit our herbal tea section and discover herbal teas and infusions of the most varied qualities, with fresh and astringent herbs that may resemble tea, but also made with fruit and flowers, with intense and delicious flavors.
Whatever type of tea you choose to reduce caffeine consumption, always choose loose teas, in leaf form, carefully crafted and possibly from organic farming. Tea bags, besides being of inferior quality because they do not contain tea leaves but often also processing waste, contain a lot of theine. Also, if you use higher quality loose teas, you can infuse them a first time, and not drink that infusion (leaving it perhaps to someone who tolerates caffeine better!) and enjoy the second or third infusion, which will contain less theine than the first, as about 80% of the caffeine is eliminated with the first infusion. Obviously, the taste will be weaker and less pronounced, but not worse for it! Also, try to always drink tea hot and make the first infusion with boiling water: the infusion allows the catechin and theanine molecules present in the tea to bind with caffeine and reduce its effects, but if you let the tea cool down, these bonds will break!
Also try to prepare not too strong teas, measure the quantity of leaves and make the right infusions, in terms of time, listening to your body and finding the perfect balance that allows you to enjoy a couple of cups of tea a day without altering your caffeine consumption! Tea has countless beneficial properties, and can have a significant effect on our body thanks to the active ingredients it contains: even caffeine, if taken in moderation, can have a positive effect on the body!
Caffeine content of common beverages
Rapid determination of caffeine in tea leaves
Factors affecting the caffeine and polyphenol contents of black and green tea infusions
Simultaneous analysis of individual catechins and caffeine in green tea
Factors affecting the levels of tea polyphenols and caffeine in tea leaves
