Caffeine Comparison: Coffee And Tea

The debate about whether coffee or tea is better for you often centers on the caffeine content of these two popular drinks. Caffeine can boost mood and increase alertness, but in high doses, it may cause irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness, nausea and headaches. Knowing the caffeine content of the coffee and tea you drink can help you make appropriate beverage choices throughout the day and ensure you get a beneficial dose of caffeine without overdoing it.

Levels

In general, the caffeine content of coffee is typically higher than that of tea. An 8 oz. cup of coffee supplies between 95 and 200 mg of caffeine while the equivalent amount of black tea supplies between 40 and 120 mg. Green tea has much lower levels, about 9 to 50 mg of caffeine in an 8 oz. cup, and white tea contains similar levels and is often grouped with green tea when comparing nutritional content.

Factors

The caffeine content of tea and coffee can be influenced by many things. The addition of milk, cream, sugar or other additives to the beverage may make you use less than 8 oz. of coffee or tea, thus reducing the caffeine content. The place where the coffee beans or tea leaves were grown may also influence the caffeine content of a particular variety of coffee or tea. Even the particular location of the leaf on the plant and the length of brewing time can affect caffeine content in tea, while coffee may be affected by how finely the beans are ground up.

Significance

The amount of caffeine in your tea or coffee may be a factor of concern if you are watching your overall caffeine intake. Many people try to keep their caffeine intake below 300 to 400 mg per day because this amount is typically considered the safe upper limit. Because two to three cups of black tea and up to 10 cups of green tea contain about the same amount of caffeine as one cup of coffee, which drink you choose can determine how many cups you can have before reaching your upper limit for daily caffeine intake.

Recommendations

Caffeine content should be kept below 400 mg per day, or below 200 mg per day for pregnant women. Drinking either tea or coffee at these levels can provide the health benefits that these drinks have to offer without risking the health complications that higher levels of caffeine might cause.

Considerations

Aside from caffeine content, the presence of antioxidants in tea and coffee is another consideration when choosing between beverages. Antioxidants operate in the body to neutralize free radicals, which can damage cells if left unchecked. According to a 2009 study in the "Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry," coffee has the highest levels of polyphenol antioxidants, at about 200 mg per 100 mL. Green tea was second in antioxidant levels with 115 mg per 100 mL. Black tea and oolong tea followed.