Many in the mornings, not yet getting out of bed, begin to think about an invigorating and awakening morning cup of coffee. This is not surprising if you know how many useful properties this drink has, even without considering its ability to uplift your mood and give a boost of vigor at the very beginning of the day. Its main active ingredient is, of course, caffeine, which is also found in a wide variety of teas. This has generated a lot of controversy and fiction. Therefore, in order to understand whether there is more caffeine in tea or coffee, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with all the features of these drinks.
Harm or benefit?
Today, more and more often you can find information that these two familiar drinks are not so harmless as manufacturers say. It is believed that this is due to the negative effects of caffeine, which some consider a psychoactive substance that has a stimulating effect on the brain and central nervous system.
In defense of caffeine, it must be said that by and large, it brings the body a lot of benefits, helping to concentrate and tune in to solve complex problems. In addition, he simply improves mood. However, this only happens if you do not abuse this stimulating, aromatic drink, which can even cause psychological dependence. That is why many are interested in the caffeine content in coffee. After all, knowing the dosage, you can take advantage of all its advantages and avoid potential problems.
How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee
It is believed that in a cup of tea contains from a third to half of caffeine, as in a cup of coffee of the same volume. Nevertheless, if we take into account the amount of this component in a dry product, then it is more in tea than in coffee. This is easily explained, given the features of the preparation of these two drinks. In order to brew a glass of tea, you will need less dry tea brewing than in order to make the same amount of coffee. In addition, caffeine in dry leaf tea is never fully released into the drink, unlike coffee.
In addition, it must be remembered that the answer to the question whether there is more caffeine in tea or coffee varies depending on many factors, including: variety, place of production, product collection, processing and storage. This leads to the fact that, for example, small-leaf tea contains more caffeine than large-leaf tea. Most of all, its concentration is in black long leaf, and least of all is the caffeine content in green tea. Even a drink that manufacturers position as not containing this element will still have the lowest percentage of caffeine, usually about 3%.
What determines the level of caffeine in a drink
The percentage and content of the active element is affected by the process and features of making tea and coffee. First of all, it depends on the temperature of the water: the higher it is, the more caffeine is in the drink. So, for example, the famous espresso, which is prepared under high pressure using steam, contains more active ingredient than one drop of a custard drink. You can correlate it with tea. 30 ml of espresso contains as much caffeine as 150 ml of Brooke Bond.
As for the varieties of coffee itself, then, of course, in custard there is much more awakening substance than in instant. This can easily be explained by various production methods. So, in one cup of instant coffee contains only 50% of the amount of caffeine, which is part of the same amount of "Americano". It is very important to take into account the brewing time of the drink, since the amount of this alkaloid also strongly depends on it. Therefore, it is worth limiting this time. Tea contains caffeine, but do not forget about essential oils, which, if brewed for too long, begin to not only oxidize, but can also negatively affect the taste of the finished drink. This leads to the fact that it is not recommended to brew it for more than 5-6 minutes.
Tea fortress
Some people think that the strength of tea depends on the amount of caffeine it contains. However, these factors are in no way connected with each other.
There is good evidence for this. So,
black Ceylon tea, which is famous for its strength and richness, has less caffeine than softer Chinese varieties. Also, do not take into account the color of the drink. Even if it is very dark, it does not depend on the percentage of caffeine in it.
Examples
As mentioned above, the answer to the question whether there is more caffeine in tea or coffee depends on many factors. However, there are average statistics for each drink. So, in a miniature cup of world-famous espresso, 50 mg of drink contains 50 mg of caffeine in 125 ml of filtered coffee, about 100 mg of it.
As for tea, the amount of caffeine in it ranges from 30 to 60 mg per medium cup. A stimulant is also found in such a popular drink as Coca-Cola - from 200 to 70 mg of caffeine per 200 ml. Few people know, but this alkaloid also comes with the composition of some tablets. For example, citramone may contain between 30 mg of caffeine.
Conclusion
The morning awakening effect of coffee and tea is undeniable. It is with a cup of hot stimulant that many of us begin our day. However, to avoid consequences, it is worth remembering certain dosages that must be adhered to. It is not recommended to consume more than 300 mg of caffeine per day, although this indicator may vary depending on the reactions that the alkaloid causes in a particular person. Therefore, it is necessary not only to know whether there is more caffeine in tea or coffee, but not to abuse either the first or second drink.