Black Tea vs Coffee: How Much Caffeine is in Them?
Are you a coffee or tea person? My guess is on the former. You’d be surprised to learn that tea is the more popular of the two, with black tea accounting for three-quarters of all tea production and consumption globally.
This article answers the question of black tea vs coffee: how much caffeine is in them?
How Much Caffeine In Black Tea Vs Coffee?
Natural caffeine comes from the buds and leaves of tea and the beans for coffee.
Standard black coffee and black tea aren’t actually that different. They’re both essentially water mixed with caffeine and a lot of various anti-inflammatory and antioxidative agents.
They provide similar health benefits to caffeine and the antioxidants polyphenols, which increase alertness, aid in weight loss, and improve mental and physical performance while reducing the chances of diseases like cancer and type 2 diabetes (1). For more about the health benefits, check out this YouTube video.
Black Tea
Tea comes from the leaves of Camellia sinensis. Black, green, and white tea varieties develop uniquely from this same plant depending on the leaves’ oxidation levels and harvest times.
Brewed black tea leaves are oxidized, which gives them a stronger taste and better infusion with hot water.
Black tea has 47 mg of caffeine per 240 ml, though it sometimes has 90 mg (2).
Other Teas
The amount of caffeine in green tea varies between 30 to 50 mg per 240 ml, and white teas range from 6 to 60 mg of caffeine per 240 ml (3). These amounts are comparable to the caffeine content of sodas and energy drinks. In stark contrast, just 60-90 ml of matcha derived from 0.5 to 1 powdered teaspoon has about 70 mg of caffeine (4).
Coffee
Espresso has the most caffeine per fluid oz. (30 ml), varying between 60 to 80 mg. There is triple the amount of caffeine in coffee vs soda. The caffeine content of caffeine pills is anywhere from 100 to 200 mg per tablet. Depending on the pills’ brand, this is equal to, or double, that of the 90 to 100 mg of caffeine. This measurement refers to 240 ml of black coffee. The time it takes to brew and prepare coffee, and the amount consumed in one sitting, all influence coffee’s caffeine content.
Is Black Tea Stronger Than Coffee?
Coffee is stronger than black tea based purely on caffeine content. However, black tea can be stronger if you consider decaf options or smaller quantities of coffee. One can be stronger in taste than the other, depending on if milk, creamer, or sweeteners are used.
Final Thoughts
Black tea and coffee feature natural sources of caffeine and provide various health benefits. Black tea has 47 mg of caffeine per 240 ml, and coffee has double the caffeine of black tea with anywhere from 90 to 100 mg in 240 ml. These amounts depend on various factors.
FAQs
Black tea and coffee are both healthy in moderation. They protect the body and the mind. For instance, coffee bolsters against Parkinson’s, and tea protects against arthritis. Tea is more calm-inducing yet less likely to make you feel alert, and coffee energizes quickly at the cost of inducing anxiety in higher quantities. If you have caffeine sensitivity, choose tea or decaf.
Black tea and coffee both provide an energy boost in the morning. Coffee has higher caffeine content, resulting in a quicker energy influx. Black tea has L-theanine and less caffeine that combine to increase energy gradually.
Black tea is easier on the stomach than coffee. Coffee increases the chances of developing and exacerbating heartburn by relaxing the muscle band between your stomach and oesophagus, leaving space for acid reflux as the stomach acid splashes back upwards (5).
References
- Lang, A. (2019, September 6). Coffee vs. Tea: Is One Healthier Than the Other? Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coffee-vs-tea
- Wartenberg, L. (2019, October 7). How Much Caffeine Does Tea Have Compared with Coffee? Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-in-tea-vs-coffee
- West, H. (2017, September 27). How Much Caffeine Is in Green Tea? Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-in-green-tea#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
- Bjarnadottir, A. (2022, April 11). Matcha — Even More Powerful Than Regular Green Tea? Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/matcha-green-tea#what-it-is
- Laliberte, M. (2021, March 18). 11 Things That Might Happen to Your Body if You Switch From Coffee to Tea. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.thehealthy.com/nutrition/coffee-vs-tea/
