Caffeine is always been a concern for some tea drinkers. Thus here are some tips on tea decaffeinating at home to reduce the caffeine content of tea leaves. But before that, here are some things you may want to know about caffeine in tea…
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Find out what are the effects of caffeine?
Caffeine in tea is the main reason that makes the drinkers feel refreshed and energized. Most the popular drinks in America like coffee, Coca Cola, Pepsi all contain certain amount of caffeine.
Since tea is the 2nd most consumed drink in the world, about 50% of the population consumes certain amount of caffeine from tea. Caffeine in tea are released into the blood stream slower than coffee. This creates long-lasting refreshing feelings.
Tea leaves contain ~ 4% caffeine; the amount fluctuates depending on the kind of tea. The caffeine molecules can be easily dissolved in water. Brewing methods such as the boiling temperature and the brewing time have important effects on the amount of caffeine dissolve in the water. The hotter the water and the longer the brewing time, the more caffeine are released.
Also the bigger the size of the dried tea leaves are, the smaller the surface area, the lesser the amount of caffeine. The brain is the most sensitive organ to caffeine. Generally, when caffeine molecules first reach the body, they will travel in the blood stream and are absorbed into the brain through the brain membrane. Caffeine plays a role in reduce the blood flow to the brain.
When a person intakes caffeine regularly, the body and the brain begin to get used it. When consumption of caffeine stops, the blood flow and blood pressure into the brain will increase dramatically, causing light headaches and nausea. The extent of the effects depends on how addicted the body is to caffeine.
Different kinds of tea are processed differently, thus each contains different amount of caffeine. The more the tea is processed, the more caffeine it will have.
Black tea contains the most amount of caffeine (~ 80 mg). Then comes Oolong tea with ~ 30 mg. Green tea takes the final place with ~ 17 mg. Compared to coffee which has ~ 100mg of caffeine, tea only contains less than half that amount.
Instant tea has ~ 50 mg while iced tea contains about ~ 40mg.The main effects of caffeine usually include mental clarity and feeling energized. Caffeine not only contributes to the well-being of the mind but also might help initiates weigh loss.
How?…Caffeine is noted to have some effects on the kidneys. As you may know, the kidneys are responsible for the filtering of waste and water absorption by controlling the concentration of urine. This kind of effects causes the person to breath faster and deeper. These effects are kind of similar to those resulted from exercising.
Besides the effect of enhancing the mental alertness (and may be weigh loss), caffeine doesn’t have much of nutritional value. Moreover, the overdose of caffeine may cause some serious problems.
The major consequence of caffeine-overdose is the loss of sleep. If consumption of caffeine continues, this may lead to chronic insomnia. If left untreated, this may cause serious damage to the brain and the immune system. With people with heart diseases, the increase in breathing rate and blood flow may cause some problems. As a caution, you should consult with your doctor if tea is good for you.
Some people are hesitant with the amount of caffeine in tea may have a choice of decaffeinated tea. The caffeine is removed or significantly reduced by chemical solvents to prevent any effect resulted from caffeine. Caffeine is always been a concern for some tea drinkers. Thus here are some tips on tea decaffeinating at home to reduce the caffeine content of tea leaves.
Tea decaffeinating tips to reduce your tea at home without affecting the flavor of your favorite tea
Caffeine molecules are easily dissolved in water. As mentioned above, more caffeine molecules leave the tea leaves at higher temperature. The content of tea dissolves slower than caffeine molecule, thus there is a time lapse between the dissolve of caffeine and tea content.
When boiled water first adds over tea leaves, more than 80% of caffeine will be dissolve in the first 40 seconds. During this time, not much tea content is dissolve. Thus, we can use this time lapse for tea decaffeinating.
1) First you add the tea leaves into the tea pot. Boil a pot of water. Then you add the boiled water into the teapot. Make sure to submerge every tea leaf in the pot. Set the timer for about 40 seconds.
2) Quickly pour the tea into a strainer to remove the water. Return the tea to the pot. Add boiled water for the second time. Let it brew to appropriate time. Black tea brews in shorter time than green and oolong tea.
If you want clear tea without any solid, you can put the tea leaves into a tea ball and let it brews. This method of tea decaffeinating can significantly reduce almost 4/5 of the caffeine content in your tea while still keeping the essence of your favorite teas.