If you are interested in the amount of Caffeine in Tea as compared with Coffee, the following lists the amount of caffeine in an 8oz cup of various teas and coffee:
- Coffee: 100 mg
- Black Tea: 40 to 50 mg
- Oolong Tea: 25 to 35 mg
- Green Tea: 20 to 30 mg
- Decaffeinated Black Tea: 4 mg
- Decaffeinated Green Tea: 4 mg
Green tea has the least amount of caffeine and is the most abundant in antioxidants ( flavanoids / catechins) of coffee and tea. Clearly, the healthier choice of all the beverages listed above is China Green Tea or Japan Green Tea.
If you prefer decaffeinated tea, you should be aware of the following. There are two methods to decaffeinate tea. One is a chemical process using ethyl acetate that basically destroys 70% of the health benefits of tea. If you choose tea decaffeinated via the chemical process, you might as well not even drink the tea in my humble opinion. The other method involves using Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Water. This method is more expensive, but less damaging to the tea leaves. Most health-conscious prefer the CO2 method and either ask or look on the label for verification.
So, if you are looking for a healthy drink that does not have a lot of caffeine, look no further than green tea.