Are you tired of struggling every morning to get your day started, and while you like coffee, you hate the jitters it causes? If so, why not try a beverage that has the same type of caffeine but without side effects!
In 1827, the first black tea caffeine was discovered, at which time the finders believed it to be something new, something never before identified. Calling it “theine”, people found that the burst of energy it produced was identical to coffee but that unwanted side effects were far less or nonexistent. Over time, researchers discovered that the caffeine found in black tea was in fact the same as caffeine in coffee. At that time, it was called Black Tea Caffeine instead of theine.
Caffeine works the same way whether it is in tea or coffee…
When drinking black tea caffeine, the body responds in the identical way as if drinking coffee. You would notice your alertness sharpens, your response time increases, and your level of energy improves dramatically. In fact, you would likely notice that both focus and concentration also improve.
Experts who have studied caffeine in black tea agree that the change in alertness and response time is because of the body’s cardiac and respiratory systems being stimulated.
With this, the amount of oxygen flowing throughout the body increases while the caffeine in black tea stimulates the digestive system and kidneys, thus helping flush out harmful toxins. In addition, many studies now show that like green tea metabolism boosts, black tea also increases metabolism rate. As you can see, there are many exciting black tea benefits.
…but black tea caffeine seems to have extra benefits
Additional studies have found that caffeine found in black tea actually enhances the brain’s performance and even reduces risk of many diseases to include heart disease. Although further studies are required to achieve a firm conclusion, initial studies are promising. Now, when a person consumes a large amount of caffeine, unpleasant and even dangerous side effects can be produced. For instance, a person might experience heart palpitations, shortness of breath, shaking, and insomnia.
A primary black tea benefit is that this caffeine is actually better than caffeine in coffee. The reason a person would still get the burst of energy but without the side effects is that when comparing caffeine in black tea to coffee, the amount in black tea is actually less. As an example, a cup of coffee contains approximately 16 milligrams of caffeine whereas a cup of black tea has just 6 to 8 milligrams. Therefore, you could drink two cups of black tea, enjoying the flavor, health benefits, and increased energy while not experience possible side effects.
Research on black tea caffeine
Facts that have come out of studies performed on black tea caffeine are actually fascinating. For instance, the maturity of leaves and the location on the Camellia sinensis plant where the leaves are taken factor into the amount of caffeine in black tea.
In other words, leaves pulled from the lower half of the plant are more mature so they contain a greater quantity of phytochemicals, as well as other substances. However, leaves pulled from the upper part of the plant are young and cannot produce the same level of black tea benefits.
Even the geographic location where the Camellia sinensis plant is grown would factor in, as well as the way in which the plant/leaves are cut, whether fermentation is involved and if so, the actual process, and even the amount of time the leaves are steeped. All of these factors determine the flavor but also the degree of caffeine found in black tea.
When looking at healthy tea and comparing black tea to green tea, oolong tea, or white tea, you would find that caffeine levels are much higher in black tea. The flavor is also distinct, known for being full-bodied, which comes from the full oxidation process used for production.
