Green tea has a lot of health benefits.

A lot of research studies have attributed improvement in brain function and brain aging to green tea. Studies have also shown that this beverage may help in reducing the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (1, 2, 3, 4).

But one thing that is worthy of note is, just like conventional tea, green tea is loaded with caffeine. And so, people who are cautious about their caffeine intake may be concerned about this. This article will highlight the caffeine content in green tea, and whether or not we should be concerned about it.

What is caffeine?

Caffeine is a phytochemical that is present in beans, fruits, and leaves of at least 60 different plants, and this includes the leaves of tea plants (5).

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system. It is consumed globally because of its ability to fight fatigue and boost mental alertness. Caffeine works by acting against the actions of adenosine. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that accumulates in the body over the course of the day. When you have too much adenosine, it makes you feel tired (6).

Consumption of caffeine has some health benefits, including improvement in brain function and mood, improved performance in exercise, and an increase in metabolism (5, 7, 8, 9).

However, you should note that some people may have a higher sensitivity to caffeine than others(10, 11).

As a plus, people who take in excess of caffeine may experience insomnia, irregular heartbeat, and restlessness (12).

How much caffeine is present in Jasmine green tea?

230ml or 8-oz of green tea contains roughly 35mg of caffeine (5).
This amount may vary, though. The real amount may be between 30mg or 50mg per 8-oz serving.

Because caffeine occurs naturally in jasmine green tea, the real amount will depend on the growing condition of the plant, the method of processing and brewing.
For instance, green tea made from aging leaves contains lesser caffeine than tea that is made from young and fresh leaves (13).

Another point t note is that the caffeine content in tea is also determined by the type of green tea and the method of preparation.
Bagged tea, for instance, may contain more caffeine than loose leaf tea.

This could be because the leaves in the bagged tea have been crushed up, so a lot more caffeine has been extracted and infused into the drink (14, 15).

Finally, brewing time also matters. Tea that is brewed for a longer period of time, and in hotter water, contains more caffeine.

Should you worry about the caffeine in green tea?

Caffeine is a very popular stimulant. It is safe when used in the right way and in the recommended amounts. For adults who are over 19 years of age, the maximum intake per day should be 400mg or 13mg/pound of body weight (16).

However, in order to avoid its negative effects, you should space out your caffeine intake. You should limit your intake to 200mg at a time. 200mg of caffeine would be 4 units of an 8-ounce cup, so with an 8-ounce serving, you’ll be well within the recommended limits. Summarily, Jasmine green tea has a lower caffeine content compared to other beverages. Healthwise, you have nothing to worry about so far as you are taking the recommended amounts.

The summary

With a 230-ml cup of caffeine, you are sure of 30 to 50mg of caffeine. The maximum amount of caffeine that you need per day is 400mg. This is the same as 8 cups of jasmine green tea. On a serious note, it is better that you do not take all 8 cups at the same time, especially if you have a high sensitivity to caffeine. That said, Jasmine green tea is quite nutritious and has just the right amounts of caffeine. The good news is that it also has great health benefits.