![]() Probably the most natural method of decaffeination. Whilst considered relatively safe, much of the flavour is also removed and teas using this process can be weak and bland. The water is then added back to the leaves. The leaves are soaked in hot water, and then put through a carbon filter which extracts the caffeine molecules. This is more closely associated with coffee decaffeination. It also destroys many of the health benefits, as it removes the ‘polyphenols’, special tea antioxidants which help fight free radicals and boost the body’s defence and renewal mechanisms. On the negative side, again a chemical residue is left as the chemical can’t be entirely removed, and this leaves the tea with a bitter taste. On the plus side, this is actually a chemical already present in tea leaves. This method is controversial as methylene chloride is widely considered not safe for consumption.Īgain the tea leaves are soaked, this time in ethyl acetate (also used in nail polish remover!). Unfortunately, it is not possible to remove all of it and so a chemical residue can be left on the leaves. The chemical is then separated out taking much of the caffeine with it. In this method, the tea leaves are soaked in a chemical solvent called methylene chloride which bonds with the caffeine molecules. All decaf teas are not the same! Here is an outline of the main techniques: Methylene chloride There are different decaffeination methods that are used for tea, and it is worth asking which one was used if you are drinking decaf tea. Naturally caffeine free would always be our preference when cutting down on caffeine. This means that the leaves undergo little processing and will not contain any trace caffeine. Conversely, ‘caffeine free’ means the plant never actually contained caffeine in the first place it was simply not in it’s genetic make-up. ![]() But is there a difference? The answer is absolutely, yes.ĭecaf tea means that the black or green tea leaves have undergone a decaffeination process to remove the caffeine molecules. If you are trying to cut down on caffeine in tea, the best way is to substitute regular tea with either decaf tea or naturally caffeine free. This means that if you're drinking tea it can be very difficult to gauge exactly how much caffeine you are consuming in a day. Green tea generally has less than black teas, but again there might be quite a lot of overlap at the upper end of the green tea caffeine scale. Some black teas might even have more caffeine than some weaker coffees. Because, it is a natural compound, the amount of caffeine in each plant can vary enormously.Ĭoffee generally has the most milligrams of caffeine, but different types of tea, whether black or oolong tea, green or white tea, can contain varying levels depending on where it was grown and how it was picked and processed. Whilst tolerable in small quantities, too high a caffeine intake can affect blood pressure and heart health, and can contribute to insomnia as well as anxiety, palpitations and tremors. Caffeine is a natural chemical found in certain plants, most notably in coffee, cacao and of course black, green and white teas.
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