How Much Caffeine Is In A Cup Of Tea?

When most people think about measuring caffeine, they regularly use coffee (yuck, can't stand the stuff) as the universal measuring stick. Me, I'm a solid tea drinker. Breakfast, lunch, dinner... any time of the day is tea time for me. And yet, I never feel like I'm tweaking out or having a caffeine rush when I ingest tea. I've long known how much caffeine is in a cup of tea, but for the betterment of mankind...

...and to spread a little bit of 'Oh wow, cool' knowledge...

How much caffeine is in a cup of tea?

Well, the answer is surprising, but it'll all make sense by the time I finish explaining it.

When measured in their dry form, tea leaves actually contain more caffeine per gram than coffee grounds. And yet, it takes many less leaves to produce a single cup of tea. If you were to make an 8 ounce cup of tea, you would use approximately 2 grams of tea leaves to steep in the water. For the same size cup of coffee, you would need 10 grams of coffee grounds. As such, the increased supply of coffee grounds means more caffeine is brewed into the beverage. The final tally? That 8 ounce cup of tea has approximately 40 milligrams of caffeine. The 8 ounce cup of coffee has roughly 105 milligrams of caffeine. That's nearly three times as much! Coffee wins the caffeine race by a landslide.

Now, let's take this one step farther. The amount of caffeine in a cup of tea is also influenced by a few different factors. The location of the leaves on a tea plant helps to determine their caffeine content; younger leaves near the top have more. Also, steeping a tea bag longer in a cup of hot water also releases more caffeine. Generally, you should steep a tea bag for at least four to five minutes for optimum flavor. Finally, the type of tea you use also dictates how much caffeine you take in. White and green teas have less caffeine. Oolong tea has a moderate amount. Black tea has the most.

The chemical structure of Caffeine.

Also take note -- the antioxidants in tea slow down the caffeine absorption process in your body. As such, the caffeine is used at a much more gradual rate, meaning you don't experience an energy crash at the end. The caffeine will stay with you longer and have a more prolonged, less severe effect.

And there you have it! All you would ever want to know about caffeine in relation to tea. Doesn't this make you want to have a cup? I know I do!

The Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Sarah P. Duke Gardens on the campus of Duke University today. The lavish and well maintained garden facility is vast, with multiple areas featuring different types of plants and landscaping. The Duke Gardens are comprised of four different areas.

• Historic Gardens - Started in 1934, this was the original garden that started it all. Has a large, Italian style staggered terrace filled to the brim with all kinds of flowers, bushes, shrubs and trees.
• Doris Duke Center and Gardens - Features a white-flowered cottage garden and a large amphitheater, which is popular for weddings and social gatherings.
• H.L. Blomquist Garden of Native Plants - Over 900 species of plants native to the Southeastern United States.
• W.L. Culberson Asiatic Arboretum - 18 Acres of plants representing the diversity of species found in Southeast Asia.

Each area has a different look from the others. The walkways leading throughout the various garden areas are clean and easily passable. As such, the Duke Gardens are a perfect place to take your family.

This is a Japanese Tea House located in the Asiatic Arboretum. The intricate building serves as the Durham-Toyama Sister Cities Pavilion. Chanoyu, which is the preparation and service of traditional Japanese tea, takes place here regularly throughout the year. It's quite impressive and easily one of the highlights of the experience. Durham is a sister city to Toyama, to which they host guests from each other in the celebration of peace between the Japanese and American people.

The terrace located in the Historic Gardens are amazing! Each staggered row of plants features a plethora of colors and arrangements. There's not a bad spot anywhere to take photos!

Here are some other various photos from the trip. As you can see, the site is well maintained and an absolute pleasure to take in. I highly suggest that you make a visit the next time you're in the Durham, North Carolina area.

Why Tea Is Better Than Coffee.

I am an unabashed proponent of drinking tea. It's easy to make and tastes great. On top of that, it's just so much cooler to drink than plain old coffee.*

Plus, coffee tastes and smells like spoiled skunk meat. How all you people consume it, I have no idea. When I was a kid, my mom would brew coffee. The wretched smell would emanate throughout my house. On numerous occasions, the odor alone made me nauseated enough to vomit profusely. As I grew into an adult, I was brave enough to try coffee twice just to make sure I wasn't crazy. Both times, I upchucked.

Screw you coffee. You taste horrible.

Besides tasting great and coming in so many different flavors, what are some other benefits of drinking tea instead of coffee?

• Tea has nearly the same amount of caffeine as coffee, but without the giant energy drop-off that you experience with drinking a cup of joe. The caffeine from tea is more mellow and sustains you longer.
• Antioxidants are abundant in tea. This is a good thing; antioxidants are essential to preventing free radicals in your body from damaging cells. Essentially, it keeps you younger and healthier.
• In terms of fluid intake and staying hydrated, you ingest more water drinking tea over coffee. Coffee is thicker and contains more of the actual bean, whereas tea is nearly all water. 
• When most folks make coffee, they load it down with various creamers, flavors, sugars or whipped toppings. This adds an enormous amount of sugar and calories. When making tea, you just add tea leaves, boiling water and perhaps a single pack of sweetener (I use Splenda) for taste. BAM! A zero calorie beverage that gets you going without all that crap to pollute your system.
• Tea doesn't stain your teeth nearly as bad as coffee does.
• Drinking tea in moderation is beneficial to the health of your skeleton thanks to a component called catechins. It improves the strength of your bones!
• Regular consumption of tea has been shown to improve the response time of your immune system.

So instead of pouring yourself a cup of disgusting coffee, next time try a piping hot cup of tea. Your body will thank you!

*This is my personal opinion. If you don't like it, oh well.