Introduction

Have you been considering lately of switching to a less caffeinated morning seltzer? Or is the iced tea your favorite mid-day refresher in the hot afternoons? But you are wondering if it contains just the right amount of caffeine to be considered a healthful beverage?

Let’s see if the iced tea is an option cool enough when it comes to setting your caffeine priorities right. Besides, is it better than other caffeinated drinks?

Why Caffeine Count is Important?

Caffeine count in a beverage can be of prime importance when you are trying to make a healthful choice. Where it helps a lot in keeping you energized, focused and alert, caffeine in high quantities used consistently can cause insomnia, anxiety, digestive problems, and even addiction. It can make you feel edgy and jittery.

Therefore, whether or not iced tea is your cup of tea as compared to other caffeinated drinks, depends primarily of your preferred caffeine intake. However, even every iced tea doesn’t contain the same amount of caffeine. Its placement on the caffeine scale can vary due to a number of factors. Let’s explore some of the factors affecting the amount of caffeine in iced tea.

Factors Affecting the Amount of Caffeine in Iced Tea

Types of Iced Tea

There are several types of iced tea, each one with a varying amount of caffeine. You need to make a knowledgeable choice combining health and taste together. 

Herbal Iced Tea

herbal iced teas can be enjoyed in various flavors. These are typically devoid of any caffeine at all. This means, if you are just looking for a calmer, a break amidst a hectic day, herbal iced tea can work like a charm. Besides, these are also preferred by those looking to shed a few pounds. However, if you are in need of a kickstart to your day or need to stay up at night for a project that asks for increased and consistent focus, you might prefer other options over herbal teas.

Decaf Iced Tea

Decaffeination process removes the caffeine from the tea. However, these teas are not 100% devoid of caffeine. They still have some traces. Typically, for a tea to be classified as decaf tea, the caffeine content should be no more than 2mg per cup. So, decaffeinated iced tea is a good option for those looking to cut down on caffeine content without totally eliminating it.

Green Iced Tea

Green tea has a moderate amount of caffeine as compared to the black tea. An 8oz cup of a green iced tea can have its caffeine content anywhere between 30mg to 50mg. So, its very much capable of giving you a much needed energy boost while sparing you of the potential side effects of too much caffeine consumption. Hence it is a perfect choice for those trying to have a mild caffeine intake.

Black Iced Tea

On the caffeine scale, the black iced tea has the highest caffeine content as compared to other variations. According to the Healthline, black tea can have average caffeine content of 50 mg per cup of 8oz. Among teas, black tea is known to be the strongest when it comes to caffeine count.

Caffeine content of iced tea can vary significantly depending upon some other factors as well. let’s see how you can brew yourself a perfect cup of iced tea;

The Brewing Process

The difference in brewing process can have significant affect on the amount of caffeine in the resulting cup of iced tea. For example, when the steeping time for the tea is shorter, lesser caffeine is released and a longer steeping time means more caffeine. This is the reason why iced teas generally have lower caffeine content than the hot variations because the former is brewed for shorter steeping time. For example, steeping the tea for around 1 to 2 minutes will reduce the caffeine.

The Temperature of Water

More heat allows more caffeine to be released and at a much faster pace. The lesser the temperature during brewing process, the lesser will be the caffeine in your cup of iced tea.

The Amount of Ice

This to can affect the amount of caffeine in the iced tea. Adding more ice or water reduces the caffeine content and vice versa.

Type of Tea

Type of tea you are using can also have a significant impact on the amount of caffeine in iced tea. For example, generally, the lose tea leaves are richer in caffeine than the ones available in tea bags. Similarly different flavors and varieties have different strengths of caffeine.

Number of Tea Bags

Similarly, the number of tea bags used per cup can also change the amount of caffeine in the cup of iced tea. The more bags you use, the higher the caffeine count.

This was an account of the factors which can affect caffeine content in a cup of iced tea. But where does an iced tea stand on the caffeine scale when compared with other caffeinated beverages? For those wondering whether iced tea is a healthier or more energizing option compared to a cup of coffee or soda, here is a comparison of iced tea with popular caffeinated drinks.

Iced Tea Vs Coffee-which has more Caffeine?

Coffee is undoubtedly one of the most popular caffeinated drinks but how does it compare to iced tea on caffeine content? According to FDA, a cup of coffee can have 80 to 100 mg of caffeine. This is around twice as strong as the same serving of iced black tea. In other words, if you are after an energy booster, a cup of coffee will act like a magic potion for you. However, consistent high consumption can have many side effects including increased heart rate, difficulty to sleep, anxiety, and digestive problems.

Iced Tea vs Soda- which One has More Caffeine?

There is a general perception that soft drinks like coke are way too high on caffeine count. However, it might surprise you they are still on a lot lower side when compared to tea. According to The Guardian, for the ease of understanding the comparison between the caffeine content of colas and tea, you can say, two colas are equivalent to one cup of tea.

However, different brands of soft drinks can vary considerably in the amount of caffeine. Some can have more caffeine than a serving of iced tea. For example, where Coca-Cola has 32 mg of caffeine in 12 ounce serving, mountain dew has a whooping 54 mg in the same serving.

Where every can of soda has carefully stipulated, exactly same amount of caffeine, every cup of iced tea might not have the exact same amount.

Is Iced Tea a Healthy Option?

For those looking for a healthier alternate to caffeine enriched beverages, the iced tea is still not an absolutely caffeine free drink except the herbal ones. However, if we take into account the health benefits associated with moderate amount of caffeine intake, iced tea can be a good option. The antioxidants it contains can have positive impact on nervous system and can reduce the risk of cardiac arrest.

Besides, the ice tea variations with low to moderate caffeine can help improve focus and keep you from feeling lethargic. Moreover, ice tea can help to some extent in reducing weight when used without sugar. According to FDA, the maximum recommended amount of daily caffeine intake is around 400 mg. So, if your daily ice tea intake if providing caffeine below this recommended level, you can call it a healthy option considering other health benefits associated with it.

Final Verdict

While caffeine can have its side effects when consumed consistently in higher amounts, the lower quantities can help you stay alert and avoid the feeling of laziness. It can provide you with a much needed energy boost and help you improve your focus. It acts like a rejuvenator for a tired mind and body.

Almost all variations of iced tea have a caffeine content much lower than coffee, and higher than soft drinks. Hence, we can safely place iced tea on the ‘moderate’ level on a caffeine gauge. However, access of everything is bad and iced tea is no exception. Hence, make sure you aren’t exceeding a certain healthful level of caffeine intake with your daily iced tea consumption. Balance your taste preferences with a healthful caffeine intake provided by iced tea and get going.