Tea is a great choice if you are looking for a low-caffeine drink. In fact, a cup of black tea has about ½ the caffeine as coffee and a cup of green tea has less caffeine than a bar of dark chocolate. It would take 15 cups of green tea to equal the 300 mg of caffeine per day considered moderate consumption by the Food and Drug Administration.




The caffeine in tea is gentle; most people sensitive to caffeine in coffee & soda can drink tea without a problem. Octavia Tea also offers great selection of 100% caffeine-free herbal alternatives such as Rooibos and Chamomile.

DECAFFEINATE YOUR TEA AT HOME
Avoid commercially packaged teas labeled "decaffeinated." Many decaffeinated teas use chemicals to remove caffeine. If you wish to lower the caffeine level of your tea naturally, it is best to do it yourself--without the use of chemicals.

Because caffeine is highly water-soluble, 80-90% of tea's caffeine is released in the first 30 seconds of brewing. Therefore, caffeine-sensitive tea-drinkers can lower the caffeine in their cup (and avoid the chemicals used in commercial decaffeinating processes) simply by 'washing' the caffeine from their tea following 3 easy steps:
(1) brew tea for 30 seconds
(2) discard water
(3) use the 'decaffeinated' leaves & brew as normal

Even commercially decaffeinated teas still contains a few milligrams of caffeine. We recommend that people with extreme sensitivities choose only herbal teas that come from plants that do not contain any caffeine at all. For example, Octavia Tea's Rooibos and Chamomile both come from plants that occur 100% caffeine-free in nature.

HOW MUCH?
As with everything in life, the key seems to be moderation. In small amounts, caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, increases concentration and boosts energy. For most people, mild or moderate caffeine intake is pleasurable and harmless. Because the caffeine in tea is gentler than coffee, most people who are sensitive to caffeine can drink tea without a problem. In fact, green tea contains less caffeine than a Hershey's dark chocolate bar.

Remember that the caffeine in tea is natural. The artificial addition of caffeine in soda and medications has given caffeine a bad reputation--one that it does not deserve. In fact, research suggest that the caffeine in tea may act as a carrier for the leaf's health benefits and antioxidants.

The Food and Drug Administration considers 300 mg of caffeine per day (15 cups of green tea) moderate and safe consumption. Everyone is different, so the best thing to do is listen to your body.