Best Low Caffeine Real Teas To Try
All real teas made from Camellia sinensis contain caffeine. Caffeine in tea depends on many factorsfrom the tea varietal, to growing conditions, harvesting season, types of leaves used for making tea, and even processing methods. Roasting tea leaves usually lowers the level of caffeine so many roasted teas have less caffeine than the less processed ones. Mature older leaves have less caffeine than younger spring leaves or buds, and so do stalks. The following teas contain very little caffeine compared to other types.
Emily Whipple’s Everyday Chia Seed Pudding
This simple, made-overnight, chia seed pudding is perfect for those mornings when you’re feeling a little sluggish and need a pick-me-up at home or at work. Loaded with omega-3s, protein and fiber, it is also gluten-free, paleo — and vegan if you use nut milk.
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 2-3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 tablespoon sweetener of choice
- 1 scoop of protein powder of choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional toppings & ingredients: chopped nuts, mixed berries, granola, shredded coconut, nut butter
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together everything but the chia seeds. Mix well.
2. Add the chia seeds and continue to whisk. You might have to add a little more milk if the pudding becomes too thick.
3. Place in a sealable container or mason jar. Store in fridge and let chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight, to enjoy the next morning. Top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
The Difference Between Decaffeinated Tea And Caffeine
It is important to understand the different between decaffeinated tea and caffeine-free tea, especially for those who are unable to consume caffeine.
“Decaffeinated” refers to a product that originally contained caffeine and then underwent a process to remove most of its caffeine content. Decaffeinated tea is NOT caffeine-free. The decaffeination process leaves a minute amount of caffeine in the leaf. By law, tea labeled as decaffeinated must have less than 2.5 percent of its original caffeine level, which usually equates to less than 2 mg per cup.
Caffeine-Free Tea “Caffeine-free” refers to a product that never contained caffeine to begin with. Caffeine-free products are labeled as such on our website and include our herbals blends, honeybush and rooibos. The exception is Yerba Mate, which contains a compound very similar to caffeine.
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Benefits Of Teas Without Caffeine
The best part about teas without caffeine is that they can be sipped at any time of day. If you are the kind of person who loves to curl up with a cup of tea before bed, you can still enjoy a restful sleep. Another advantage is that teas without caffeine can be steeped for as long as you want. While caffeinated tea gets bitter after about 3-5 minutes, herbal tea just gets stronger in flavor. If you love a hearty cuppa, try steeping your tea for 10 minutes for maximum strength. Most importantly, choose loose leaf herbal tea to get the most flavor in your cup. Tea bags are much weaker and usually lower quality. Regardless of your reasons for limiting caffeine, there is sure to be a good option for you. There are so many teas without caffeine to choose from, you might never look back!
What Is Caffeine And What Does It Do
5 ).
Its a central nervous system stimulant that is consumed all over the world to boost alertness and fight fatigue.
It works by blocking the effects of a neurotransmitter called adenosine, which builds up over the course of the day and makes you feel tired .
Drinking caffeine has also been linked with a number of health benefits, such as improved mood and brain function, an increase in metabolism and improved exercise performance (
12 ).
Summary: Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that can help you stay alert and awake. Consuming caffeine may also have some health benefits, such as improved brain function.
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What Teas Contain Caffeine
There are three main categories of tea when it comes to caffeine. True tea from the camellia sinensis plant, decaffeinated tea from the same plant, and herbal tea which includes any other plant. Teas without caffeine are either decaffeinated true tea or herbal tea. But there is an exception with caffeinated herbal teas, such as yerba mate. It might sound confusing at first, but well break down all the details so you know exactly what youre steeping.
True Tea
Camellia sinensis is a shrub that was first cultivated in China, and has become globally known as the true tea plant. Since it contains caffeine, all tea varieties made from this plant will contain caffeine. This includes popular teas such as:
- Black tea
- Earl Grey
- Chai
These true teas are varied in taste and appearance, but all have the same main ingredient. The difference in flavor comes from how the tea is grown, harvested, and processed. For example, black tea is fully oxidized which makes it darker and stronger in taste. Pu-erh tea is fermented, giving it a complex flavor profile similar to chocolate or wine. Green tea is unoxidized and usually pan-fried or steamed to preserve its refreshing, vegetal flavor. All of these varieties contain caffeine.
Herbal Tea
- Single herb teas
- Herbal blends
- Root decoctions
- Medicinal infusions
Top 10 Healthiest Sources Of Caffeine
Workout enhancer. Energy booster. Life saver. Millions rely on caffeine to navigate the craziness of modern life. But caffeinated beverages can be a powerful ally or your worst enemy, depending on how you get your buzz. Soda and energy drinks are pumped full of calories and unhealthy chemicals. They definitely are not recommended sources of caffeine.
But fear not, caffeine lovers: there are ways to get the energy and clarity you crave without falling prey to all the baggage. Here are the Top 10 from Health Fitness Revolution and author of the book ReSYNC Your Life Samir Becic:
- Green Tea: There are a hundred thousand varieties of green tea . Most of them have a lower caffeine content at about 25mg per 8oz cup. Thats enough to clear out the cobwebs but not enough to have you wired all night. The benefits of green tea are myriad and are more than just added bonuses to the caffeine boost. The flavonoids boost immunity, aids in weight loss, and antioxidants even have anti-aging effects to keep free radicals at bay.
- Espresso: A smooth, robust, and aromatic shot of espresso is a great way to get caffeine if you need it, like, now. Super low cal and full of anti-oxidative benefits, whats not to like?
- Americano: This 5 calorie per cup source of caffeine is just espresso plus hot water. The preferred drink of American GIs during WWII and waistline conscious Starbucks customers today.
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Benefits Of Caffeine Free Teas On Our Health
Teas without caffeine has a number of benefits as this category of teas do not contain any type of processed ingredients. Before we enlist the top caffeine-free teas, here we have discussed the various health benefits of such type of teas.
- Prevents Dehydration One of the most useful advantages of using non-caffeinated teas is it prevents a person from the dehydration. Hence, by ensuring the right amount of water, it makes your body and mind work with a good performance. It ultimately leads to the better concentration of the mind at work.
- Good for Cardiovascular System Teas without caffeine are beneficial for the good health of our cardiovascular system. It prevents us from various risks such as stroke and ensures a regular heartbeat. This is because of the presence of a polyphenol called epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which helps to prevent coronary artery disease.
- Improves Digestive System Caffeine free teas improves the digestive system and helps in the proper digestion of food in our body. Not only it keeps the stomach healthy but also it prevents against the fatty liver disease.
- Glowing Skin Green tea contains many important ingredients which help in ensuring a glowing skin. Not only this, it prevents itching, dandruff, and inflammation from the skin.
- Boosts Immune System Due to the presence of important phytonutrients, powerful antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory in non-caffeinated tea, it helps to boost the immune system on a great level.
What Supplements Should I Take
When you reach for that bottle of vitamins or fish oil, for example, you wonder if any of these will work and if they are safe. Well, the main thing you should be asking yourself is if you need them in the first place. And the truth is, there are tons of supplements for different needs.
Our body requires all the necessary nutrients, like vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy fat, and fiber every day. The best source for these nutrients is real food. Nothing beats having a balanced lifestyle that includes quality whole foods. But the reality is that most people are not meeting the minimum requirements of certain nutrients, especially vitamins and minerals.
Even with fiber, people struggle to eat enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, for instance. Thats why you can see many symptoms like digestive issues and lack of energy.
Supplements come into the picture to help your body meet all the necessary nutrients. They also help avoid any deficiency. Supplements can even strengthen your body and enhance your metabolism. There are many benefits of taking supplements. The answer to whether youll need to take them depends on many other things.
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How To Stay Alert Without Caffeine
Even after a good night’s sleep, all it takes is one rough commute or frustrating meeting to majorly wear us down.
That’s probably why countless people reach for an afternoon cup of coffee, tea, or god forbid tiny bottles filled with foul-tasting herbs and a megadose of caffeine.
But there are plenty of science-backed ways to stay alert using just your mind, body, and surroundings. And some of them are actually kind of fun.
Read on for 10 tips and tricks that can help you make it through the day without that habit-forming caffeine hit.
Look away from the screen
Looking at one target for a long time, such as a computer screen, can hurt your eyes and make you struggle to keep them open.
As many as 95 percent of Americans are at risk for so-called computer vision syndrome especially those who work in an office. All that screen time causes eye irritation and dryness, eye strain, blurred or double vision, headache, and shoulder and neck pain.
You can minimise the risks of damaging your eyes by reducing glare on your screen, upgrading your screen to an LCD, blinking frequently, correcting your posture, and gazing at a distant object every 20 minutes.
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Eat a healthy snack
Low blood sugar can make you feel foggy and mentally lethargic. Large meals can have the same effect, because digestion takes energy .
If you try to mask this effect with sugary foods and caffeine, you’ll get a momentary high before a rapid crash.
Drink water
Step outside
A Caffeinated Tea That Does It All
Herbal tea blends are great, as they provide hydration and some surprising health benefits. But traditional teas containing caffeine are good for you too.
In fact, the FDA recommends a limit of 400mg of caffeine per day.16 So, drinking a few cups of caffeinated oolong tea is certainly not going to be detrimental to your health.
Furthermore, caffeine gets a bad rep for the jitters and restlessness it can cause when consumed in vast quantities. But actually, caffeine can have some great benefits for your mood and cognitive performance. The key is an amino acid called L-Theanine. This amino acid is found naturally in tea from the Camellia sinensis plant, but not in herbal teas or coffee.
You can go through the science in detail with our Caffeine in Tea vs Coffee article, but here’s a recap:
- Caffeine and L-Theanine create a synergistic relationship,
- This slows the onset of your energy boost, for a smoother and jitter-free experience,
- L-Theanine promotes creativity and focus by enhancing alpha brain waves,
- The caffeine slowly wears off, rather than crashing all at once.
So, while herbal teas are great, Zest Teas can do it better. Our green and black tea blends can give you the focus and calmness as well as the energy and enthusiasm you need to get through the day.
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Reinvigorating Coffee Alternatives For Those Who Say No To The Joe
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As a college student, it’s rare for anyone to go a day without ingesting some form of caffeine, usually in the form of coffee. However, while coffee has been proven to provide some health benefits, it has also been linked to side effects such as increased risk of heart attacks in young adults and high blood pressure.
Additionally, coffee delays our bodies from experiencing exhaustion instead of energizing it and has addictive properties caused by delayed dopamine absorption in the brain, which make us feel that mood boost from caffeine every time we drink coffee.
I get itcoffee comes in so many tasty forms and is a social and trendy way to get yourself going every day. Personally, though, coffee makes me anxious and more stressed than I am without caffeine. I choose to not drink coffee because I want to allow my body to acknowledge the scope of its exhaustion and to use only natural, non-stimulating methods to help re-energize it.
For those of us who are non-caffeine drinkers but still need to function on little sleep, there is hope. Here’s a list of energizing, non-caffeine beverages that have gotten me through three semesters of college classes, meetings, and late night study sessions.
Are Herbal Teas Healthy
The specific health benefits of herbal teas will vary depending on their ingredients, but since all are made from plants, they will contain a variety of polyphenols and antioxidants, which have been shown to confer a range of protective benefits.
Consumption of antioxidants has been associated with reduced risk for a variety of ills, and support for overall health. Diets rich in antioxidants may also help to support healthy weight management, a healthy immune system, and healthy blood sugar levels. . Part of a healthy and balanced diet, herbal teas can help to support overall wellness as much as any true tea.
So while you may miss out on L-theanine and epigallocatechin gallate prevalent in true teas, you will still reap the benefits of powerful plant compounds without any exposure to caffeine.
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Can You Decaffeinate My Favorite Tea
Weve been asked why we dont carry decaffeinated versions of all of our teas, to which we offer the following explanation. Decaffeinating teas with CO2 Decaffeination requires costly equipment and substantial amounts of energy, which typically makes it cost-ineffective to decaffeinate small batches of specialty teas. Only the most mainstream varieties are generally considered for decaffeination, usually versatile black and green teas that can be sold as is or blended in some fashion to create products like Decaf English Breakfast, Decaf Earl Grey, etc.
Additionally, youll rarely see a decaffeinated version of a limited-production premium tea, like our Silver Needle White Tea or Gyokuro Green Tea. These products are already rather expensive and have a limited market demand, so creating a more expensive decaffeinated version to offer an even smaller group of customers is both prohibitively expensive and energy-inefficient. Occasionally, tea gardens will even refuse to sell their tea if they know it will be decaffeinated, as they feel it will lower the quality. However, don’t fret! To lower the caffeine content of a tea that is not offered in a decaffeinated version, please read our discussion on the Decaffeination at Home technique .
Is Decaffeinated Tea A Good Choice
There are many types of decaffeinated tea on the market, made by removing the caffeine compounds from true tea leaves. These are very similar in flavor to real tea and are a good option if you are seeking an authentic tea flavor.
However, some of the processes involved in removing the caffeine also destroy a lot of the beneficial properties of true tea. The overall level of antioxidants will be reduced, making decaffeinated tea a less healthy choice.
So, decaf tea is fine to drink now and again, if you are longing to recreate the flavor of real tea. But for a healthy drink to consume on a regular basis, it is time to start looking at naturally caffeine-free herbal alternatives.
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Should I Invest In Supplements
Before I suggest a list of the types of supplements you should take, this is what you should bear in mind. Supplements are just an aid to a healthy eating lifestyle. In other words, you should always aim to eat healthier, vary your plate, and have enough whole foods in your diet. That is crucial to ensure that you are meeting at least the minimum nutrient requirements.
You shouldnt invest in supplements to get your main nutrition. Always focus on quality foods before you supplement your diet. Now, supplements can reinforce what youre lacking in your eating lifestyle. Because of that, I love to always have some sort of multivitamin complex.
In general, if you have a proper eating lifestyle, its not mandatory to invest in supplements. However, there are specific cases, for example, pregnant women, in which we recommend taking supplements. Always make sure that you check with your doctor or nutritionist before taking any form of supplement.
Tazo Herbal Citrus Tea Bags
Tazo is one of the biggest names in tea for its consistently high quality and superb blends. This particular example is an herbal variety that is naturally caffeine-free, but it has more than enough flavor to satisfy any drinker. Infused with a rich combination of orange peel, citrus herbs, lemongrass and licorice root, it is among the brightest and most refreshing selections on our list. Though its a great candidate for drinking all on its own, it is also a welcome choice for brewing a novel citrus ice tea perfect for parties and other gatherings.
Courtesy of Amazon
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