What is Decaffeinated Tea?
Posted by Gaynor Birkhead on
What is Decaffeinated Tea?
Decaffeinated tea… sounds a bit odd, right? With a cup of black tea can containing a high level of caffeine, there are real health benefits to choosing a decaff alternative.
What is caffeine?
A natural stimulant found in plants (including tea, coffee, and cola nuts), caffeine speeds up the body’s nervous system to help us feel more alert. Research has shown that a cup of coffee has around 95mg of caffeine, double the amount found in a cup of black tea.
It is worth noting that caffeine affects everyone differently, and the amount of caffeine in tea or coffee depends on the type of plants, the production process and the strength of the individual drink. For example, broken tea leaves (as used in tea bags), will release more caffeine than whole leaves.
What is decaffeinated tea?
The law states that to be called decaffeinated, tea must contain less than 2.5% of its original caffeine level, so technically decaf tea is not caffeine free. Manufacturers use four main methods to decaffeinate tea leaves:
Carbon dioxide (CO2): liquid carbon dioxide attracts caffeine molecules out of the tea leaves.
Ethyl acetate: the leaves are soaked in this natural solution which also occurs in tea leaves and fruit.
Methylene chloride: this chemical bonds with the caffeine molecules.
Water processing: commonly used for coffee, hot water is now being used to extract caffeine from tea leaves.
Are herbal teas caffeine free?
Any herbal or fruit teas which don’t come from the tea plant (latin name camellia sinensis) are caffeine-free (but please seek medical advice before using any herbal remedies). Any herbal teas which contain green or black tea will be caffeinated.
Want to try decaffeinated tea?
If you want to give decaffeinated tea a try, our team of experts are always on hand to help. As well as all supplying popular teas, we can also blend and mix different teas to match your personal taste. Drop us a message to find your perfect cup of tea with The UK Loose Leaf Tea Company.
PLEASE NOTE: We only use tea decaffeinated by the CO2 method.