A Blog For Mums
There is nothing quite like a good cuppa, is there? Whether it’s nap time, screen time, or just ‘Mum needs 5 minutes to herself’ time, it always serves as an opportunity for a cup of tea too.
But if you’re cutting back on caffeine, maybe because you are pregnant or breast feeding, or to help with your sleep, you might want to replace the regular tea or coffee with something else.
Many people are recommended alternatives like green tea, chai tea and mint tea, and although the advice may be well meaning, it’s not always good advice.
Just because something sounds herbal, that doesn’t mean it has no caffeine in it. In fact, the amount of caffeine in some of these options might surprise you.
I researched all of this when I was cutting down on caffeine, so let me save you the hassle.
It’s green tea. Anything green is good right? Green energy, green living, green means go – all positive stuff.
I’m afraid not.
Green tea does have caffeine in it. It is often assumed to be a low caffeine options, and it is gentler than tea or coffee, but it’s not caffeine free.
Green tea actually comes from the sae plant as black tea (Camellia sinensis if you wanted to know) but it’s processed differently. It’s less oxidised, which gives it a lighter flavour and colour. You could say that regular black tea is actually just very very very dark green tea, but I digress.
On average, a cup of green tea contains between 30-50mg of caffeine, but it depends on how strongly you brew it. It’s about half as much as regular tea, and around a third of the amount found in a coffee, so it is better, but not caffeine free.
A good option for someone wanting to cut down, but no good if you want to avoid caffeine all together.
Chai is another drink with plenty of caffeine in it.
The word ‘Chai’ just means tea. So if you have ever asked for a cup of chai tea, you have essentially asked for a cup of tea tea. You fool! I jest. But not about the caffeine.
In the UK, when people ask for Chai tea what they usually mean is masala chai, as spiced Indian tea made with black tea leaves and spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves. Some people drink it with milk and sugar, others don’t add anything.
Anyway, because it’s made with black tea leaves the drink still contains caffein, and potentially quite a lot. Depending on how strong its brewed and the ratio of tea to milk (if you have milk) chai can have between 40-70mg of caffeine per cup. That’s even more than green tea.
However, since chai is made from a blend of spices, there are different recipes out there further complicating matters. One brand might have more cinnamon and less black tea leaves, for example, so the caffeine content would be lower.
Finally some good news: mint tea is naturally caffeine free.
This is technically a herbal infusion rather than a tea, so the refreshing clean smelling and tasting drink is safe for people wanting to avoid caffeine completely.
Many people drink it to help with digestion or settle an upset tummy, and it’s supposed to have calming qualities as well. It can work as a replacement for a regular brew too though.
This makes it great for satisfying those hot drink cravings at any time of the day or night.
Caffeine isn’t inherently bad, but too much of it is generally considered to be a bad idea.
It’s a natural stimulant you find in tea leaves, coffee beans, cocoa and others plants, which blocks the brain chemical that makes you feel tired. This is why people can feel ‘wired’ after too much coffee.
Too much caffeine can cause restlessness, bad sleep, and even heart palpitations, and in extreme cases it can even impact a baby’s development during pregnancy. This is why many people keep an eye on how much caffeine they drink, or try to cut it out.
The general guidance is to keep caffeine intake under 400mg per day – that’s 4-5 cups of instant coffee or 5-7 cups of tea. So easily achieved. It drops to 200mg per day when pregnant though.
So green tea, chai, and mint tea can all be used to help bring down your caffeine intake, but which one you go for will depend on not only how much you like the taste, but how much caffeine you are happy to drink.
Self Care and Health
