Caffeine Rating, Black Tea Antioxidants, and Green Tea Antioxidants

Caffeine rating, black tea antioxidants, green tea antioxidants how many of us know exactly what caffeine; the drug behind the world's most consumed beverages (except for water), is up to in the body?

Coffee or tea, anyone?

They might be two of our favorite drinks, but Caffeine, like nicotine, is legal, and, if not addictive, it's definitely habit-forming.

The caffeine rating of these teas may surprise you; unlike nicotine, caffeine is a lot more sociably acceptable. But whether you indulge occasionally or are a seasoned user, there's a lot that might surprise you.

Humans have used this drug since prehistoric times. In nature it acts as an efficient pesticide and is found in a number of plants: tea, coffee beans, guarana berries and cocoa nuts (although the quantity is quite small, around 0.2–0.4 per cent.

Surprisingly, from the caffeine rating it's the leaves of the tea plant that contain the most, around five per cent compared to one to two per cent for coffee beans. Caffeine rating; Green tea and black tea , as both come from the Camellia sinensis plant. Red tea or Rooibus tea comes from a different plant and contains none. According to the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center at the University of New South Wales, the caffeine rating of a typical 150 ml cup of tea varies from 30 to 100 mg, depending on how long the tea is infused and whether you brew with loose leaves or tea bags [strong loose-leaf tea yields the most. Coffee beans come in two flavours, Robusta and Arabica. Lighter-coloured Robusta coffee beans contain more (2 per cent) than Arabica (1 per cent) as the roasting process removes some. A caffeine rating of a 150 ml cup of drip-percolated coffee has a typical content of 100 to 150 mg; instant coffee has 60–100mg per 150 ml, depending on the brand. A caffeine rating of espresso comes in at around 90 mg per 150 ml.

Caffeine rating in chocolate?

If you ate an entire 200 g block of chocolate, you'd consume about 550 mg of combined methylxathines. A 30 g bar has between 20 to 60 mg caffeine – something that's worth considering when you calculate your daily caffeine intake, or think about how much the kids are consuming. For those under the age of 20, it's likely that soft drinks and energy drinks are the dominant source of caffeine. Caffeine rating in a 375 ml cola drink contains around 40 mg while a 250 ml energy drink contains around 80 to100 mg – about the same as a shot of espresso.

How much is too much?

The effects on the body vary greatly between individuals. The caffeine rating guideline is to consume less than 600 mg per day – around four cups of strong drip-percolated coffee, or five or six cups of tea, although less is recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. The fatal dose is 170 mg/kg – for a person of average bodyweight this would mean consuming around 10 g caffeine, or 80 to 100 cups at once – not an easy task.

Short-term effects

It is a central nervous system stimulant and a diuretic and acts on the body in a number of ways. Short-term effects include contraction of the muscles, which can cause twitching; an increased heart rate; slowing of blood flow to the stomach; and constriction of blood vessels on the skin, causing blood flow from cuts on the skin to slow. More sugar is released from the liver into the bloodstream, and breathing tubes open up.

If you have a cup of coffee before bed you might find it harder to sleep. You'll also find that you experience deep sleep for shorter periods and have shorter dream periods, so that you feel less rested when you wake up.

After one to one and a half hours, caffeine rating reaches maximum concentration in the body. After three to seven hours half of the caffeine consumed has been metabolised, passing from the blood to the urine, from which is it expelled from the body. It is metabolised by the liver, and passes into the bloodstream, crossing the blood/brain barrier into the brain. There it binds with receptors including dopamine receptors (which is why it makes you feel good) and adenosine receptors. Adenosine when bonded to its receptors slows down nerve cells, causing drowsiness. It also binds to adenosine receptors but doesn't slow down nerve cells. Since there is less adenosine binding, the nerve cells speed up, leading to feelings of restlessness.

So can a strong cuppa sober you up after a few drinks? No such luck. It will not alter your blood alcohol level, but it will make you feel more alert, just as coffee does when you are sober.

Withdrawal

It is not generally considered addictive, but it is habit-forming. The body develops a tolerance towards the drug, meaning more caffeine is required to produce the same sensations. So we drink more to 'top up'.

Withdrawal symptoms occur because after a day or so without it, the brain become oversensitive to adenosine, causing blood pressure to drop dramatically. The most familiar withdrawal symptom is headache. Other symptoms include drowsiness, irritability and even nausea and vomiting.

Long-term effects

Caffeine rating; Excessive amounts of intake (more than four or five cups of strong tea or coffee per day) causes tremors, a fast heart rate, increased urination, nervousness, anxiety, stomach upsets and insomnia.

In rare cases it can even cause death. In Western Australia a 25-year old woman with a condition affecting her heart valves died after consuming a tonic with a high caffeine rating. it contained 10 times the amount of caffeine as coffee – not enough to kill most people but fatal with a heart condition.

Caffeine has a greater affect on children and the elderly. It can cause unborn babies to experience restlessness and withdrawal symptoms at birth, and produce hyperactivity and anxiety in kids.

Pregnancy

Caffeine rating;The rate at which it is metabolized by the body depends on the health of the liver. Women in general have more enzymes in the liver and metabolize drugs like caffeine faster than men. The same class of enzymes metabolise caffeine and the hormones of pregnancy. It takes longer to get rid of the caffeine when these hormones are elevated in the body, that is, if you're pregnant or on the oral contraceptive pill.

While some studies have shown that caffeine contributes to a greater risk of miscarriage or birth defects, other studies have criticised this research in failing to eliminate the possibility of other causes contributing to the miscarriage. Groups such as Motherisk and the Organization of Teratology Information Services have reported that low to moderate consumption (one to two cups per day) has no effect on birth weight or risk of miscarriage.

Caffeine has however been shown to reduce fertility by damaging sperm in men, and also affects whether or not the fertilized egg (embryo) successfully implants in the uterus. It is a stressor; it stimulates the heart and brain and also stimulates the release of a hormone that negatively interacts with the hormones that control fertility. As little as one cup of strong coffee a day can affect the chances of successful conception.

Caffeine can enter breast milk and significant amounts can cause wakefulness and agitation to the baby. Again, one cup per day seems to be the recommended upper level of intake.

Caffeine Rating for Athletes

Caffeine has been used in sports supplements to combat fatigue. Research has shown that it is effective in delaying the time it takes to become exhausted after strenuous exercise. Studies have shown an increase in endurance while running and cycling after even a moderate intake.

It is also a diuretic, so it could negatively impact performance by increasing the rate of dehydration. The International Olympic Committee has banned caffeine levels of the equivalent of four strong cups per day. Benefits

It has been linked to a number of conditions from cancer to heart disease to fibrocystic breast disease and osteoporosis and has since been cleared of culpability. It is classified as GRAS – generally recognised as safe – by the American Medical Association.

There is more good news. It is an antioxidant, and antioxidants are thought to help prevent heart disease and some cancers. Coffee also contains flavonoids, which are also antioxidants.

It increases alertness and is thought to improve concentration. Shift workers or others suffering from fatigue in their jobs may benefit from its properties as a stimulant.

We also have more teas at the two links below.

It has also been used to help premature babies experiencing difficulties breathing. Apnoea happens when a newborn baby's central nervous system doesn't signal the lungs to breathe. Minute amounts of it given intravenously once a day can stimulate a newborn baby's brain to tell the lungs to inflate.

Taken in moderation, it is harmless and may even be beneficial. Just keep an eye on your intake – whether green tea or chocolate – and you can sleep soundly at night.

Tea is a natural product which contains no preservatives, no artificial colorings or additives . . . and is virtually calorie free when drunk without milk or sugar. It contains trace elements (potassium, manganese, folic acid) and vitamins (A, B1, B2) that are needed as part of the body’s daily intake. Tea is thought to aid digestion, help reduce blood cholesterol, protect the teeth against plague and tooth decay, increase alertness, reduce fatigue, and improve concentration.

But the most significant health benefit is the role played by the polyphenols that are found in all tea.

These polyphenols have been identified as antioxidants that help to protect the body against free radicals (produced by our bodies and found in pollution in the air, cigarette smoke and the sun rays) that provoke ageing and can cause the development of cancer cells. Recent research has found that by drinking regular cups of tea we can help protect our bodies against certain cancers, thrombosis and stroke.”

These benefits are most likely to be conferred by drinking green or plain tea, but some may be lost during the typical Myanmar teashop preparation process, which involves stewing rather than brewing and often leads to overheating of the tea.

Correct brewing techniques can maximize the levels of antioxidants and decrease caffeine content. The best tea is made with loose leaves – rather than with tea bags or instant powders – using fresh water. The tea leaves should be rinsed with hot water for a second, then put in a pot into which boiling water is poured.

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