Caffeine in Iced Tea

Do you know which is the most popular beverage during summer time? Well, it is not any soft drink. The most inexpensive drink that does an excellent job of satisfying thirst is iced tea. Chilled tea available in cans and bottles are in great demand in hot summer days. Iced tea is the new version of regular tea and has been a hit among younger generation. While iced tea contains the basic ingredients of normal hot tea, a variety of flavored syrups such as cherry, lime, raspberry, peach and lemon can be added. These new additions give iced tea a completely different aroma and flavor, which is far better than regular hot tea.

Caffeine Iced Tea

Does iced tea have caffeine? As tea leaves are the basic ingredients of iced tea, it would be foolish to say that iced tea is devoid of caffeine. Even decaffeinated tea contains a small percentage of caffeine. Addition of ice cubes, does dilute its concentration and may have a slight impact on its caffeine content. Also, the content of caffeine in iced tea depends upon the steeping time. If tea bags are steeped (keeping tea bags in boiling water) for a longer time, then substantial amount of caffeine will be transferred into the water, thus increasing the overall content of caffeine in this chilled beverage.

How Much Caffeine does Iced Tea Have?

There are a number of companies, who are into business of making iced tea. So, it all depends on which brand you are using. Another parameter that can influence the caffeine level is the type of tea. As we all know the well-known types of tea are black, green, white and oolong tea. However, when it comes to preparing caffeine ice tea, black or green tea bags are used. It is found that black iced tea has higher caffeine content than green iced tea. Sweet caffeine iced tea manufactured under the brand Nestea and sold in 12 oz bottle contains 26.5 mg. On the other hand, the same quantity of unsweetened iced tea has slightly less caffeine content (26.0 mg).

The popular Arizona iced tea that is available in 16 oz bottles, also has a decent amount of caffeine. Caffeine iced tea manufactured by the Arizona beverage company comes in a wide range of irresistible flavors and is one of the most sought after beverage. It is observed that black iced tea sold under this brand contains 32 mg of caffeine whereas the Arizona green iced tea has comparatively lower level of caffeine (15 mg).

Another popular version of this chilled beverage is the lemon iced tea. Along with the other necessary constituents, the new added ingredient in this tea is lemon juice. 8 oz of Lipton iced lemon tea contains around 17 mg of caffeine. The lipton iced green tea of the same quantity has 12 mg of caffeine.

Keep in mind that caffeine in iced tea is not harmful as long this chilled form of regular tea is consumed wisely. Too much caffeine iced tea puts a person in the risk zone of caffeine side effects. Although caffeine provides certain health benefits, when its intake deviates from permissible range, it can lead to abnormal heart rhythms. So, as caffeine iced tea is a good source of caffeine, taking in moderate amount would be beneficial.