Difference of Caffeine in Oolong Tea and Green Tea

Oolong and green tea came from the same variety of tea plant known as the camellia sinensis. But even though they come from the same variety of tea plant, they contain different levels of caffeine. Many people assume that oolong tea contains more caffeine than green tea, but this is a misconception.
What factors contribute to this difference in caffeine levels? To answer this question, we need to understand that a lot of different things can and do influence caffeine content - from the planting condition of the tea plant, to the process the tea undergoes. Even the manner in which you prepare tea for consumption can affect its final caffeine content.

In this article, we’ll look at three such factors: degree of fermentation, plant variety and age of the tea leaf. 

Factors in Tea Caffeine Content

Degree of Fermentation

Green tea and oolong tea undergo different degrees of fermentation. Many assume that the longer the process of fermentation, the higher the caffeine content is. However, fermentation doesn’t really affect caffeine content that much. Oolong tea is semi-fermented, while green tea is unfermented, and yet if we look at caffeine content,  green tea beats oolong.

Plant Variety

Plant variety is a major factor in determining caffeine content. Since both oolong tea and green tea come from the same plant variety, it’s not much of a factor in their case. If we look at Black tea for example, which is processed from an Indian variety of the same plant, we’ll see that Black Tea contains much more caffeine. This is in part due to the fact that Indian tea plant varieties contain more caffeine that Chinese tea plants, from which both green tea and oolong tea are derived.

Age of Leaves

As a rule, younger leaves contain more caffeine than mature leaves. Moreover, mature leaves contain theanine. This substance causes tea to have less caffeine that in actually has. This is why green tea possesses a higher caffeine content than oolong tea.

Tips on Managing Caffeine Intake

By choosing to drink tea over coffee, you are already consuming about 3 times less caffeine. To reduce this even more, take into consideration these preparation tips:

  1. The first infusion of a brew contains the most caffeine. When you make your tea, throw away the first infusion to lessen the caffeine content of your brew. If you are making oolong tea, soak the tea leaves in hot water for about 5 minutes then throw away the first infusion. If you are using green tea or black tea, soak the leaves in hot water for about 1 to 2 minutes then throw away the liquid.

  2. Teabags, unlike tea leaves can only be used once thus you cannot throw away the first infusion if you want to lessen the caffeine in your drink. Teabags have been found to have twice the amount of caffeine as compared to loose tea. So it is best to avoid using them.

  3. Do not drink more than the recommended quantity of tea a day. Six cups or less of tea a day is best for most of us. When brewing green or black tea, 3 grams of loose leaf is enough per 8-ounce cup while 3 grams of leaves per 5-ounce cup of oolong tea is best.

Of course you can also opt for the decaffeinated variety of your favorite tea. However, since caffeine is a natural component of tea it will still be found in the decaf variety in minute concentrations.