What is caffeine and what effects does it have on the body?
Chemically, caffeine is a member of the xanthine family. Caffeine is odorless, has a bitter taste and is highly soluble in hot water. Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee, tea, cocoa, kola nuts and a variety of other plants. In moderation, caffeine has beneficial effects on the body: it increases alertness, stimulates metabolism and contributes to an increase in dopamine levels in the blood, which improves mood. How much caffeine does a cup of tea contain? The simple answer is: it depends. There are two main variables that influence the caffeine content of a cup of brewed tea: the type of leaf and the tea preparation method. First, lets examine the type of leaf. On average, tea leaves contain 3% caffeine by weight, although this can range from 1.4% to 4.5%. Many factors determine the caffeine content in the dry leaf, such as soil chemistry, altitude, type of tea plant, position of the leaf on the tea bush and cultivation practices. For example, the young bud and first leaf generally hav
