Why You Shouldn't Buy Decaffeinated Tea Bags

There's little doubt that green, white, and even black teas have health benefits. More and more studies are documenting the beneficial health effects of this popular beverage derived from the Camellia senensis plant. Unfortunately, some people are unable to enjoy the benefits of tea because they're sensitive to caffeine. Although green and white teas usually have less caffeine than black tea, even low caffeine levels can be a problem for some people particularly if tea is consumed in quantity. For this reason, it may be tempting to buy decaffeinated tea bags to get the health benefits without the caffeine. Is this a wise move?

Although most decaffeinated tea bags are quite low in caffeine content, they aren't caffeine free. The levels of caffeine in decaffeinated green tea bags is generally in the range of one to four milligrams per serving. This is certainly low, but not nonexistent. In general, it's a level low enough for most people to tolerate even if they are sensitive to caffeine. You should always consult your doctor before drinking any caffeinated beverages if you have a history of heart disease, hypertension, or other medical problems.

The problem with purchasing decaffeinated tea bags is that during decaffeination a chemical called ethyl acetate may be used to remove the caffeine. Not only is ethyl acetate considered to be a toxic chemical, it also removes seventy percent of the healthy polyphenols that gives tea its remarkable health benefits. The decaffeination process may also leave trace amounts of ethyl acetate residue on the tea leaves which isn't something you want to ingest.

Fortunately, you can buy naturally decaffeinated tea bags in some stores. The natural decaffeination method uses water or carbon dioxide to remove caffeine. This process retains most of the polyphenols in the tea so you still get the health benefits. If this method for decaffeinating tea is used, it's usually advertised on the box. It may state that the Swiss water method was used or that the tea was naturally decaffeinated.

One simple way to avoid buying decaffeinated tea bags and still get the benefits of drinking tea is to remove most of the caffeine at home when you brew it. To do this, steep the tea bag for thirty seconds and discard the liquid. When you pour off this liquid, you remove around eighty-five percent of the caffeine. You can then proceed to steep the tea bag normally to get a healthy cup of low caffeine tea. This can also be done using loose leaf tea leaves.

The bottom line? If you're sensitive to the effects of caffeine, look for naturally decaffeinated tea bags at your local grocery store or health food store or do it yourself at home. Using this method, you can still enjoy the amazing benefits that tea has to offer without all the caffeine.