INTRODUCTION TO TEA AND

CAFFEINE
Tea is most commonly and widely used soft beverage in the
household. Tea is an aromatic beverage commonly prepared by
pouring hot or boiling water over cured leaves of the Camellia
sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to Asia. After water, it is the
most widely consumed drink in the world.
The astringency in tea can be attributed to the presence of
polyphenols. These are the most abundant compounds in tea
leaves, making up 30-40% of their composition.
The principle constituent of tea responsible for all these
properties is alkaloid-caffeine. Caffeine constitutes about 3% of
tea's dry weight, translating to between 30 mg and 90 mg per 8oz (250-ml) cup depending on type, brand, and brewing method.
The amount of caffeine in tea leaves varies from sample to
sample. Originally it was thought that caffeine was responsible
for the taste and flavor of tea. But pure caffeine was found to be
a tasteless white substance. Therefore the flavor of tea is due to
some other substances present in it.
Tea also contains small amounts of theobromine,
and theophylline, which are stimulants, and xanthines similar to
caffeine. There is a little doubt that the popularity of xanthenes
beverage depends on the stimulant action, although most people
are unaware of any stimulation.

The degree to which an individual is stimulated by a given

amount of caffeine varies from individual to individual.
For example, some people boast their ability to drink several
cups of tea in the evening and yet sleep like logs while some are
so sensitive that even a single cup of tea will cause a response
boarding on the toxin.
The xanthenes beverages also create a medical problem. They
are dietary of a stimulant of the central nervous system. Often
the physicians face the question whether to deny caffeine
containing beverages to patients or not. In fact children are more
susceptible than adults due to excitation by xanthenes. Because
of modern environmental pollution, fluoride and aluminium also
sometimes occur in tea.

USES OF TEA
1.

Tea can boost exercise endurance. Scientists have found

that the catechins (antioxidants) in green tea extract increase the
bodys ability to burn fat as fuel, which accounts for
improved muscle endurance.

2.

Drinking tea could help reduce the risk of heart attack. Tea
might also help protect against cardiovascular and degenerative
diseases.

3.

The antioxidants in tea might help protect against a

boatload of cancers, including breast, colon, colorectal,

skin, lung, esophagus, stomach, small intestine,

pancreas, liver, ovarian, prostate and oral cancers.
4.

5.

Tea helps fight free radicals. Tea is high in oxygen radical

absorbance capacity (ORAC), which helps to destroy free
radicals (which can damage DNA) in the body.
Tea is hydrating to the body .

6.

Drinking tea is linked with a lower risk of Parkinsons

disease. When considered with other factors like smoking,
physical activity, age and body mass index, regular tea drinking
was associated with a lowered risk of Parkinsons disease in
both men and women.

7.

Tea might provide protection from ultraviolet rays. Green

tea may act as a back-up sunscreen.

8.

Regular tea drinking might also counteract some of the

negative effects of smoking and might even lessen the risk of
lung cancer.

9.

Studies suggest that compounds in green tea could

help diabetics patients to process sugars better.
After all our main stress is on the presence of caffeine in tea
beverages and so in this project we will study and observe the
quantity of caffeine in different samples of tea leaves.

USES OF CAFFEINE IN DAILY

LIFE
1. Caffeine works by stimulating the central nervous
system (CNS), heart, muscles, and the centers that control
blood pressure. Caffeine can raise blood pressure, but
might not have this effect in people who use it all the time.
2. Caffeine can also act like a water pill that increases urine
flow.
3. Caffeine is most commonly used to improve mental
alertness.
4. Caffeine is used by mouth or rectally in combination with
painkillers (such as aspirin and acetaminophen) and a
chemical called ergotamine for treating and type 2 migraine

headaches. Caffeine is also used for weight loss for

diabetes.
5. Very high doses are used, often in combination
with ephedrine, as an alternative to illegal stimulants.
Caffeine is one of the most commonly used stimulants
among athletes.
6. Caffeine creams are applied to the skin to reduce redness
and itching in dermatitis.
7. In foods, caffeine is used as an ingredient in soft drinks,
energy drinks, and other beverages.
8. It increases the flow of urine in body.

EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE ON HUMAN

BODY

POSITIVE EFFECTS
1. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and is used
to reduce physical fatigue and to prevent or
treat drowsiness.
2. It produces increased wakefulness, increased focus, and
better general body coordination. Desired effects begin
approximately one hour after consumption, and a moderate
dose usually subsides in about three or four hours.
3. Caffeine can delay or prevent sleep, and improves task
performance during sleep deprivation. Shift workers have
fewer mistakes caused by drowsiness. At normal doses,
caffeine has variable effects on learning and memory, but it
generally improves reaction time, arousal, and
concentration.

4. It is found that concurrent caffeine use has synergistic

psychoactive effects that promote alertness, attention,
and task switching these effects are most pronounced
during the first hour post-dose.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS
1. Long-term consumption at sufficiently high doses has been
associated with chronic arterial stiffness. Caffeine can
affect gastrointestinal motility and gastric acid secretion.
2. In postmenopausal women, high caffeine consumption can
accelerate bone loss.
3. The acute increase in urinary output may increase the risk
of dehydration.
4. Caffeine can have negative effects on anxiety disorders. At
high doses, typically greater than 300 mg, caffeine can both
cause and worsen anxiety.
5. There is also some evidence that caffeine intake by
pregnant women is associated with a higher risk of giving
birth to a low birth weight baby.

CONSUMPTION OF CAFFEINE
LEVELS
Age range

Maximum recommended daily caffeine intake

46

45 mg (slightly more than in 12 oz of a typical soft drink)

79

62.5 mg

1012

85 mg (about cup of coffee)

The order of quantities of caffeine in different samples of

tea is:
RED LABEL>YELLOW LABEL>GREEN LABEL