Caffeine in White tea
A 240 ml cup of white tea holds about 36 mg of caffeine, more than most people expect and close to oolong.
| Caffeine per serving | 36 mg |
| Serving | 8 oz cup (240 ml) |
| Caffeine per 100 ml | 15 mg |
| Share of the 400 mg daily limit | 9% |
| Equal to filter coffee | 0.4 mugs |
| Equal to espresso | 0.6 shots |
How late can you have it?
At 36 mg this sits below 40 mg, the line Cira uses as low enough to sleep on, so on its own it is unlikely to keep you awake. It still adds to whatever else is already in you.
What to know
The idea that white tea is the gentlest is one of the most durable myths in tea. White tea is made from young buds, and buds are the most caffeinated part of the plant.
It measures light because it is brewed light: cooler water, less leaf, shorter steep. Brew it as strongly as you brew black tea and the gap closes almost completely.
If you moved to white tea in the evening to sleep better, the change is smaller than it feels. Herbal is the only reliable step down.
Compared with the rest of the tea
| Drink | Serving | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|
| Yerba mate | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 84 mg |
| Matcha | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 67 mg |
| Black tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 48 mg |
| Oolong | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 38 mg |
| White tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 36 mg |
| Chai latte | 10.1 oz cup (300 ml) | 30 mg |
| Green tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 29 mg |
| Herbal tea | 8 oz cup (240 ml) | 0 mg |
Common questions
How much caffeine is in white tea?
White tea has about 36 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup (240 ml). That is 9% of the 400 mg daily limit for a healthy adult, or about 0.4 mugs of filter coffee.
Will White tea keep me awake?
On its own it is unlikely to. At 36 mg it stays below 40 mg, the line Cira uses as low enough to sleep on. It still adds to any caffeine already in you.
How many servings of white tea can I have in a day?
About 11, going by the 400 mg daily limit for healthy adults. That limit covers everything else with caffeine in it too, so the real number is lower on a day with other coffee, tea or cola.
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Where these numbers come from
Caffeine content is the typical value for the serving shown, the same figure the Cira app uses. Brands and brew methods vary, so treat it as a good estimate rather than a measurement of your cup. The 5.7 hour half-life is a typical value for healthy adults, the 40 mg sleep line is a working threshold of the model, and the 400 mg daily limit is the figure used by the European Food Safety Authority and the US FDA. How the numbers are worked out.
