How Can I Limit my Caffeine Intake?

Caffeine has become an important pillar of modern living, and the distasteful truth is that most of us are addicted. Be it coffee, tea, or energy drinks, there is a form of this drug to get everyone a little bit more alert for that big exam, for a day of back-to-back meetings, or of needing to keep your eyes open after a night with a newborn. 

Tea is lower in caffeine per cup than coffee, so for someone trying to regain control of their caffeine consumption habits it can be a good stepping stone, but even tea can be a lot to someone with a sensitivity to caffeine, or who has been advised to restrict their intake by a doctor. So, how can you still enjoy the ritual of a cuppa whilst being mindful of your body's needs?

Reuse tealeaves

One of the most overlooked ways of restricting caffeine intake is extremely simple, and may even save you money: make a cup of tea as you would normally for your partner or friend, then reuse the tealeaves to make your own cup. The result will be a slightly weaker tea minus a lot of the caffeine content. However, in this way you get to enjoy the familiar taste of your favourite tea, but without the stimulant. This works best with Chinese teas, many of which it is argued improve upon a second and third steeping as the leaves open up and the flavour profile evolves.

Switch to Decaf

I know for many, 'decaf' is a taboo word. It was for me before I joined Char. Every decaffeinated tea I'd tried tasted like it was created by the Nutri-Matic craving detection machine from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: "almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea". Such was my expectation when I begrudgingly included Assam Decaffeinated in my blind taste test of Char's Assam tea range. However, Assam Decaf came out as my second favourite of the whole lot! It is everything you know and love about a decent cup of tea, just with most of the caffeine removed by carbon dioxide prior to packing! Plus, it is available as teabags as well.

Green Tea and White Tea

Both high in antioxidants, a potential alternative for those who typically drink coffee and/or black tea who are looking to limit (but not eliminate) their caffeine consumption - green tea typically contains less caffeine per cup than its fully oxidised equivalent, and white tea even less so. Explore our range of green teas here, and white teas here.

Rooibos and Herbal Alternatives

Lastly, perhaps the most obvious alternative is simply to cut out the caffeinated drinks completely. However, rooibos (pronounced Roy-bus) is a good option here that a lot of people in the UK are still not aware of. Made from a completely different plant which is naturally caffeine free, rooibos teas have a satisfyingly bakey flavour character which often will scratch that itch of wanting a good cup of tea whilst being its own distinct experience. We have a fabulous range of rooibos teas for you to try, many of which are organic. 

Gone are the days of being limited to peppermint or chamomile for herbal tea options. Char has caffeine-free options for the sweet-tooths, those who like a little kick in their tea, and those who want something a bit more soothing and refreshing. 

If you would like further advice on what is a good fit for you, pop in to our Winchester High Street shop where our teasellers will be happy to guide you to your new favourite tea!