DECAFFEINATION IN ORGANIC TEAS

True tea has been subjected to a wide variety of processes for more than a century, and for the current crop of organically grown teas, especially organic Ceylon teas, the purest, simplest method has proven to be the best: leaf and water.

Organic Ceylon green, organic black or organic oolong teas are grown without pesticides or weedicides, so using a decaffeination process without chemicals is a natural way to preserve the integrity of the leaf….and its delicious taste!

Although no process can "decaffeinate" tea 100%, most processes certainly eliminate 97%-99% of what actually is not caffeine, but a menu of xanthines called theophyline, theobromine, and theine. Theobromine stimulates the respiratory system, the kidneys, and the heart. It is also capable of relaxing bronchial pathways and pulmonary blood vessels because it works as a bronchodilator. The xanthines, however, are not related to the process (white, green, oolong or black) but related to the type/size of leaf or bud. For example, the leaf bud and first leaf of the tea plant contain the highest concentration of xanthines, from 4 to 5% of total dry weight. The second leaf contains about 3% and the third and fourth slightly less. Approximately 40-50 milligrams of xanthines are dissolved into the water when caffeinated tea is used.

THE PROCESS

"Decaffeinating" organic Ceylon green, organic black or organic oolong teas is safest and purest when effervescence is used. This process uses only water and carbon dioxide which not only eliminates the stimulants, more importantly, it retains upwards of 95% of the "good guy" polyphenols which act to fight against disease.

Super critical carbon dioxide (CO2) works like this: moistened tea leaves are exposed to pressurized CO2 in a sealed chamber. The CO2 liquefies and acts as a highly selective solvent to eliminate the xanthines while, at the same time, it leaves in the flavor. Following a period of several hours, the liquid is poured off and the leaves are dried. CO2 is safe and chemical free, and is the only method allowed on organic teas even though the cost is slightly higher than chemical processes. In general only well water is used along with carbon dioxide in organic green, organic oolong and organic black teas, particularly Ceylon organic teas.

DO IT YOURSELF

Consumers can decaffeinate organic Ceylon green, organic oolong or organic black teas themselves in a simple method. First, heat the water, then steep the tea leaves just thirty seconds. Discard this liquid and brew the tea leaves again, two to five minutes to taste. This can eliminate from 80 to 93% of the xanthines. The cup will be satisfying, flavorful, and have little xanthines. Caffeine is highly water soluble and nearly 80% of the total xanthine content of tea leaves are extracted during the first 30 seconds of steeping which is why this self-decaffeination process will work.

MODERATION IS THE KEY

As much as you may love tea, drinking twenty cups a day is excessive. Drinking four small (3 ounce) cups or two regular size (5-6-ounce) cups a day is not only pleasurable it is healthful. This is particularly satisfying when you drink only high-quality, well-processed Ceylon organic teas.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT XANTHINES

The xanthine called caffeine is present in colas and coffees; mateine, another of the more than 60 xanthines found in the plant world, is the stimulant present in yerba mate. Herbal teas contain no caffeine or any other xanthine and require no decaffeination process at all. Organic herbal teas are grown without pesticides or weedicides, so always opt for organic herbals for the most healthful choice. Xanthines are actually a good thing. They stimulate memory, deflect fatigue, increase physical endurance, and can even improve reaction time.

The technical term for the predominant xanthine in tea is methyltheobromine, a methylxanthine, which is a chemical element soluble in water or alcohol. Theobromine is similar to caffeine and a common diuretic, myocardial stimulant, muscle relaxant, and vasodilator, although its presence in tea is fairly weak. Although the amount in various teas differs quite a bit, one fact that is absolute is that there are more theobromines per pound of tea than there is caffeine in a pound of coffee. That is nothing to be alarmed about because tea offers 180-200 cups per pound (versus 40-50 in coffee), so that, in the final analysis, the amount of xanthines per serving is far less in tea than in coffee.

More importantly, because the xanthines in tea are chemically different from those in coffee, they can relax the body and stimulate the mind. A six-ounce cup of tea contains a wide scale of xanthines, from 8 to 110 mg. Although green and white teas generally have the lowest amount, 8 to 16 mg, and blacks have the most, 25 to 110 mg, there are many exceptions that are the result of the combination of processing, leaf size, quality and varietal, and even the climate, terrain, and other conditions related to the growing of the tea. In addition, brewing is more critical to coffee than tea. When brewed, coffee’s caffeine caffeine content increases whereas the theobromine content in brewed tea is reduced, thanks to those polyphenols.

POLYPHENOLS

The highest levels of polyphenols are also found in the bud and first leaf, about 20-30% of the dry weight, although shade, climate, and other agricultural factors may slightly decrease the polyphenol content. About 40% of the solids extracted during infusion are polyphenols. Processing does change the amount of polyphenolic compounds and Ceylon white and green tea leaves, which are not oxidized, are highest and are reduced greatly in black organic teas. Polyphenols are a class of phytochemicals found in high concentrations in Ceylon tea and are known to be critical to preventing cancer and heart disease. One of the more nutritionally important classes of polyphenols is flavonoids that are widely distributed in the form of catechins in Ceylon tea, grapes, and wine. Polyphenols are also known as antioxidants, the "good guys" in the fight against inflammatory diseases, hypertension, and cancer, because they act as potent free radical scavengers within the body, neutralizing the “bad guy” free radicals before they can cause cellular damage. Polyphenols have other functions; they carry flavor notes to the palate, and help us detect variety and depth. Polyphenols also do something quite unusual; they slow the absorption rate of caffeine by the body.

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