Many people become confused when they hear about herbal products containing caffeine. Caffeine can sometimes be described as unhealthy or bad for you, but it can vary depending on the type of caffeine that you are consuming.
Research has shown that most products containing more than 20 mg of caffeine is processed or refined.
As a stimulant to the central nervous system, caffeine may cause mild physical dependence.
Withdrawal symptoms can include:
- Migraine or headache
- Sleepiness
- Irritability
- Depression
- Constipation
- Lack of motivation or energy
- Muscle pain or stiffness
- Trouble concentrating
- Insomnia
- Flu-like symptoms
However, caffeine does not threaten your health the same way that other addictive drugs do. Most experts do not consider caffeine dependence to be a serious addiction.
Natural vs. Man-made Caffeine
The caffeine found in coffee and pharmaceutical drugs can cause mild physical dependence and has some mild symptoms.
The naturally occurring caffeine found in several herbs is known as bio-caffeine. Bio means “alive” or “living.” Herbs with bio-caffeine attributes include:
- Yerba Mate
- Guarana
- Kola Nut, and
- Green Tea
Bio-caffeine is the healthier option because it is naturally occurring and consists of lower levels of caffeine, making it non-addictive.
The stimulants found in herbal teas come from other chemicals than caffeine. These other stimulants are naturally occurring in herbs and have a similar reaction to the body as caffeine does. However, these do not cause physical dependence or addiction.
Herbs containing bio-caffeine contain 20 mg or less of caffeine. This caffeine is found in plants and is active, meaning it is not harmful and will not cause addiction. They are balanced and stable, unlike drugs.
Black tea is usually high in caffeine simply because it is processed. Black tea is made by oxidizing regular Green Tea leaves, giving them a black color.
Consider the following:
- Brewed Coffee (8 ounces), 60-120 mg caffeine
- Double Expresso (2 ounces), 45-100 mg caffeine
- Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Fudge Frozen Yogurt (8 ounces), 85 mg caffeine
- Instant Coffee (8 ounces), 70 mg caffeine
- Black Tea (8 ounces) 45 mg caffeine
- Pepsi Cola (12 ounce can), 38 mg caffeine
- Coca Cola (12 ounce can), 34 mg caffeine
- Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate bar (1.45 ounces), 31 mg caffeine
Healthy Strategies
If the product is a natural plant source and contains caffeine there is nothing to worry about. Herbs are organic products that are easily recognizable by the human body. They will not cause harm to your body.
If your body is inundated with unnatural caffeine and you switch to natural caffeine in the form of herbs, your body may be so toxic from all the man-made caffeine that your body may become confused and may have a physical reaction to the change. If you would like to end your addiction to coffee, you should first detoxify your body before switching to a natural source of caffeine.
So the next time you hear somebody talking about how they are concerned about drinking herbal teas of Yerba Mate, Guarana, or Green Tea because of their caffeine content, you know there is nothing to be concerned about. The caffeine content is natural and not man made like normal coffee, espresso, chocolate, etc.
