Which has more caffeine a Coke or iced tea?
It's hard to give a definitive answer because caffeine content widely varies depending on the brand of tea or soda. On average, however, most sodas have as much caffeine as a weaker cup of black tea.
Soda obviously has zero redeeming qualities when it comes to nutritional benefits. Tea, on the other hand, has been shown to have potential benefits to multiple systems of the body, including cardiovascular and brain health, which is likely due to the antioxidant content.
Generally, iced tea will not contain any more than 50–75mg of caffeine per 8oz serving. However, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of iced tea products that may exceed that amount. Things like steeping time for tea bags and the quality of store-bought products will influence the caffeine content.
The good news is you can get all the perks of pop (and more) by switching to tea. Tea is a healthy alternative to soda that packs a punch of caffeine and a variety of other health benefits. You may be thinking, “Well that sounds great, but tea isn't nearly as sweet or refreshing as a Diet Coke.” Think again.
If you guessed that coffee has a higher caffeine rate, you are correct! A 12-oz cup of coffee has at least 140 mg of caffeine or more in it. That's around three to four times more caffeine than coke!
According to MedlinePlus, while an 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 95 to 200 milligrams of caffeine, a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola contains 35 to 45 milligrams of caffeine. In other words, coffee contains three to four times more caffeine than Coca-Cola.
Though moderate intake is healthy for most people, drinking too much could lead to negative side effects, such as anxiety, headaches, digestive issues, and disrupted sleep patterns. Most people can drink 3–4 cups (710–950 ml) of tea daily without adverse effects, but some may experience side effects at lower doses.
Coke's caffeine content is 34mg for a 12-oz can, and Diet Coke caffeine content is 46mg.
Rank | Drink and Serving Size in fl oz | Caffeine Per Ounce |
---|---|---|
1 | DynaPep (.14 fl oz) | 714.3 mg/fl oz |
2 | Tube Shot Energy Shot (.3 fl oz) | 666.7 mg/fl oz |
3 | NRG MicroShot (.2 fl oz) | 650.0 mg/fl oz |
4 | Liquid Caffeine (1 fl oz) | 500.0 mg/fl oz |
...
1. Starbucks.
Name | Starbucks Iced Brew Coffee | Iced Caramel Macchiato |
---|---|---|
Caffeine in a Grande (16-ounce) | 165 mg | 150 mg |
Caffeine in a Venti (24-ounce) | 235 mg | 225 mg |
What has more sugar Coke or tea?
You can find hidden processed sugars in fruit drinks, smoothies, bread, “healthy” cereal, ketchup, “healthy” yogurt, “healthy” salad dressing, and more. Here is the sugar content of the different drinks per 1 cup: Coke: 23 g. Sweet tea: 21 g.
The Harvard School of Public Health lists tea as one of the best sources of hydration, second only to water. Opting for unsweetened iced tea means you'll increase your intake of essential nutrients and compounds. This benefits your health as you avoid the nutritional disadvantages associated with sweetened iced tea.

Caffeine Levels Vary a Lot in Coffee and Tea
coffee has between 95 and 200 milligrams of caffeine. black tea has between 14 and 70 milligrams of caffeine. green tea has between 24 and 45 milligrams of caffeine. white tea has between 6 and 60 milligrams of caffeine.
With all the negatives surrounding soda, tea seems a better option, and it can be — as long as it's unsweetened. Tea is a natural product that keeps you hydrated with very few calories. It also contains flavonoids, compounds that have antioxidant properties.
High caffeine foods and drinks include chocolate-covered coffee beans, coffee, energy drinks, espresso, sodas, green tea, black tea, dark chocolate, coffee liqueur, and baked goods containing chocolate.
But, interestingly, tea has more caffeine in it per mg. See, tea leaves have around 3.5% caffeine in them whereas unbrewed coffee beans have only around 1.1-2.2% caffeine.
Why does soda have caffeine in it? The soft drink companies say caffeine adds to the complex flavors of the various types of caffeinated soda. In fact, the taste of caffeine is bitter and has to be balanced with sugars or sweeteners and other flavors. Caffeine also adds a boost in energy for drinkers of soda.
While caffeine does have a slight diuretic effect, the relatively low levels in tea won't have much of an impact on hydration levels. In fact, decaffeinated tea can be counted cup for cup toward your hydration goal because it is considered just as hydrating as plain water.
Coffee and tea also count in your tally. Many used to believe that they were dehydrating, but that myth has been debunked. The diuretic effect does not offset hydration.
“Iced tea is full of oxalic acid, which, when taken in excess, deposits in your kidneys and mucks up the work of removing waste from the blood,” says Scott Youngquist, MD, an emergency physician at University of Utah Health.
How much caffeine is too much?
Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. That's roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two "energy shot" drinks.
Some of the more common national-brand carbonated beverages analyzed in this study with their caffeine contents were Coca-Cola (33.9 mg/12 oz), Diet Coke (46.3 mg/12 oz), Pepsi (38.9 mg/12 oz), Diet Pepsi (36.7 mg/12 oz), Dr Pepper (42.6 mg/12 oz), Diet Dr Pepper (44.1 mg/12 oz), Mountain Dew (54.8 mg/12 oz), and Diet ...
Serving size | Caffeine content | |
---|---|---|
Coke | 7.5 ounces (222 ml) | 21 mg |
Diet Coke | 7.5 ounces (222 ml) | 28 mg |
Green tea | 8 ounces (237 ml) | 35 mg |
Energy drinks | 8.3 ounces (245 ml) | 77 mg |
- Why Cut Back? 1/13. On the whole, caffeine seems to be safe for most people, at least up to the amount you'd get from four cups of brewed coffee a day. ...
- Decaf. 2/13. ...
- Green Tea. 3/13. ...
- Golden Milk Turmeric Tea. 4/13. ...
- Apple Cider Vinegar. 5/13. ...
- Maca. 6/13. ...
- Lemon Water. 7/13. ...
- Carob. 8/13.
Iced black tea: 47 mg. Iced black coffee: 165 mg. Iced green tea: <50 mg. Cold brew: 100 mg.
Tea contains less caffeine than coffee. A standard cup of black tea contains anywhere between 14-70 milligrams of caffeine, and green tea usually contains 24-45 milligrams of caffeine per cup.
- Lemon-lime soda. Lemon-lime sodas are citrus-flavored and usually caffeine-free. ...
- Ginger ale. Ginger ale is a ginger-flavored soda often used in mixed drinks or as a home remedy for nausea. ...
- Carbonated water.
Drinking cold tea does provoke our digestive systems, this is because of the heavy doses of stimulants such as theophylline and caffeine that cold tea contains, which will cause negative impacts on our health.
- Tejava Unsweetened Black Iced Tea.
- Harney & Sons Black Tea Bags, Hot Cinnamon Spice.
- Pure Leaf Unsweetened Brewed Green Tea.
- Bigelow Tea Matcha Green Tea with Turmeric.
- GT's Organic Raw Kombucha Multi-Green.
- Yogi DeTox Tea.
The best time to drink tea is an hour after breakfast or lunch, or in the evening along with some snacks. Nutritionists suggest alternatives like juice (without sugar), water infused with herbs, honey or lemon, or just plain warm water first thing in the morning to help kickstart your day.
Is iced tea stronger than coffee?
Brewed Coffee Has More Caffeine Than Steeped Tea
After brewing, however, a cup of coffee has more caffeine than a cup of tea. The reason for this is simple: coffee is a stronger beverage than tea.
With a coffee shop on every corner, catch-ups over coffee or a good ole coffee morning, it's no wonder that coffee is the strong favourite. But, interestingly, tea has more caffeine in it per mg. See, tea leaves have around 3.5% caffeine in them whereas unbrewed coffee beans have only around 1.1-2.2% caffeine.
In general, black and pu-erh teas have the highest amount of caffeine, followed by oolong teas, green teas, white teas, and purple teas. However, because the caffeine content of a brewed cup of tea depends on many different factors, even teas within the same broad categories may have different caffeine levels.
However, the coffee brewing process uses hotter water, which extracts more of the caffeine from the beans. Typically, you also use more coffee beans than you'd use tea leaves for a drink (12). Therefore, 1 cup (237 ml) of brewed coffee generally has more caffeine than a cup of tea.
Cold brewed teas are often smoother tasting, slightly sweeter, and less bitter. * Hot brewed teas are often stronger and more bitter, with more tannins and caffeine released (caffeine is incredibly responsive to heat, and very soluble).
Cold brewing also reduces the quantity of caffeine and antioxidants in tea. A cup of cold brewed tea tends to have half to two-thirds of the caffeine of it's hot brewed counterpart.
Serving size | Caffeine content | |
---|---|---|
Diet Coke | 7.5 ounces (222 ml) | 28 mg |
Green tea | 8 ounces (237 ml) | 35 mg |
Energy drinks | 8.3 ounces (245 ml) | 77 mg |
Coffee | 8 ounces (237 ml) | 95 mg |
Is Lipton Iced Tea high in caffeine? Lipton Iced Tea contains 1.25 mg of caffeine per fl oz (4.23 mg per 100 ml). A 20 fl oz bottle has a total of 25 mg of caffeine.
Iced Tea contains 5.88 mg of caffeine per fl oz (19.87 mg per 100 ml). A 8 fl oz cup has a total of 47 mg of caffeine.
White Tea. This type of tea has the least amount of caffeine out of all teas with only 15 to 30 milligrams per eight ounce serving. White tea is known to be one of the most delicate tea varieties because it is the least processed.
What tea has no caffeine?
Chamomile tea is made from leaves of the Asteraceae/Compositae plant family. Like other herbal teas, there is no caffeine in chamomile tea, and there are other potential health benefits that accrue from drinking chamomile tea.
Black teas are the darkest and strongest because they are fully oxidized. You'll recognize their robust flavor in classic breakfast teas and chai. One Archives of Internal Medicine (now JAMA Internal Medicine) study found that drinking three cups of black tea a day for six months lowered blood pressure.