Green tea, brewed
Checked by us One serving: 250 g (about 250 mL) · 3 kcal
Some riboflavin.
Nothing to watch for most people so far.
Worth knowing for some people: caffeine in pregnancy.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (250 g) gives you.
Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.
The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share. ?
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
- Some
Riboflavin (B2)
Your cells use it to make energy and handle fats. It also helps turn tryptophan into niacin and activate vitamin B6.
Learn more
0.15 mg in one serving: 12% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 14% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, riboflavin fact sheet for health professionals
21 more nutrients at a little or less
- A little
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.02 mg in one serving: 2% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 2% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, thiamin fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
0.18 mg in one serving: 1% of the 16 mg a day men need, 1% of the 14 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, niacin fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
0.55 g in one serving: 1% of the 56 g a day men need, 1% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- Almost none
Vitamin B6
Helps you use protein, and your brain needs it to make its chemical messengers.
Learn more
0.01 mg in one serving: 1% of the 1.3 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
2.5 mg in one serving: 1% of the 400 mg a day men need, 1% of the 310 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
20 mg in one serving: 1% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 1% of the 2,600 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, potassium fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
0.05 mg in one serving: 1% of the 8 mg a day men need, under 1% of the 18 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, iron fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
0.03 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 11 mg a day men need, under 1% of the 8 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, zinc fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Omega-3: ALA
The one omega-3 your body can’t make: it must come from food. Your cells build it into their membranes and burn it for energy.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, under 1% of the 1,100 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 1,000 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Choline
Your cells need it for their membranes, and to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory, mood and muscle control.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 550 mg a day men need, under 1% of the 425 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, choline fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Omega-3: EPA + DHA
Long-chain omega-3s, built into your cell membranes. DHA is concentrated in your brain and retinas.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 250 mg a day.
Health Canada sets no daily amount for these fats, so the daily figure here is the European Food Safety Authority’s.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Fibre
Keeps your gut moving.
Learn more
0 g in one serving: under 1% of the 38 g a day men need, under 1% of the 25 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- Almost none
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 400 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, folate fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 55 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 900 µg a day men need, under 1% of the 700 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 2.4 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 90 mg a day men need, under 1% of the 75 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin D
Your body needs it to absorb calcium and keep your bones hard.
Learn more
Your skin also makes it in sunlight, so food is only one of its sources.
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 15 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 15 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin K1
Your blood needs it to clot.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 120 µg a day men need, under 1% of the 90 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals
Watch out
How we counted this
Caffeine in one sitting
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 6.8 servings in one sitting of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 30 mg
How we got this
1,700 g in one sitting reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's 2015 single-dose level is 200 mg in one sitting (about 3 mg/kg body weight) for healthy adults. At 120 µg/g (a USDA listing), about 1,667 g (6.7 cups) in one sitting would reach it, and 948–1,580 g at Health Canada's 30–50 mg per 237 mL. A cup carries about 30 mg.
Caffeine
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 13 servings in a day of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 30 mg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 9.4–81% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit.
3,300 g a day reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: 400 mg/day is the safe intake for healthy adults (EFSA 2015 and Health Canada). At 120 µg/g (a USDA listing, 6 data points), about 3,333 g a day (13.3 cups) would reach it, and 1,896–3,160 g at Health Canada's 30–50 mg per 237 mL. A 30 mg cup (20–45 mg at USDA minimum and maximum) is 9.4% to 81% of EFSA's adult average intake (319 and 37 mg/day, the two ends of the survey range): at the low end a cup nearly doubles it, yet the total stays far under the limit.
You’d need about 23 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 0.42 mg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 2.8–21% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit.
41,000 g a week reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week, 70,000 µg/week for 70 kg. Loose-leaf green tea averages 1.689 mg/L (9 products, ultrapure water), so about 41,445 g a week (23.7 cups a day), eaten alone, would reach it, and 18,717 g for the strongest product (3.74 mg/L). A daily cup is 3.0 mg a week, 4.2% of the limit, and adds 2.8% on the high average to 21.1% on the low average of adult intake (EFSA 2008, about 0.2–1.5 mg/kg body weight/week; shown, not subtracted).
1 other measurement of this food, same verdict
You’d need about 6.9 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 1.51 mg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 10–76% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit.
12,000 g a week reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week, 70,000 µg/week for 70 kg. Green filter-bag tea averages 6.048 mg/L (5 products, ultrapure water), so about 11,574 g a week (6.6 cups a day), eaten alone, would reach it, and 9,358 g for the strongest product (7.48 mg/L). A daily cup is 10.6 mg a week, 15.1% of the limit, and adds 10.1% on the high average to 75.6% on the low average of adult intake (EFSA 2008, about 0.2–1.5 mg/kg body weight/week; shown, not subtracted).
Checked for manganese, nickel, cadmium, histamine and lead: fine at normal amounts.
Manganese
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 24 servings in a day of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 0.46 mg
How we got this
6,000 g a day reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: Health Canada's upper intake level for manganese is 11 mg/day for adults 19–50; EFSA sets none. One cup of brewed green tea carries 0.46 mg on the USDA listing, 4.2% of the limit, and about 5,980 g a day (24 cups), eaten alone, would reach it. FDA's Total Diet Study measured 0.85 mg a cup in tea brewed from bags (type not stated). Tea is also a main dietary source of this nutrient (adequate intake 2.3 mg/day for men, 1.8 for women).
Nickel
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 48 servings in a day of this food alone to use up what the highest average adult intake we found leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 13.5 µg
How we got this
The highest average adult intake we found already takes up about 26% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 17,000 g a day would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 250 g a day, which stays within the 12,000 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's 2020 tolerable daily intake for nickel is 13 µg/kg body weight/day, 910 µg/day for 70 kg. FDA brewed bag tea averages 54 µg/kg (3 composites, all detected; tea type not stated, so not specific to green), which puts the limit at about 16,852 g a day (67 cups), eaten alone. One cup carries 13.5 µg, 1.5% of the daily limit.
US FDA, Total Diet Study FY2018–FY2020 Elements Report Supplement · grade A
Cadmium
Nothing to watchYou’d need more than 100 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 0.02 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 0.1% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 71% of the limit.
An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 2,100,000 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 1,750 g a week, which stays within the 610,000 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 0.12% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Histamine
Nothing to watchWe have no measurement of this in this food, so there is no gram figure.
Learn more
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's 2011 no-effect level is 50 mg of histamine per person per meal. Histamine was not detected in any of 7 green-tea infusions (Italy), so no grams figure is computed; even the black-tea maximum of 20 µg/L would give 5 µg a cup, 0.01% of 50 mg.
Lead
Nothing to watchYou’d need more than 100 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the lead an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 0.9% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 0.3 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: no safe level of lead is set (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01), 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day, 35 µg/day at 70 kg). The cup figure is derived, not measured: the CFIA dry-leaf mean of 1.201 µg/g (100 samples, tea type not stated), 10 g of leaf per litre and a 9.96% transfer into the infusion give 1.196 µg/L, so one 250 mL cup carries 0.299 µg, 0.9% of 35 µg/day and 4.3% of the Canadian figure of about 7 µg/day. At the CFIA maximum leaf (4.296 µg/g) and 12.79% transfer a cup would carry 1.37 µg.
For some people
No cap: for pregnant or breastfeeding adults EFSA (2015) gives 200 mg/day and Health Canada 300 mg/day. At 120 µg/g (a USDA listing), about 1,667 g (6.7 cups) a day would reach EFSA's figure, and 948–1,580 g at Health Canada's 30–50 mg per 237 mL. A cup carries about 30 mg.
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Sugar
0 g of sugar in a 250 g serving, natural and added together.
Learn more
Shown, not rated. The food tables we read give total sugar, and few give added sugar, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 7
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
No cap: the upper intake level for fluoride is 10 mg/day for adults (Health Canada/NASEM); EFSA's is 7 mg/day. Green filter-bag tea averages 2.892 mg/L (5 products, brewed in ultrapure water), so one 250 mL cup carries 0.723 mg, 7.2% of 10 mg (10.3% of 7), and 13.8 cups would reach 10 mg. Products ranged 2.76–3.08 mg/L (strongest cup 0.77 mg), and tap water adds its own fluoride.
No cap: the upper intake level for fluoride is 10 mg/day for adults (Health Canada/NASEM); EFSA's is 7 mg/day. Loose-leaf green tea averages 0.85 mg/L (9 products, ultrapure water), so one 250 mL cup carries 0.212 mg, 2.1% of 10 mg (3.0% of 7), and 47.2 cups would reach 10 mg. Products ranged 0.34–1.43 mg/L (strongest cup 0.36 mg), and tap water adds its own fluoride.
Shown as context, not rated: one 250 g cup carries about 175 mg of EGCG (0.7 mg/g, the USDA database mean of 100 brewed green teas), 22% of the 800 mg/day supplement effect level, and 4.6 cups reach 800 mg. Against EFSA's mean adult exposure from infusions (90–300 mg/day) a cup adds 58–194%. EFSA found no raised liver enzyme (ALT) at five or more cups a day or 700 mg EGCG/day from infusion; the effect level is for extracts, so it is not scored.
Shown as context, not rated: oxalate matters for people who form calcium oxalate stones. Green tea averages 5.55 mg/L (4 tea bags), 1.36 mg of soluble oxalate in a 245 mL cup and about 1.4 mg per 250 mL; black tea is the oxalate-rich tea (57.5 mg/L in one batch), and green is about one seventh of it.
Context, not scored: leaf residues cannot be put on a cup without a pesticide-specific transfer rate, and none was found.
Measured in this food, not rated yet. Not rated: pyrrolizidine alkaloids are genotoxic carcinogens with no safe level, so EFSA judges them by margin of exposure from a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL10) of 237 µg/kg body weight/day, and no share of average intake is computed. Green tea infusion averages 0.8 µg/L at the lower bound (310 European samples), so a cup carries 0.2 µg, 2.9 ng/kg body weight for 70 kg: a margin of about 83,000, above the 10,000 level of concern. EFSA's adult mean exposure from green tea infusion is 0.25–1.6 ng/kg body weight/day.
Shown as context, not rated: IARC (2016) places drinking very hot beverages in Group 2A, from studies of tea or mate drunk at about 70 °C. Green tea is typically brewed at 70–80 °C, but nothing in the sources fixes the serving temperature; this is an effect of temperature, not a property of the leaf.
Better options
How we counted this
“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.
Every amount below is for the same weight, 250 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.
A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.
More of what it’s good for
For riboflavin: Espresso would lead, in the same 250 g, but is left out (portions too different to compare by weight).
Of the other hot drinks we’ve checked, the one we could compare doesn’t give clearly more nutrients per serving.
Your goal
Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.
Of the other hot drinks we’ve checked, the one we could compare doesn’t give clearly more nutrients, protein and fibre per calorie.
None of the 2 other hot drinks we could compare gives clearly more protein, and more calories, per 100 g.
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Espresso (portions too different to compare by weight).
Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.
The numbers
Open every value
Name in the database: Tea, green, brewed
How the serving was set: 250 mL = 1 cup prepared (Health Canada TRA B.4, tea, regular and herbal, loose leaves, bags or pods); 250 g at about 1.00 g/mL (SR 171917 water 99.93 g/100 g; no cup weight read for green tea)
Listed nutrients, per 100 g
For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3: ALA | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Calcium | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #7624 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Choline | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Energy | 1 kcal | 2.5 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Fat | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Fibre | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Folate | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Iron | 0.02 mg | 0.05 mg | 2 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Magnesium | 1 mg | 2.5 mg | 100 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Manganese | 0.184 mg | 0.46 mg | 18.4 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 0.07 mg | 0.18 mg | 7.03 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #7624 | C |
| Phosphorus | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Potassium | 8 mg | 20 mg | 800 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Protein | 0.22 g | 0.55 g | 22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.058 mg | 0.15 mg | 5.8 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Selenium | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Sodium | 1 mg | 2.5 mg | 100 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Sugars | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.007 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.7 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Vitamin A | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.005 mg | 0.01 mg | 0.5 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Vitamin E | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Vitamin K1 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Water | 99.93 g | 249.83 g | 9,993 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Zinc | 0.01 mg | 0.03 mg | 1 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Copper | 0.004 mg | 0.01 mg | 0.4 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Ash | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Sucrose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Glucose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Fructose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Maltose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Caffeine | 12 mg | 30 mg | 1,200 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Theobromine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Energy | 4 kj | 10 kj | 400 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Galactose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 0 iu | 0 iu | 0 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0 iu | 0 iu | 0 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Folate, food | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| SFA 4:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| SFA 6:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Lactose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 0.03 mg | 0.08 mg | 3 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
| Retinol | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171917 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Aluminum · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week, 70,000 µg/week for 70 kg. Green filter-bag tea averages 6.048 mg/L (5 products, ultrapure water), so about 11,574 g a week (6.6 cups a day), eaten alone, would reach it, and 9,358 g for the strongest product (7.48 mg/L). A daily cup is 10.6 mg a week, 15.1% of the limit, and adds 10.1% on the high average to 75.6% on the low average of adult intake (EFSA 2008, about 0.2–1.5 mg/kg body weight/week; shown, not subtracted). · Pavlovic 2023 · A
- Aluminum · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week, 70,000 µg/week for 70 kg. Loose-leaf green tea averages 1.689 mg/L (9 products, ultrapure water), so about 41,445 g a week (23.7 cups a day), eaten alone, would reach it, and 18,717 g for the strongest product (3.74 mg/L). A daily cup is 3.0 mg a week, 4.2% of the limit, and adds 2.8% on the high average to 21.1% on the low average of adult intake (EFSA 2008, about 0.2–1.5 mg/kg body weight/week; shown, not subtracted). · Pavlovic 2023 · A
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 0.12% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · Deka 2021 · B
- Caffeine · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: 400 mg/day is the safe intake for healthy adults (EFSA 2015 and Health Canada). At 120 µg/g (a USDA listing, 6 data points), about 3,333 g a day (13.3 cups) would reach it, and 1,896–3,160 g at Health Canada's 30–50 mg per 237 mL. A 30 mg cup (20–45 mg at USDA minimum and maximum) is 9.4% to 81% of EFSA's adult average intake (319 and 37 mg/day, the two ends of the survey range): at the low end a cup nearly doubles it, yet the total stays far under the limit. · EFSA 2015 · B
- Caffeine in pregnancy · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: for pregnant or breastfeeding adults EFSA (2015) gives 200 mg/day and Health Canada 300 mg/day. At 120 µg/g (a USDA listing), about 1,667 g (6.7 cups) a day would reach EFSA's figure, and 948–1,580 g at Health Canada's 30–50 mg per 237 mL. A cup carries about 30 mg. · EFSA 2015 · B
- Caffeine in one sitting · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's 2015 single-dose level is 200 mg in one sitting (about 3 mg/kg body weight) for healthy adults. At 120 µg/g (a USDA listing), about 1,667 g (6.7 cups) in one sitting would reach it, and 948–1,580 g at Health Canada's 30–50 mg per 237 mL. A cup carries about 30 mg. · EFSA 2015 · B
- Fluoride · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: the upper intake level for fluoride is 10 mg/day for adults (Health Canada/NASEM); EFSA's is 7 mg/day. Green filter-bag tea averages 2.892 mg/L (5 products, brewed in ultrapure water), so one 250 mL cup carries 0.723 mg, 7.2% of 10 mg (10.3% of 7), and 13.8 cups would reach 10 mg. Products ranged 2.76–3.08 mg/L (strongest cup 0.77 mg), and tap water adds its own fluoride. · Pavlovic 2023 · A
- Fluoride · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: the upper intake level for fluoride is 10 mg/day for adults (Health Canada/NASEM); EFSA's is 7 mg/day. Loose-leaf green tea averages 0.85 mg/L (9 products, ultrapure water), so one 250 mL cup carries 0.212 mg, 2.1% of 10 mg (3.0% of 7), and 47.2 cups would reach 10 mg. Products ranged 0.34–1.43 mg/L (strongest cup 0.36 mg), and tap water adds its own fluoride. · Pavlovic 2023 · A
- Green tea catechins · Context · Shown as context, not rated: one 250 g cup carries about 175 mg of EGCG (0.7 mg/g, the USDA database mean of 100 brewed green teas), 22% of the 800 mg/day supplement effect level, and 4.6 cups reach 800 mg. Against EFSA's mean adult exposure from infusions (90–300 mg/day) a cup adds 58–194%. EFSA found no raised liver enzyme (ALT) at five or more cups a day or 700 mg EGCG/day from infusion; the effect level is for extracts, so it is not scored. · EFSA 2018 · B
- Histamine · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's 2011 no-effect level is 50 mg of histamine per person per meal. Histamine was not detected in any of 7 green-tea infusions (Italy), so no grams figure is computed; even the black-tea maximum of 20 µg/L would give 5 µg a cup, 0.01% of 50 mg. · Spizzirri 2016 · A
- Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: no safe level of lead is set (EFSA 2010 benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01), 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day, 35 µg/day at 70 kg). The cup figure is derived, not measured: the CFIA dry-leaf mean of 1.201 µg/g (100 samples, tea type not stated), 10 g of leaf per litre and a 9.96% transfer into the infusion give 1.196 µg/L, so one 250 mL cup carries 0.299 µg, 0.9% of 35 µg/day and 4.3% of the Canadian figure of about 7 µg/day. At the CFIA maximum leaf (4.296 µg/g) and 12.79% transfer a cup would carry 1.37 µg. · Deka 2021 · B
- Manganese · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: Health Canada's upper intake level for manganese is 11 mg/day for adults 19–50; EFSA sets none. One cup of brewed green tea carries 0.46 mg on the USDA listing, 4.2% of the limit, and about 5,980 g a day (24 cups), eaten alone, would reach it. FDA's Total Diet Study measured 0.85 mg a cup in tea brewed from bags (type not stated). Tea is also a main dietary source of this nutrient (adequate intake 2.3 mg/day for men, 1.8 for women). · US food database (USDA SR Legacy) · C
- Nickel · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's 2020 tolerable daily intake for nickel is 13 µg/kg body weight/day, 910 µg/day for 70 kg. FDA brewed bag tea averages 54 µg/kg (3 composites, all detected; tea type not stated, so not specific to green), which puts the limit at about 16,852 g a day (67 cups), eaten alone. One cup carries 13.5 µg, 1.5% of the daily limit. · US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · A
- Oxalate for kidney-stone formers · Context · Shown as context, not rated: oxalate matters for people who form calcium oxalate stones. Green tea averages 5.55 mg/L (4 tea bags), 1.36 mg of soluble oxalate in a 245 mL cup and about 1.4 mg per 250 mL; black tea is the oxalate-rich tea (57.5 mg/L in one batch), and green is about one seventh of it. · Charrier 2002 · A
- Pesticide residues · Context · Context, not scored: leaf residues cannot be put on a cup without a pesticide-specific transfer rate, and none was found. · CFIA 2009 · B
- Pyrrolizidine alkaloids · Not rated yet · Not rated: pyrrolizidine alkaloids are genotoxic carcinogens with no safe level, so EFSA judges them by margin of exposure from a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL10) of 237 µg/kg body weight/day, and no share of average intake is computed. Green tea infusion averages 0.8 µg/L at the lower bound (310 European samples), so a cup carries 0.2 µg, 2.9 ng/kg body weight for 70 kg: a margin of about 83,000, above the 10,000 level of concern. EFSA's adult mean exposure from green tea infusion is 0.25–1.6 ng/kg body weight/day. · EFSA 2017 · A
- Very hot drinks · Context · Shown as context, not rated: IARC (2016) places drinking very hot beverages in Group 2A, from studies of tea or mate drunk at about 70 °C. Green tea is typically brewed at 70–80 °C, but nothing in the sources fixes the serving temperature; this is an effect of temperature, not a property of the leaf. · IARC 2016 · A
Oxalate, phytate and gut-tolerance measurements
- histamine: not detected in 7 of 7 green-tea infusions (limit of detection not stated in the table) µg/L · infusion as drunk (2 g leaf, 70 mL boiling water, 20 min, made to 100 mL) · brewed · grade A · Spizzirri 2016
- oxalate soluble: green teas (n = 4 bags): 0.24-1.15 mg/g, mean 0.68 (SE 0.19); about 0.3-1.7 mg oxalate per cup mg oxalate/g dry tea (soluble, extracted into infusate) · per g of dry tea leaf, soluble oxalate in the infusate (HPLC) · tea bag (1.34-2.14 g) in 245 mL hot (90 C) nanopure water, 5 min, stirred twice, bag squeezed twice · grade A · Charrier 2002
- tyramine: not detected in 7 of 7 green-tea infusions (and in all 14 black) µg/L · infusion as drunk · brewed · grade A · Spizzirri 2016
Sources
- CFIA, Dried teas, targeted survey 2009-2010 (open.canada.ca dataset 2782dbc5-ebbb-4ef1-a85f-294a5fe60f47, resource dried_teas_2009-10.csv): metals n = 100 samples, product 'Tea' (type not stated: black/green not distinguished), results in ug/g of DRY LEAF
cfia-dried-teas-2009-10· secondary source · Open Government Licence - Canada - Charrier MJ, Savage GP, Vanhanen L. Oxalate content and calcium binding capacity of tea and herbal teas. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2002;11(4):298-301 · doi:10.1046/j.1440-6047.2002.00294.x · PMID 12495262
charrier2002· abstract only · licence not recorded - Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - Deka H, Barman T, Sarmah PP, Devi A, Tamuly P, Karak T. Impact of processing method on selected trace elements content of green tea: Does CTC green tea infusion possess risk towards human health? Food Chem X 2021;12:100173 · doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2021.100173 · PMID 34917927
deka2021· secondary source · CC BY 4.0 - EFSA. EFSA explains risk assessment: Caffeine (corporate publication summarising the NDA Panel's 2015 scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine) · doi:10.2805/618813
efsa-2015-caffeine-explains· full text read · licence not recorded - EFSA CONTAM Panel. Statement on the risks for human health related to the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in honey, tea, herbal infusions and food supplements. EFSA Journal 2017;15(7):4908 · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4908 · PMID 32625569
efsa-2017-pa· full text read · CC BY-ND (EFSA Journal) - EFSA ANS Panel. Scientific opinion on the safety of green tea catechins. EFSA Journal 2018;16(4):5239 · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5239 · PMID 32625874
efsa-2018-green-tea-catechins· secondary source · CC BY-ND 4.0 - US FDA, Total Diet Study FY2018–FY2020 Elements Report Supplement
fda-tds-fy2018-2020· dataset · US government work (17 USC 105), public domain - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - IARC. Press release 244: IARC Monographs evaluate drinking coffee, mate, and very hot beverages (15 June 2016); Monographs vol. 116 (2018)
iarc-2016-pr244· full text read · licence not recorded - Pavlovic A, Tavcar G, Ponikvar-Svet M, et al. Fluoride and Aluminium in Tea (Camellia sinensis L.)-Tea Quality Indicators and Risk Factors for Consumers. Molecules 2023;28(17):6396 · doi:10.3390/molecules28176396 · PMID 37687225
pavlovic2023· full text read · CC BY (PMC open access) - Spizzirri UG, Picci N, Restuccia D, et al. Extraction Efficiency of Different Solvents and LC-UV Determination of Biogenic Amines in Tea Leaves and Infusions. J Anal Methods Chem 2016 · doi:10.1155/2016/8715287 · PMID 27555979
spizzirri2016· full text read · CC BY (PMC open access)
Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.
The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.
The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.
Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.