5 Health Benefits of Decaf Green Tea
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5 Health Benefits of Decaf Green Tea

Decaf green tea provides many of the same health benefits as its caffeinated counterpart, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
5 Health Benefits of Decaf Green Tea
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Updated on August 6, 2025
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Many people swear by a cup of decaffeinated green tea for its beneficial effects on cardiovascular health and metabolism. And as it turns out, there's science to back up these decaf green tea benefits.

What Is Green Tea?

Green tea is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. To make green tea, leaves of the plant are steamed, fried, then dried.

The first tea plants were cultivated in China about 3,000 years ago, and they were often used for medicinal purposes. Green tea contains caffeine, but decaffeinated green tea can provide some of the same benefits for those more sensitive to caffeine.

Here are some of the health properties of decaf green tea.

1. Protects Against Inflammation and Cancer

Green tea is high in polyphenols, which are naturally occurring compounds found in plants.

Plant polyphenols provide a variety of health benefits, including antioxidant effects. Antioxidants are compounds that help prevent cell damage due to inflammation and can inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Decaf green tea can contain fewer polyphenols and antioxidants, depending on the caffeine removal process. But it can still provide health benefits.

Decaf Green Tea vs. Regular Green Tea

The polyphenol content of decaf green tea may differ from that of regular green tea, depending on how it's processed.

According to a study publishing in Food Research on the optimization of green tea decaffeination, the hot water process can effectively remove caffeine while retaining many of the beneficial plant compounds. Factors like extraction time and decaffeination time and temperature influence the results of this process.

2. May Support Weight Loss

Studies suggest the polyphenols in green tea may assist in weight loss. Researchers think this could be due to their effects on insulin sensitivity and fat metabolism.

But a small study published in 2021 found that decaf green tea extract did not have a significant effect on body composition when habitual exercise and dietary intake were maintained.

Although many studies show promising results, more research is needed to better understand the link between decaf green tea and weight loss.

Does Drinking Green Tea at Night Support Weight Loss?

Drinking water before bed and staying hydrated supports weight loss.

 Unsweetened tea can be a good alternative to plain water.

While water or tea before bed won't magically help you shed pounds, hydration is one component of a well-rounded weight loss plan that includes a nutritious diet and regular exercise.

Decaffeinated green tea may be a better choice closer to bedtime if you're sensitive to caffeine.

3. Prevents Heart Disease

The antioxidants in decaf green tea may reduce your risk of cardiovascular and heart disease.

Studies suggest that green tea antioxidants can improve cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar control — all risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

4. Better for People With Caffeine Sensitivity

People sensitive to caffeine can experience side effects including nausea, anxiety, and trouble sleeping.

 If you're sensitive to caffeine, decaf green tea may work better for you than a fully caffeinated brew.

It's also important to note that decaf green tea may contain a small amount of caffeine. If you're very sensitive to it, consider skipping green tea and other caffeinated beverages altogether.

5. May Protect Brain Health

Compounds in green tea, like l-theanine and EGCG, are known to have neuroprotective effects, which may slow cognitive decline.

A review of studies published in 2021 found that regular green tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

More research in humans is needed, but these effects may be due to green tea's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Other Considerations

Here are some other things to consider when drinking decaf green tea.

How Much Green Tea Should You Drink?

Green tea is generally safe, and intake recommendations are usually related to its caffeine content. But since the caffeine content of decaf green tea is much lower, it may not be as much of a concern unless you are very sensitive.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends no more than 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day for most adults.

One 8 ounce (oz) cup of green tea contains about 29 mg of caffeine.

 Black tea contains about 48 mg of caffeine per cup.

Decaffeinated Green Tea Side Effects

While safe for most people, decaf green tea may have negative side effects for some people and interact with certain medications.

At high doses, green tea may make medications like beta-blockers and cholesterol-lowering drugs less effective.

Green tea supplements may also cause nausea, constipation, and (rarely) liver injury (for people with a specific gene variant).

If you have concerns about drinking green tea, talk with your doctor about safety before you start sipping.

The Takeaway

  • Green tea, including decaf, has a variety of health benefits due to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds. These include cancer protection, improved metabolism, prevention of cardiovascular disease.
  • Decaf green tea may be a safer option than caffeinated versions if you are more sensitive to caffeine.
  • Although generally safe, high intake of green tea may interact with blood pressure medications or cause side effects like nausea and constipation.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Green Tea. National Institutes of Health. February 2025.
  2. Yan Z et al. Antioxidant mechanism of tea polyphenols and its impact on health benefits. Animal Nutrition. June 1, 2020.
  3. Roberts JD et al. The Impact of Decaffeinated Green Tea Extract on Fat Oxidation, Body Composition and Cardio-Metabolic Health in Overweight, Recreationally Active Individuals. Nutrients. February 26, 2021.
  4. Nugrahini NIP et al. Simultaneous extraction and decaffeination process optimization of green tea-based beverage using Box Behnken design-response surface methodology. Food Research. February 2025.
  5. Aloo S-O et al. Insights on Dietary Polyphenols as Agents Against Metabolic Disorders: Obesity as a Target Disease. Antioxidants. February 8, 2023.
  6. About Water and Healthier Drinks. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 2, 2024.
  7. Zamani M. The effects of green tea supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition. January 2023.
  8. How to Quit Caffeine Without a Headache. Cleveland Clinic. November 10, 2023.
  9. Akbarialiabad H et al. Green Tea, a Medicinal Food With Promising Neurological Benefit. Current Neuropharmacology. May 25, 2020.
  10. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much? U.S. Food and Drug Administration. August 28, 2024.
  11. Tea, hot, leaf, green. U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central. October 31, 2024.
  12. Tea, hot, leaf, black. U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central. October 31, 2024.
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Julie Cunningham, MPH, RDN, LDN, CDCES

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Julie Cunningham has been a registered dietitian for more than 25 years. She is a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) and an international board-certified lactation consultant. She has served as the president of the Foothills Chapter of the North Carolina Dietetics Association (NCDA) and has been a member of the executive board of the NCDA.

Ms. Cunningham received a bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University in North Carolina. She subsequently completed a master's degree in public health nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ms. Cunningham has worked in women's and children's health, cardiology, and diabetes. She is the author of 30 Days to Tame Type 2 Diabetes, and she has also written for Abbott Nutrition News, Edgepark Medical Health Insights, diaTribe, Babylist, and others.

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