Have You Met, or Are Someone Who Drinks Tea, Because Coffee Gives Heart Palpitations?

Sammyboy on 27/07/2019 - 09:03
Last edited 27/07/2019 - 09:23

I find this quite an interesting topic, as I've come across quite a few people who do not drink coffee at all recently as they say it gives them heart palpitations, so they drink tea instead as it has "less caffeine".

I then point out to them that tea does have a decent amount of caffeine, and depending on how much they drink, they may be having as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and the responses so far have been generally of being really surprised, shocked and confusion. The last person I met would drink a lot of bubble tea, but couldn't drink coffee.

Which gets me to thinking how much of that palpitation is psychological (perhaps tried coffee as a child and experienced an uncomfortable caffeine kick etc) or if sensitive to something else to do with the coffee.

This was an interesting article on the spruce eats https://www.thespruceeats.com/caffeine-in-coffee-tea-cola-76…
It's American volumes. 7 ounce is approx 207ml

For those too lazy to read, here are the numbers…

Espresso, single shot: 29-100 mg (often around 75 mg)
Espresso, double shot (doppio): 58-185 mg (often around 150 mg)
Decaf espresso, single shot: about 8 mg
Decaf espresso, double shot (doppio): about 16 mg
Nespresso Espresso Capsules: 55-65 mg
Nespresso Lungo Capsules: 77-89 mg

Assam black tea (FTGFOP Grade): 86 mg
Bai mu dan/China white tea: 75 mg
Chinese ti kuan yin oolong: 37 mg
Darjeeling white tea: 56 mg
Indian green tea: 59 mg
Kenyan green tea: 58 mg
Ceylon black tea (OP Grade): 58 mg

From another search…Bubble tea - 100mg to 160mg

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • rambao9 on 28/07/2019 - 14:07
    +1

    This is interesting. I didn't even know it was a thing until this topic.

    I dont usually have 'heart palpitations' but when I was making coffee, this is definitely dependent on how strong the shot of coffee is.
    For example, if the shot from the machine is dripping the espresso shot, then this will likely be too strong and I will get heart palpitations.
    But on a regular shot where the coffee is running smoothly, these won't give me heart palpitations.
    So the grind level, the barista, the beans etc all play a part.

    I think it's important to note that the caffeine levels for tea would be dependent on how long you leave the tea bag/leaves in the water…

    • Sammyboy on 28/07/2019 - 14:14
      -1

      Hmmmm if it's the same volume of beans used the caffeine should be roughly similar. A dripping shot would be a lot of crema (oils etc) extracted, perhaps more so than a simply made shot. And ratio of oil to water would be more too. Starting to think perhaps the oils and other compounds are contributing to palpitations…

  • Salty Pretzel on 28/07/2019 - 14:58

    I get heart palpitations and get quite anxious after drinking coffee. But I drink it anyway!

    Tea doesn't do that to me. And yes…I'm well aware tea has caffeine.

  • baskinghobo on 28/07/2019 - 15:15

    I got heart palpitations or felt uncomfortably tense when I drank a full cup of coffee. So I bought myself some l-theanine. I decided I would take these when I felt the heart palpitations coming or felt uncomfortably tense but they never came after I bought the pills. Suddenly all my issues were gone and I never needed to take a single pill. I still get tense when I drink a lot of coffee but it is at least manageable now. It's amazing how placebo can affect your body.

  • GourmetFoodie on 28/07/2019 - 16:58

    It's difficult to compare because depends on type of tea, also how long you brew it. Black tea definitely has caffeine but most of the time not nearly as much as a cup of coffee. This whole post is stupid anyways because OP sounds like someone who loves to be a know it all and prove people wrong….

    • Sammyboy on 28/07/2019 - 18:22
      -2

      Wow such a constructive comment to what has been a genuinely interesting forum discussion. Someone got up on ass end of the bed this morning. Perhaps time to have another tea or coffee…

      • D6C1 on 30/07/2019 - 23:01

        well that escalated quickly!

  • piece on 28/07/2019 - 18:06

    First world problems.

    • HighAndDry on 29/07/2019 - 15:54
      +1

      Don't know who negged you. By definition this fits, because only someone in a first world country can even afford to have enough coffee for it to be an issue.

  • CarbonMini on 28/07/2019 - 18:51

    I drink either a coffee a day, or two cans of 500ml blue V. Ive been doing this for a while (and doing it even more because I have HSC Trials coming up) and my heart rate doesn't change much at all (maybe resting heart rate goes up to 75?) I'm 45Kg too, so I would assume caffeine would be much more effective for me?

    • Sammyboy on 28/07/2019 - 19:59

      Do you get any withdrawal symptoms if you don't have the V?

  • firedragon on 28/07/2019 - 19:20
    +1

    I only drink tea, because tea is delicious. I don't enjoy the taste of hot coffee.

  • MessyG on 28/07/2019 - 19:53
    +2

    The answer is it's both. Caffeine can have an effect on the heart, and can produce ECG changes, but, people can also feel things that aren't reproducible on ECG. The sympathetic activation you get from caffeine may just make people more aware of what's happening in their body and that makes them feel uncomfortable. Also, you can control the strength of a cup of tea far more than you can control the strength of a bought-coffee.

    If you're interested in the science of this, there's a great review here (if it sounds like gobbledygook, scroll to the conclusion which sums it up nicely).

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405500X1…

  • Hoolio on 28/07/2019 - 20:18

    Palpitations are a common symptom that can definitely be due to caffeine which is usually dose dependent. There is less caffeine in tea compared to coffee so it makes sense to avoid coffee if you're prone to palpitations. Like you mentioned there is comparable amounts of caffeine in some teas (e.g. black tea is 60mg vs 110mg in coffee) but for example green tea has about a quarter (~30mg) of caffeine compared to coffee so palpitations are not common unless the individual is very sensitive. Obviously though palpitations can be multi-factorial and often due to anxiety in a young and otherwise healthy person. If in doubt should see a doctor as mentioned.

  • Omitsukasa on 28/07/2019 - 20:24
    +1

    Just because tea and coffee both have caffeine, it is stupid to equate the two as the same and think that "if drinking one is fine then drinking the other should also be fine, otherwise it's all just psychological and the person is being nuts".

    Tea leaves and coffee beans are different. Both having caffeine does not make them the same. There are so many, so many different variables and factors at play that I'm amazed the first thing someone thinks is that people are being nuts and psychological rather than our science being inadequate.

    I get jittery when I have coffee only. It would annoy me if someone like OP "informs" me that tea should also make me jittery because it also has caffeine.. Like I didn't already know.. and is not believing the reaction my body is having, thinking it's all mental.

    • Hoolio on 28/07/2019 - 20:37
      +1

      To be fair, I've also met a lot of people who think only coffee has caffeine and don't realise tea and lots of soft drinks / energy drinks have caffeine lol

  • Dr Techno on 28/07/2019 - 21:36
    +1

    if my wife drinks a little bit of coke or pepsi during the day, she cant sleep at night. that caught me off guard.

    • Sammyboy on 29/07/2019 - 22:13

      That could have its benefits ;-)

  • orange123 on 28/07/2019 - 21:38

    I drink yerba mate and have no issues with heart palpitations. It such a great buzz, I cannot work without it.

  • CalmLemons on 28/07/2019 - 22:04

    It's not only the coffee/caffeine/tea but also the sugar you add to it.

    I used to never drink coffee, when I did I would get heart palpitations. Now I drink double shots every day no worries, body adjusts for it.

    It's the fact that caffeine causes cortisol release in part a stress hormone - someone link this lol.

    Just now I drank some tea and can feel my heart 'palpate'.

    Some people are just sensitive to caffeine. When I drink the coffee though I can definitely feel the heart rate go up.

    You basically have a combination of physiological and psychological effects going on here:

    caffeine causing cortisol release
    caffeine increasing heart rate
    psychological manifestations
    possibility of an existing underlying condition such as QT prolongation
    overall sensitivity to caffeine when you aren't used to it
    sugar consumed with the beverage causing increased heart rate via many physiological mechanisms such as the very increase of metabolism when consuming sugar for instance

    basic rules, don't drink caffeine past 3pm
    avoid large amounts of sugar altogether
    don't drink shit coffee, especially over roasted
    bubble tea is filled with sugar, go with minimum sugar next time you drink it but (profanity) isn't black sugar syrup bubble tea nice

    that said the variability in caffeine amongst all beverages unless it's coke is very erratic - also dependent on how generous the barrister is.

  • CalmLemons on 28/07/2019 - 22:08
    +1

    oh and as for the stats on caffeine in the beverages, be aware most stats are full of sh*t. I wouldn't be surprised if all the websites copied each other and just decided to fudge the figures along the way.

  • mousie on 28/07/2019 - 22:28

    If you ever have a independent medical examiner pull you apart for a claims reason they will ask you how many serves of coffee and other caffeinated beverages you have on average per day.

    I personally limit to two coffees a day of medium to high intensity otherwise I find I crash. I also limit my ciggies to two a day. Everything in moderation, except for illicits which aren't for me.

  • sleet on 29/07/2019 - 07:50

    I rarely drink coffee but when I do, I can definitely feel the heart racing. A lot of other people who don't think so are regular coffee drinkers cause they're adapted to it

  • Lastchancetosee on 29/07/2019 - 08:40

    Friend's cardiologist recommended switching from coffee to tea, for heart condition. Definitely a reduction in related symptoms.

  • Sammyboy on 29/07/2019 - 09:07
    +2

    I sent an email to Unilever yesterday who own Lipton, Bushells, Lanchoo and they replied at 7.57am this morning. Their customer service must start quite early and work pretty efficiently.

    Here is what Unilever sent

    Caffeine is present in all tea products, including Ice Tea. For hot tea the amount of caffeine per cup will depend on the infusion time, the temperature of the water and the ratio of tea leaves to water. For these reasons it is difficult to give an exact figure for the caffeine content per cup.
    Green Tea ranges from 8-42mg per 200ml cup.
    Black Tea (including black flavoured tea) ranges from 35-61mg per 200ml cup.
    Decaffeinated Tea from 2-5mg per 200ml cup.
    Lipton Black Ice tea contains approximately 50-65mg per 330ml
    Lipton Greed & Red Iced Tea contains approximately 65-68mg
    Lipton Chai Latte stick contain 41mg per serve

    This information is also applicable to Bushells and Lanchoo.

    I may get some l-Theanine and test on my friend

  • sardines on 29/07/2019 - 09:09

    I love coffee milk drinks - The low(er) sugar ones usually are the stronger coffee flavors. I can drink them in the mornings but only on the weekends. If i drink them on a workday and sitting at a computer all day i get major anxiety issues and racing heart. At work i only drink herbal tea, mostly chamomile. If i drink a coffee milk drink in the afternoon and do weights i get nauseous and feel really weak and very rarely if i did heavy bench press i would get heart arrhythmia where heart would skip beats.. I stopped drinking coffee after 11 am after that and stopped doing bench press ( i have health issues that can affect heart so putting pressure on it via coffee, excess salt, certain exercises (bench press puts a lot of pressure on one valve in heart as my doc once told me) etc should be avoided).

  • tightrump on 29/07/2019 - 10:51

    I have had weird heartbeat patterns; two times that persisted long enough to get me worried. The most recent was definitely following a lot of coffee (I estimated I'd had about 5 cups the previous day). I was also mildly dehydrated. At A&E they saw this on the ECG and diagnosed "frequent PVCs" (premature ventricular contractions), and advised that I drink less coffee, then sent me on my way after my ECG returned to normal. They didn't seem too concerned about it.

    Since then I have 2 cups/day max and keep my fluids up, no worries since. I'm in my 40's.

    • OBone on 29/07/2019 - 21:44

      It's good that you know the cause of yours but I think they could get worse as you age.
      As harmless as most are they can sure make your life miserable when every 2nd or 3rd beat is affected.
      Yet there are those that have heart rhythm problems and don't even know.

  • Caped Baldy on 29/07/2019 - 12:20

    I don't have issues with tea or coffee but I've had energy drinks and my chest feels funny.

  • Sammyboy on 29/07/2019 - 13:37

    Bean looking into some of the compounds in coffee…haha…and so far this compound may have an effect on some people… Really isn't much in studies on other compounds in coffee that could cause reactions beside on caffeine. So I'm just extrapolating and coming up with some random ideas here.

    Trigonelline is a bitter alkaloid in coffee which producse important aroma compounds. Trigonelline is higher concentrated for arabica than robusta and ranges from about 0.6-1.3% and 0.3-0.9%, respectively.

    During roasting trigonelline partially degrades to produce two compounds - pyridines and nicotinic acid. A very dark roast will contain only a fraction of its original trigonelline content.

    Nicotinic acid or also known was vitamin B3 (niacin) is produced by the demethylation of trigonelline at temperatures above 160°C-230°C where approximately 85% is decomposed. But when compared to green coffee - there is an overall net increase of about 10x from green to roasted.

    Some side effects of Nicotinic acid are feeling light-headed, fainting, fast, pounding, uneven heart beats

    Some side effects of Pyridines are changes in heart rate (appears to cause slowing), cause dizziness, headache, nausea

  • Carmen Sandiego on 29/07/2019 - 15:54

    Personally, I drink a mug full of Green Tea every weekday morning and that's enough for me.

    From what I've read, tea has more antioxidants than coffee, hence why the amount of caffeine can be better processed.

    As for the actual effects on me with the two drinks, coffee tends to make my already sky high anxiety shoot up like nobody's business. Whereas with tea (be it a cup of Green Tea, Earl Grey or Lady Grey with no milk or sugar), it soothes me at 7:40am when I start work.

  • unelectric on 29/07/2019 - 16:23

    I try not to drink coffee because it nearly always has the opposite effect - I get sleepy. It tastes nice but I always feel worse afterwards.

  • khomeini on 29/07/2019 - 16:31

    Yes it impacts me. I used to drink a lot of coffee during my 20s (2-3 cups a day).

    Now if I drink it, I get migraines and contributes to vasovagal syncope (including a few episodes of olfactory hallucination - smelling strong/burnt coffee no less).

    So long story short, no coffee for me and try to keep hydrated (and not get too heated) either.

    Ps. Tea has no effect, lucky as I like it.

  • techeboy00 on 29/07/2019 - 16:54

    I know someone that drinks neither because this person was diagnosed with anxiety. Even a small amount of caffeine triggers a great hormonal imbalance in this person's body. You'll never know unless you ask them

  • voiletmay on 29/07/2019 - 17:02

    I am extremely sensitive to caffiene. I can't have coffee or tea. I get heart palpitations and lots of other symptoms aswell. If I have a cup of coffee I've pretty much lost the day of drinking it and the next day. I will not be functional either day.

    I also really dislike softdrink because of the bubbles.

    I drink water.

    Can't even have tiramisu LOL!!

  • HeWhoKnows on 29/07/2019 - 21:57

    Strangely coffee keeps you awake but tea puts you to sleep

    Go figure?

  • This Guy on 30/07/2019 - 01:00
    +1

    The difference should be down to bioavailability, absorption rates and additional molecules in different drinks that modify the effect of caffeine.

    I am sure you are right and there is a nice range of psychological effects at work too.

  • T1OOO on 30/07/2019 - 07:32

    Placebo effect

  • nikey2k27 on 30/07/2019 - 07:53

    coffee dose that some people

    • Sammyboy on 31/07/2019 - 08:03

      I see what you did there lol

  • SupeNintendoChalmers on 30/07/2019 - 11:14

    I'm def someone who cannot tolerate caffeine. Even a can of coke can send me to the toilet pronto- a cup of coffee will send me to the dunny AND set my heart racing.

    Maybe its a psychosomatic reaction, or maybe a physiological condition, who knows.

    Black tea gives my really bad heartburn- can only really drink green tea or chamomile

  • vid_ghost on 30/07/2019 - 15:13

    coffee is a drug :)

  • Bunnyburger on 30/07/2019 - 17:32

    It might be the L-theanine content in tea which tapers the caffeine spike.

  • Sammyboy on 31/07/2019 - 08:07

    I found this posted on a nespresso discussion in reddit. A member there compiled the caffeine information supposedly off the Nespresso Taiwan website and put it in a chart. I had a look on the Taiwan site and couldn't find the information, so again take the data with a grain of salt, however could be quite useful.

    https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/55818/71352/nespresso.…

  • Sammyboy on 31/07/2019 - 09:59
    +1

    Quite surprised how responsive some companies are. I just got an email back from Nespresso. Here is what they replied.

    This is a very good question, and I am happy to shed some light!
    Firstly, you're absolutely right concerning the high caffeine content of tea. Concerning the percentage caffeine, this is simply referring to the percentage off the ground coffee post-roast, comparing Arabica to Robusta. Of course, this will be inconsistent whenever you add varying amounts of water, milk, sugar or any other additives you may enjoy.
    To put this into an understandable value our coffee contains on average 50-80mg of caffeine per cup (all sizes considered) (Kazaar is the exception with approx. 120mg). The Vertuo line also differs slightly from this as it contains on average 70-180mg per average cup. Below I have added some examples of average caffeine contents according to the type of coffee preparation:
    Cup of filter coffee: 50 to 200 mg/cup
    Mug of instant coffee: 50 to 90 mg/cup
    Tea cup: 20 to 90 mg/cup
    Standard cola drink: 20 to 40 mg/cup
    Standard energy drink: 20 to 50 mg/cup
    Black chocolate bar (100g): 20 to 50 mg (Milk chocolate: 25mg)
    The impact of caffeine is individual and people react differently. Effects of caffeine start after 15-30 minutes, with a peak in blood plasma typically after 1 hour. The effect decreases slowly after the peak and may typically last up to 6-8 hours. Inter-individual variability depends on many factors such as simultaneous food intake.

    • mousie on 31/07/2019 - 13:14

      Nescafe, is owned by Nestle, and is very Anti Unilever, who own the majority of other tea brands including now T2. There is little love between the two brands. And hence Anti Tea

      Nestle, have about 90% globally of the market with Coffee besides the whole / crushed bean segment and cafes, but in their segments.

      Unilever, have about 90% of the tea market in their segments, aside from all the stuff that happens in China, which they can't really crack. Unilever, fundamentally are Anti Coffee. They bought a couple of shitty brands like Bushell's coffee which you may as well dig up from your garden bed.

      Both will be ultra-responsive, they have dedicated teams for consumer enquiries, and both are staffed locally. Some of the stories ex-Unilever were funny.
      There was one person who complained about the number of tea bags, not being 100, in a Lipton 100 tea bag set from Coles.

      • Sammyboy on 31/07/2019 - 13:28

        well in this case, they are only talking about caffeine in their product and general comparison. they have stayed neutral with other comments

  • Findo on 24/08/2019 - 03:40

    I have 2 coffees a day plus amphetamines (legally prescribed). A few months ago I was diagnosed with hypertension, then miraculously I didn’t have it anymore. I thought it was the coffee, since I was fine taking amphetamines at uni at the same dose with no issues. Turned out the only difference was a new job in a different organisation.

    When I run out of Nespresso pods or the coffee shops near my office are closed, I’ll drink tea. I don’t believe tea is any less strong than coffee under most normal scenarios, but I do use 2-3 tea bags if I drink tea.

  • ozbargainer666 on 13/11/2019 - 10:28

    it might be any of the other thousand chemical compounds in the coffee beans that are causing the unwanted effects

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