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Is all caffeine the same? Coffee, tea and guayusa compared

Caffeine is the same molecule whether it comes from coffee, tea, guayusa or a lab. We look at what the studies show and why the dose, the plant and the drink change how it feels.

By Louie Syred26 October 202610 min read

Is all caffeine the same? As a molecule it is, because caffeine from a coffee bean, a tea leaf, a guayusa leaf or a lab is the same compound, and studies find the body absorbs it in much the same way. What changes how it feels is the dose in your cup, the other plant compounds that come along with it, and how and when you drink it.

In a 2018 trial of 16 healthy men, 60mg of caffeine from green coffee bean extract and 60mg of synthetic caffeine gave statistically equivalent blood caffeine levels (Morton et al. 2018).
In a 2016 trial of 12 men, caffeine from guayusa, green coffee and a synthetic source was absorbed equally, and in this one small trial the guayusa extract led to a smaller rise in adrenaline, a finding that has not yet been repeated (Krieger et al. 2016).
The NHS estimates 100mg of caffeine in a cup of instant coffee, 75mg in a cup of tea and 40mg in a can of cola (NHS).
In 2023, Which? found 325mg of caffeine in a medium Costa cappuccino and 66mg in a medium Starbucks one (Which?).
The FSA says up to 400mg of caffeine a day is unlikely to cause adverse effects in adults, with a limit of 200mg a day recommended in pregnancy (FSA).

Is all caffeine the same, natural or synthetic?

Chemically, they are as good as identical. Healthline describes the structure of synthetic caffeine as almost indistinguishable from natural caffeine, with similar effects on the body. Synthetic caffeine is made in a lab, and a 2012 study found that making it this way costs less than extracting caffeine from plants, which is why caffeine added to drinks that do not naturally contain it is usually synthetic (Healthline).

Two small trials have put natural and synthetic caffeine side by side. In 2018, Morton and colleagues gave 16 healthy men 60mg of caffeine, once from green coffee bean extract and once as synthetic caffeine. Caffeine peaked in the blood at a median of 0.75 hours for the natural extract and 0.63 hours for the synthetic version, and the peak levels and total exposure were statistically equivalent (Morton et al. 2018).

In 2016, Krieger and colleagues gave 12 men 200mg of caffeine from guayusa leaf extract, green coffee extract and a synthetic control. All three were bioequivalent by US Food and Drug Administration standards, so the body took up the same amount of caffeine from each (Krieger et al. 2016). We come back to the one difference they did find further down.

So the honest answer is that the caffeine itself is the same. The differences people notice come from everything around it.

What is caffeine anhydrous?

Caffeine anhydrous is a highly concentrated caffeine powder. "Anhydrous" means without water, because the caffeine is extracted and then dried (Healthline). It is the same caffeine molecule again, in a form used in tablets and supplements.

What sets it apart is strength. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, as reported by Healthline, a teaspoon of caffeine powder is the equivalent of 28 cups of coffee. The UK Food Standards Agency describes pure and highly concentrated caffeine supplements, such as caffeine powder, as extremely potent, and advises people to use proper measuring equipment and to count supplements alongside coffee, tea and other drinks (FSA). With powders, the form matters because the dose is so easy to get wrong.

Why does caffeine in tea feel different from coffee?

The biggest reason is the amount. The NHS estimates 75mg of caffeine in a cup of tea and 100mg in a cup of instant coffee, and it notes that filter coffee and coffee shop coffee can contain more (NHS). Coffee shop drinks vary a great deal. When Which? tested medium cappuccinos in 2023, it found 325mg of caffeine at Costa, 197mg at Greggs, 180mg at Pret a Manger and 66mg at Starbucks (Which?). Two drinks with the same name can carry very different doses.

The second reason is L-theanine, an amino acid found in the tea plant. In a 2008 study of 27 volunteers, 50mg of caffeine taken with 100mg of L-theanine improved the speed and accuracy of an attention switching task at 60 minutes, compared with a placebo (Owen et al. 2008). A 2014 review of 11 trials of tea compounds found moderate effects on alertness and attention switching when caffeine and L-theanine were taken together, with a trend for the effect to follow the caffeine dose more than the L-theanine dose (Camfield et al. 2014). Many studies used several times the L-theanine in a normal cup of tea, so the effect of everyday tea is less certain (Camellia Sinensis). Our guide to L-theanine and caffeine goes into the research in full.

The tea house Camellia Sinensis makes a useful point here. It notes that caffeine is the same molecule whether it comes from tea, coffee or yerba mate, and argues that most of the difference happens in the cup, through how much leaf or coffee you use and how you brew it (Camellia Sinensis).

How do coffee, tea, matcha, yerba mate and guayusa compare?

Here are the common sources side by side. The figures are typical servings from the sources listed at the end, and the brew, the scoop and the brand will all move them.

Source	Typical caffeine	What else comes with it	Worth knowing
Instant coffee	About 100mg a cup	Chlorogenic acids, a family of plant compounds	Filter and coffee shop coffee can contain much more
Tea (black or green)	About 75mg a cup	L-theanine	Strength depends on how much leaf you use and how long you brew it
Matcha	18.9mg to 44.4mg per gram of powder	L-theanine	You drink the whole powdered leaf, so the scoop sets the dose
Yerba mate	About 80mg a cup	Varies with the leaf and how it is prepared	Similar to a cup of coffee
Guayusa	19.8mg to 57.7mg per 100ml when brewed	Theobromine, the compound best known from chocolate	The leaf of a holly tree from the Amazon
Cola	About 40mg a can	Varies by brand	Added caffeine is usually synthetic
Canned stimulant drink	About 80mg in 250ml	Varies by brand	Added caffeine is usually synthetic
Caffeine anhydrous powder	A teaspoon equals about 28 cups of coffee	Nothing else	Very easy to overdo, so the FSA advises careful measuring
Peak Hype	60mg a 250ml can	250mg L-tyrosine and B vitamins	All of the caffeine comes from guayusa. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Figures come from the NHS (coffee, tea, cola and stimulant drinks), Kochman et al. 2021 (matcha), Cleveland Clinic (yerba mate), EU figures reported by NutraIngredients (guayusa caffeine), Healthline (guayusa) and Healthline (caffeine powder). If you are thinking about a swap, our guide to the best coffee alternatives in the UK compares taste and ritual as well as caffeine.

Do the other compounds in the plant change how caffeine feels?

Sometimes, and this is where the science is most mixed. Here is what the research says about the three best-known companions.

L-theanine. This is the best studied. As above, caffeine and L-theanine together have improved attention switching in trials, though caffeine seems to do more of the work and the doses are usually higher than a cup of tea gives you.

Chlorogenic acids. These come with coffee. The 2018 Morton trial showed that people absorb them from green coffee extract, with levels peaking one to one and a half hours after the dose (Morton et al. 2018). That tells us they reach the blood. It does not tell us whether they change how coffee feels, and we have not found a study that tests that directly.

Theobromine. Guayusa and cocoa contain it, and it is closely related to caffeine (Healthline). On its own, theobromine has shown little effect in studies. In a 2013 trial, 24 men took 100mg to 400mg of theobromine, and it did not consistently change mood or vigilance, while 100mg of caffeine did (Judelson et al. 2013). A 2011 trial in 24 women found that caffeine with theobromine had similar effects on mood to caffeine alone, but without the rise in blood pressure seen with caffeine alone (Mitchell et al. 2011). That trial used 700mg of theobromine, far more than a drink would contain.

Then there is the guayusa finding. In the 2016 Krieger trial, the guayusa extract led to a significantly smaller rise in adrenaline than the synthetic control, while green coffee extract produced a rise similar to the control (Krieger et al. 2016). It is an interesting result, but it comes from one small trial of 12 men, using a guayusa leaf extract, so we treat it as a lead for future research rather than a settled fact.

Does the type of drink change how fast caffeine works?

The type of drink makes less difference than you might think. In a 2016 study, 24 healthy adults aged 18 to 30 had 160mg of caffeine five ways: as hot or chilled coffee drunk quickly or slowly, or as a chilled stimulant drink. The researchers found the overall impact of temperature, speed and type of drink was small, and concluded that caffeine absorption from coffee and a stimulant drink is similar (White et al. 2016).

The format still matters in practical ways. A can or a measured scoop tells you exactly what you are having, while a coffee shop cup could hold anything from 66mg to over 300mg. Timing matters too. The European Food Safety Authority says a single 100mg dose may affect sleep in some adults when taken close to bedtime, and that single doses of up to 200mg do not raise safety concerns for healthy adults (EFSA).

How do you choose the right caffeine for you?

Since the molecule is the same, a few simple habits make more difference than the source alone.

Know your dose. A known amount, such as a can with the caffeine printed on it, is easier to plan around than a coffee shop cup.
Think about what comes with it. Tea and matcha bring L-theanine, coffee brings chlorogenic acids, and guayusa brings theobromine.
Keep it earlier in the day. EFSA notes that 100mg close to bedtime may affect sleep in some adults.
Count everything. Adults can have up to 400mg a day without expected adverse effects, and the limit recommended in pregnancy is 200mg a day, including supplements (FSA).
Notice how you feel. Your own response is the best guide, and a week of simple notes will tell you a lot.

Where does Peak Hype fit?

Peak Hype is our caffeinated mood drink, made to leave you lifted, not wired. It is a lightly sparkling berry citrus drink with 60mg of natural caffeine, all of it from guayusa, plus 250mg of L-tyrosine and B vitamins, in a 250ml can with 28 calories. It is vegan and low in sugar. Hype has a high caffeine content and is not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women.

We chose guayusa because it is the leaf that started Peak. Our founder Louie Syred first drank it in 2020, not long after giving up coffee, and has had it every day since. You can read the full story of the leaf, from Kichwa families in Ecuador to the can, in our guide to guayusa. With a known 60mg in every can, it is easy to fit around the rest of your day.

Meet Hype, made with natural caffeine from guayusa. If you would rather skip caffeine, Peak Calm is our caffeine-free mood.

Common questions

Is natural caffeine better than synthetic caffeine?

The caffeine molecule is the same, and trials in 2016 and 2018 found the body absorbs natural and synthetic caffeine equally. Natural sources come with other plant compounds, such as L-theanine in tea and theobromine in guayusa, and these are the main reason the drinks can feel different.

Does tea have less caffeine than coffee?

Tea usually has less caffeine than coffee. The NHS estimates about 75mg in a cup of tea and 100mg in a cup of instant coffee, and filter or coffee shop coffee can contain more. A strong brew of tea can still close the gap.

Is caffeine anhydrous stronger than coffee?

Caffeine anhydrous is the same molecule, but as a concentrated powder it is far stronger by weight. A teaspoon holds about as much caffeine as 28 cups of coffee, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, so it needs careful measuring.

Why does coffee make me jittery but tea does not?

The most likely reason is dose, since a coffee shop coffee can hold several times the caffeine of a cup of tea. Tea also contains L-theanine, which trials suggest pairs well with caffeine, although most of them used more than a cup of tea provides.