Help Needed. Organic/Whole Leaf/Decaf Green Teas?

[Garrett]

Hey guys,

I got into teas big time about a year and a half ago, but had to give it up due to the caffeine. I was found to be hyperthyroid, which led to some pretty bad anxiety.

For obvious reasons, caffeine is a no-no for me, but I miss tea. A lot.

Can anyone please recommended for me an organic + whole leaf + decaffeinated green tea?

I would seriously be eternally grateful. I miss my tea so much!!!!!

Best,

Garrett

[Chip]

Sorry Garrett. That had to be rough.

You are right to be very careful of decafs. I will keep my eyes open.

I am sure you are aware of the various methods of decaffing? One is chemical and the other is CO2 I believe. Most people given a choice would choose CO2. But I really do not know much about it.

But I guess CO2 is the "organic" method?

[Cyphre]

Organic green rooibos maybe?

[teaisme]

kuki houjicha maybe?

[britt]

Hey guys,

I got into teas big time about a year and a half ago, but had to give it up due to the caffeine. I was found to be hyperthyroid, which led to some pretty bad anxiety.

For obvious reasons, caffeine is a no-no for me, but I miss tea. A lot.

Can anyone please recommended for me an organic + whole leaf + decaffeinated green tea?

I would seriously be eternally grateful. I miss my tea so much!!!!!

Best,

Garrett

Japanese houjicha is naturally very low in caffeine to the point where many consider it, practically speaking, to be caffeine-free. This link is to Yuuki-cha's houjichas, all of which are also organic.

http://www.yuuki-cha.com/organic-hojich ... 6307d4b3af

[entropyembrace]

Not even CO2 or organic solvent decaffeination process removes 100% of the caffeine from tea leaves and the roasting process of making Houjicha is not going to get as much caffeine out as an organic solvent.

Is there an upper limit on how much caffeine is safe or do you need to avoid it completely?

To be on the safe side it would be better to drink herbal "teas" like the green rooibos suggested above from plants that never have any caffeine in them to begin with.

Adagio has CO2 decaff green tea but they´re all flavoured and not organic...sorry I don´t really know where else to look.

http://www.adagio.com/decaf/decaf_sampl ... b5575a0962

[Garrett]

Wow, thank you so much for all of the wonderful advice! I really do appreciate it.

@Entropye: I can certainly have some caffeine, but I have to monitor my intake very stringently.

I grabbed some tea bags from Whole Foods just to hold me over, and I'll certainly be looking into all of your guys' wonderful suggestions.

Many thanks,

Garrett

[Kunkali]

I have anxiety/panic disorder from an unknown cause (investigating a parathyroid problem) anyway just within the past month and a half or so i started getting interested in C. Sinensis and started small...yah I even got a panic attack from the caffeine level in houjicha...but I plugged away and drank cups and cups of it so my body has now developed a good tolerance for it now...matcha for me is a bit too much and I'm working my way into the lighter oolongs but those are still giving me anxiety shakes. But anyway if you do it little by little and stick with whites and greens, even with your anxiety set backs (and trust me I know how debilitating they can be) you will be able to enjoy tea without the worry of triggered attacks....just be careful with matcha and blacks and for me, the Japanese greens give more of a caffeine effect than the Chinese greens

[Herbal Tea Lover]

In your case, will it be better to use loose tea? I forget in which article there is the mentioning of the 1st infusion is used to wash the tea and can decaffeinate 80%. Maybe you also pour out the 2nd infusion and start drinking from the 3rd one.

[Kunkali]

If it's not organic I like to do a brief wash not for caffeine but to wash any chemicals that might still be on the leaf...as to the caffeine...if the caffeine is leached out so is the good stuff too...strangely I get the jitters in later infusions not the first few because when all that theanines gone I'm left having to deal with the caffeine straight on

[teaisme]

so how has your body reacted to brewing tea cooler?
Have you given cold brewing a try or brewing certain teas like greens with 140ish water?

That should help prevent too much caffiene from being extracted.
I really like the kuki houji at yuukicha, and the tencha kuki houji at dens.

[Chip]

Cold brewing is a good idea! And cold brewing kukicha is even better yet.