I recently had a conversation that irked me. Someone I had just met said that he was going to go home and have some green tea to wake up. I expressed surprise as green tea does not have a particularly high caffeine content. He insisted that it has more than coffee. My friend piped up with the fact that I’m a dietitian. He said he has friends who work in tea houses. I countered with the fact that I used to manage a small chain of coffee shops. He said “I bet you didn’t sell a lot of tea.” I said “touche” and let it go as clearly this was not an argument I was going to win. Anyway… Just in case you’re wondering… The caffeine content of tea and coffee can vary considerably, mostly due to the method of preparation. On average though, coffee is the caffeine leader at roughly 95 mg per serving (which is a tiny 8 oz). In close second is black tea with an average 88 mg per 8 oz. Coming in third is green tea, at a mere 32 mg per 8 oz. Vindication. Regardless of caffeine content, there are different health benefits related to each when consumed in moderation, and detrimental effects when consumed in excess.