# Is Herbal Tea Hydrating? Does Herbal Tea Have Caffeine?

Yes. Brewed herbal tea is 99.7% water and counts toward your water intake in full. Chamomile, hibiscus and other herbal teas show no caffeine in USDA data.

## Numbers the app uses

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Default serving | 240 ml (8.1 fl oz) |
| Hydration factor | 1.00 |
| Counts toward the daily goal | 240 ml per serving |
| Calories | 1 kcal per 100 ml (2 kcal per serving) |

## Almost pure water

USDA figures for brewed chamomile and for other brewed herbal teas show 99.7 g of water per 100 g, 1 kcal or less, and no caffeine. ([USDA FoodData Central](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/174156/nutrients)) Hibiscus tea also shows 0 mg of caffeine. ([USDA FoodData Central](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171946/nutrients))

The Beverage Hydration Index trial tested black tea, hot and iced, and both were no different from still water. ([Maughan et al., 2016](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26702122/)) Herbal tea was not tested, and it has no caffeine at all. WaterChamp counts it at a hydration factor of 1.00, the same as water.

## Which herbal drinks have caffeine

Most herbal teas have no caffeine. The common exceptions:

- Blends that include green or black tea leaves. The ingredients list says so.
- Yerba mate, an infusion from a South American holly, which releases caffeine and related stimulants (methylxanthines) into the cup. ([Meinhart et al., 2010](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20058928/)) It is logged as its own drink, with caffeine.

Decaf tea is real tea with most of the caffeine removed, and the FDA notes that decaf teas still contain some. ([FDA](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much)) A cup of Decaf Tea counts as 2 mg.

## Herbal drinks you can log

Herbal Infusion, Rooibos, Fruit Tea and Barley Tea all count at 0 mg of caffeine and a factor of 1.00. Turmeric Latte, made with milk, sits at 1.10. Since herbal tea has no caffeine, a late cup adds nothing to the bedtime figure in the [caffeine calculator](/tools/caffeine-cutoff/).

## Questions

### Does herbal tea count as water intake?

Yes. A cup counts in full toward your daily goal, the same as water.

### Does herbal tea have caffeine?

Chamomile, hibiscus and most other herbal teas have none. Yerba mate and blends with tea leaves do.

### Is herbal tea as hydrating as water?

Yes. It is 99.7% water and counts at the same factor as water.

### Is rooibos caffeine-free?

Yes. Rooibos is a South African herbal tea with no tea leaves in it, and it counts at 0 mg.

## Source

Hydration factors follow the Beverage Hydration Index. Maughan RJ, Watson P, Cordery PA, et al. “A randomized trial to assess the potential of different beverages to affect hydration status: development of a beverage hydration index.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2016;103(3):717-723. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26702122/

Page: https://waterchamp.app/drinks/herbal-tea/