# Is Iced Tea Hydrating? Caffeine in Bottled Iced Tea

Yes. Iced tea hydrated as well as still water in a controlled trial. Bottled iced tea has about 7 to 43 mg of caffeine per 12 oz, by USDA data.

## Numbers the app uses

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Default serving | 355 ml (12 fl oz) |
| Hydration factor | 1.00 |
| Counts toward the daily goal | 355 ml per serving |
| Caffeine | 17 mg per serving |
| Calories | 36 kcal per 100 ml (128 kcal per serving) |

## Level with water in the trial

Iced tea was one of the 13 drinks in the Beverage Hydration Index trial, and over four hours it was no different from still water. ([Maughan et al., 2016](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26702122/)) The iced tea in the trial was unsweetened cold black tea with 179 mg of caffeine per litre. Each man drank about the caffeine of two cups of coffee in half an hour, and the urine that followed was no different from water. ([Rodriguez-Sanchez, 2016](https://dspace.stir.ac.uk/handle/1893/25390))

A follow-up trial found the same for caffeine on its own: up to 400 mg per litre made no difference to urine output over four hours. ([Maughan et al., 2019](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29893590/))

## Caffeine in bottled and brewed iced tea

Bottled iced teas vary a lot. USDA figures per 12 fl oz (355 ml), worked out from their values per 100 g in [USDA FoodData Central](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/174144/nutrients) entries 174144, 171888, 171892, 173212, 171911 and 174128:

- Green tea, unsweetened: about 43 mg
- Black tea, unsweetened: about 39 mg
- Black tea with lemon, sweetened: about 32 mg
- Green tea, sweetened: about 18 mg
- Black tea with lemon, diet: about 7 mg
- Black tea, decaffeinated: about 4 mg

WaterChamp counts Iced Tea at 17 mg per 355 ml, in the lower half of that range, which fits a sweetened bottled tea. Iced tea brewed at home from tea bags has about the caffeine of hot [black tea](/drinks/black-tea/), 47 mg per 240 ml (8 fl oz).

## Sugar

Sweetened bottled iced tea carries about 9.5 g of sugar per 100 g in USDA data, about 34 g in a 12 oz bottle. Iced Tea counts at 36 kcal per 100 ml. When you log it in the app, the No sugar option counts an unsweetened or diet tea at 1 kcal per 100 ml.

The caffeine in every tea you can log:

| Drink | Serving | Caffeine | Per 100 ml |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Yerba Mate | 240 ml (8.1 fl oz) | 80 mg | 33 mg |
| Matcha Latte | 350 ml (12 fl oz) | 70 mg | 20 mg |
| Boba Tea | 475 ml (16 fl oz) | 50 mg | 11 mg |
| Chai Latte | 350 ml (12 fl oz) | 50 mg | 14 mg |
| Black Tea | 240 ml (8.1 fl oz) | 47 mg | 20 mg |
| Tea with Milk | 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) | 47 mg | 19 mg |
| Pu-Erh Tea | 240 ml (8.1 fl oz) | 40 mg | 17 mg |
| Oolong Tea | 240 ml (8.1 fl oz) | 38 mg | 16 mg |
| Green Tea | 240 ml (8.1 fl oz) | 30 mg | 13 mg |
| Iced Tea | 355 ml (12 fl oz) | 17 mg | 5 mg |
| Decaf Tea | 240 ml (8.1 fl oz) | 2 mg | 1 mg |

## Questions

### Does iced tea count as water intake?

Yes. Every millilitre counts toward your daily goal.

### Does iced tea dehydrate you?

No. A litre of cold black tea with 179 mg of caffeine was kept as well as water in a controlled trial.

### How much caffeine is in iced tea?

About 7 to 43 mg per 12 oz bottle by USDA data. Iced Tea counts as 17 mg per bottle.

### Is sweet tea as hydrating as unsweetened tea?

Yes. Sugar does not make a drink dehydrating. In a follow-up trial, drinks with 10% sugar or more were kept a little longer than plain water.

## 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/iced-tea/