Tea has far more caffeine than coffee, but why is it less refreshing than coffee?

 Tea has far more caffeine than coffee, but why is it less refreshing than coffee?

When it comes to refreshing drinks, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Red Bull, coffee and other drinks. The reason they are so refreshing is because the caffeine in them plays a big role. There is a saying that tea is not as refreshing as coffee because it contains mainly theophylline rather than caffeine. Tea would be very angry to hear that!

Let's take a look at what caffeine has to do with theophylline.

What is the relationship between caffeine and theophylline?

Caffeine, specifically caffeine, belongs to the same group of methylxanthine bases as theophylline and theobromine, but there are differences in both molecular structure and physiological effects. Structurally, theophylline and theobromine have one less methyl group than caffeine and have a much milder euphoric effect on the body than caffeine. Caffeine is broken down in the liver by three primary metabolites.

It is important to note that coffee does contain only caffeine, and cocoa nuts do contain most of the theobromine (and some of the theophylline and caffeine), but tea is an exception: the alkaloids in tea contain both theophylline, theobromine and caffeine, but the theophylline and theobromine in tea are almost negligible compared to caffeine. And compared to coffee, the caffeine content of coffee beans is 1% to 2%, the caffeine content of tea is 2% to 4% (up to 5.5%), so the caffeine content in tea is more than double that of coffee beans. Therefore, "the refreshing effect of tea is not as good as coffee, because the tea contains mainly theophylline and not caffeine" argument, naturally it does not hold water.

So, if the caffeine content in tea is so much higher than coffee, why is coffee faster and more pronounced than tea?

Why is coffee faster and more effective than tea?

It is because there is more caffeine in tea When we compare a cup of tea to a cup of coffee, we are not comparing equal amounts of dry tea and coffee beans, but rather brewed tea broth as well as coffee. Generally speaking, every 150ml of water is used to brew 8.25g of coffee, while the ratio for brewing dry tea is much smaller, so the unit content of caffeine in coffee is less than tea, but the total amount of caffeine in coffee is much bigger ah because more is brewed. And tea can be brewed repeatedly, especially oolong tea, black tea, pu-erh, etc. It can be brewed more than a dozen times, while caffeine will dissolve 80% within two minutes of brewing.

So, not every brew will have new caffeine, because dry tea is just that, dry tea, even if you drink a lot of tea a day, but as long as you do not change the tea leaves, in fact, the intake of caffeine is just "a cup". In addition, the theanine in tea can also alleviate the stimulating and stimulating effects of caffeine on the body.

Theanine, a water-soluble free amino acid found in tea, has a naturally pleasant effect on the central nervous system by inhibiting the over-stimulation caused by caffeine and partially counteracting the increase in blood pressure caused by caffeine.

Theanine also alters the rate of caffeine absorption and prolongs the time caffeine stays in the body, so that after drinking tea one feels mostly awake and calm, while after drinking coffee one feels stimulated and hyperactive.

Some people say that coffee is more effective if you have to take a one-hour exam right away; but for a half-day meeting or a long drive, tea may keep you awake longer.