Technically, tea does not have caffeine in it. Would drinking gobs of tea be against my New Year's Resolution to drink less caffiene. On the technical side, no, no it wouldn't. Why is this you ask?

Tea contains very very little caffiene, what it does contain in those measurements is a chemical called theophylline. Theophylline has two less Hydrogen atoms in it than the molecule of caffeine, and one more carbon atom.

Caffeine = C7H10N4O2

Theophylline = C8H8N4O2

I apologize for the lack of subscript in my molecules, I'm lazy.

Both Caffeine and Theophylline belong to the same family of molecules called xanthine. Caffeine and theophylline are both achiral molecules which probably means very little to most of you. In essense, what caffeine does is block the adenosine receptors in the brain and other organs. To compensate, the body produces lots of adrenaline (hormonal epinephrine) and dopamine. Theophylline produces the same reaction and that is why it is often confused with caffeine.

This is one of the reasons why people (mostly myself at the moment )have withdrawals from caffeine in the form of headaches and muscle aches. Caffeine is helpful in many things. It activates many medicines because it quickens the heart rate and blood pressure, making them act faster (ie pain medication). It is also known to reduce the risk of type II diabetes.

While drinking tea would not technically break my resolution, it would be against the spirit of it. I have limited myself to one cup of caffeinated beverage a day. Right now, in the early work hours of the day, I am most definately feeling it. Uhg.

On a side note, my insomnia hasn't gotten better. It's gotten worse since my decaffeination.

Posted by Utopia at January 3, 2006 08:12 AM

Comments

Posted by: katkat at January 3, 2006 11:39 AM

Posted by: Seraphim at January 3, 2006 05:56 PM

Posted by: YummY! at January 3, 2006 10:28 PM

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