We can state that, on average, the concentration of the caffeine molecule in coffee is much higher than that of theine in tea. Among them, you can find different levels of theine, as we reviewed here.Īs a result of this variety, there are teas with a high theine content, such as black tea, but others contain very little theine because they hardly go through any processing technique beyond drying the leaves. But if theine and caffeine are the same… why is tea milder?Īs we have already seen in our guide to types of tea, there are many varieties on the market that undergo different elaboration and oxidation processes. This same stimulant molecule is found in many other plants, such as mate (and is then called mateine), guarana (guaranine), cocoa, and so on. If it’s in a tea tree, it’s called theine. If it is in the coffee plant, it will be called caffeine. The difference between caffeine and theine is the type of plant in which the molecule in question is found. What is the difference between theine and caffeine? It depends on its location, the region where it grows, its cultivation, climate, altitude, etc.Īnd even their variety: robusta coffees have more caffeine than arabica coffees, Camellia Sinensis tea plants (from China) have less theine than Camellia Assamica (Assam is a region in India). Why are we telling you this? So that you understand that, as a natural defensive substance, the caffeine molecule (or theine) is not present in all plants in the same way. However, in mammals, as we already know, caffeine has a positive and stimulating effect, which we love. This substance in plants is nothing more or less than a defence mechanism, a kind of poison or protection that allows plants to defend themselves against insects and other plants that might harm them. To find out if theine and caffeine are the same, we first need to know what theine (or caffeine, in any of its names) is.

But if theine and caffeine are the same… why is tea milder?.What is the difference between theine and caffeine?.

Theine and caffeine