http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=374797


in reply to My preferred source of caffeine is...

While they all contain related stimulants, coffee, tea, and chocolate's "caffeine" are all different chemicals.

Coffee contains caffeine
Tea usually contains theophylline, though I think some black teas contain true caffeine.
Chocolate contains theobromine

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Not all sources of caffeine...
by Skeeve (Parson) on Jul 15, 2004 at 19:49 UTC
    The German wikipedia states that Tea contains "Teein" (don't know the english term) and that it's chemicaly absolutely identical to caffeine. It also saiys that "Teein" is an outdated word...
        And the english wikipedia states that tea contains theophyline. And it also says "Caffeine is sometimes called theine when it is found in tea, as the caffeine in tea was once thought to be different than the caffeine found in coffee."

        That's no contradiction. Tea simply contains both: Theine (aka. caffein) and theophyline. I just looked that up in my wife's medical lexicon and it states that teeleafs contain theophyline.

        So your first statement was not quite right as tea also contains caffein.