Why polyphenols make caffeine (from tea) work slower?

[ORF]

Hello

Why polyphenols make caffeine (from tea) work slower than caffeine from coffee?

Thank you for your time.

Regards,
ORF

 

[UsableThought]

Why polyphenols make caffeine (from tea) work slower than caffeine from coffee?

I suggest you provide a source for where you are getting this claim - either a link, if you found it online, or a quote from a book or article, if that's where you got it from.

 

[ORF]

Hello

I have read that from a Spanish magazine. I tried to look for the equivalent English version but I was not able to find anything similar (and, of course, there was no reference to the source...).

I found that it is not so clear why tea affect in a slower way than coffee.
http://blog.dominiontea.com/2014/08/21/caffeine-tea-different/

Maybe the correct and enough general question should be:
What makes caffeine (from tea) work slower than coffee?

Thank you for your time

Regards,
ORF

 

[jim mcnamara]

Levels of catechins (polyphenols) in green tea are usually related this way: more catechins -> less caffeine per unit weight of tea leaves. And oxidized catechins increase the rate of caffeine absorption in the gut. So, I am with @UsableThought, could you please supply a citation?

Polyphenols can act as anti-nutrient for heme iron (heme iron is the form in which bioavailability of iron is high):
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3306181/

 

[jim mcnamara]

I see you did provide a citation. The Dominion Tea link you gave has links to pubmed at the bottom. It discusses L-theanine which is not caffeine, it is a kind of amino acid. Actually a glutamic acid analog. Found in some plants and fungi, not people. Is this what you mean?

 

[UsableThought]

Maybe the correct and enough general question should be: What makes caffeine (from tea) work slower than coffee?

I have a couple of books on caffeine (Buzz and The World of Caffeine) and have read many journal articles; but I haven't come across anything that says caffeine itself works any differently in coffee vs. tea. And the article you cite agrees with me, if you read the last paragraph before their sources - they mention that maybe L-theanine (an additional component of some teas) might make some difference in the tea experience, but they're not really convinced. My own opinion is that L-theanine has a lot of hype associated with it, e.g. vitamin/herb/supplement companies like to sell it as a pill for relaxation or calm.

@jim mcnamara mentions that oxidized catechins increase caffeine absorption in the gut, which certainly wouldn't equate to tea having a "slower" effect; I have done a quick Google but don't immediately find information about this phenomenon.

My own view would be that people who try to persuade you that the caffeine in this or that sort of beverage has a slower or gentler or less harsh effect than caffeine in coffee are either deluding themselves, or if they are selling it as a product, trying to delude other people. You will sometimes see yerba mate praised for being gentler than coffee but still conducive to alertness, for example. This is all pretty much BS, as what really matters with caffeine is how much you ingest; e.g. tea tends to contain less than coffee, but still has plenty. Other factors that matter are when you take it; how habituated you are to it; and how inherently sensitive your body is to it. People vary quite a bit in terms of sensitivity.

 

[jim mcnamara]

Pharmacology 101 on caffeine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223808/