SHEET /vs/caffeine-vs-theanine · COMPARISON
Caffeine vs Theanine: what is the difference?
How they differ
from source
These two arrive together in tea and are usually discussed as an offsetting pair. Caffeine is an alkaloid that blocks adenosine receptors and produces alertness. Theanine is an amino acid found almost nowhere but the tea plant, structurally close to glutamate, and it appears to raise alpha wave activity and take the edge off caffeine's jitteriness without cancelling the alertness. That combination is the usual explanation for why a cup of green tea feels different from a coffee of similar caffeine content. They are unrelated molecules, C8H10N4O2 against C7H14N2O3, and theanine is the lighter at 174.2. Theanine has no reported stimulant effect on its own.
Side by side
| Caffeine | Theanine | |
|---|---|---|
| Formula | C8H10N4O2 | C7H14N2O3 |
| Molecular weight | 194.19 g/mol | 174.2 g/mol |
| Family | Plant alkaloids, Stimulants | Amino acids |
| Everyday group | Food & flavor | Plant |
| Functional groups | not recorded | Carboxylic Acids, Amines, Amides |
| GHS signal wordThe supplier-filed hazard label, not a statement about ordinary use. | Danger | Warning |
| Oral LD50A single acute animal measure. It ranks nothing about human safety. | 192 mg/kg (oral, rat) | not recorded |
| Half-life | 5 h | not recorded |
| Found in | Coffee, Tea, Chocolate, Cocoa, Soft drinks | Tea |
| CAS number | 58-08-2 | 3081-61-6 |
| PubChem CID | 2519 | 439378 |
Common questions
- What is the difference between Caffeine and Theanine?
- These two arrive together in tea and are usually discussed as an offsetting pair. Caffeine is an alkaloid that blocks adenosine receptors and produces alertness. Theanine is an amino acid found almost nowhere but the tea plant, structurally close to glutamate, and it appears to raise alpha wave activity and take the edge off caffeine's jitteriness without cancelling the alertness.
- Is Caffeine bigger than Theanine?
- Caffeine is the heavier molecule, 194.19 g/mol against 174.2 g/mol for Theanine. Caffeine is C8H10N4O2 and Theanine is C7H14N2O3.