Caffeine vs Theanine: what is the difference?
Caffeine is an alkaloid that blocks adenosine and produces alertness, while theanine is a tea amino acid that takes the edge off caffeine's jitteriness.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Each molecule's own drawing, as its page shows it. The common core, 1 of 14 atoms, is too small to align on.
Side by side
| Caffeine | Theanine | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 194.19 g/molC8H10N4O2 | 174.2 g/molC7H14N2O3 |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 0 | 3 |
| Half-life in the bodyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | about 5 h | Not recorded |
| Where each turns upEditorial MoleculeFinder food and product lists |
|
|
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Plant alkaloids, Stimulants | Amino acids |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Food & flavor | Plant |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Not recorded | Carboxylic Acids, Amines, Amides |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem; ECHA via PubChem | Warning | Warning |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
| Oral LD50Measured HSDB via PubChem | 192 mg/kgpure caffeine, rat, oral | Not recorded |
| A single acute animal measure. It ranks nothing about human safety. | ||
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Half-life in the bodyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedIn a typical adult: the time the body takes to clear half of it.
- Where each turns upfrom sourceMoleculeFinder food and product listsEach amount is an editorial figure from our lists, not a measurement of any one product. Each mark is set by hand on the list, never inferred.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Chemical groupscomputedFound by rule (RDKit)Each group is found in the structure by a chemical pattern.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem; ECHA via PubChem
- Oral LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- EU CLP Regulationfrom sourceAttributionSource: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, © European Union.
- Safe Work Australiafrom sourceAttributionSource: Safe Work Australia, Hazardous Chemical Information System, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 2519 (Caffeine) and 439378 (Theanine).
In more detail
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.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Caffeine and Theanine?
- Caffeine is an alkaloid that blocks adenosine and produces alertness, while theanine is a tea amino acid that takes the edge off caffeine's jitteriness.
- 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.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.