What's in tea

Molecules in it 11

• CaffeineC8H10N4O2

  On MoleculeFinder's curated tea list: ~47 mg per 8 oz cup from source

  The molecule behind coffee's lift: it keeps you feeling alert by getting in the way of your brain's own sleepiness signal.

  As a pure substance: LD50 192 mg/kg (rat, oral) from source

• TheophyllineC7H8N4O2

  On MoleculeFinder's curated tea list: trace amounts from source

  A close relative of caffeine that turns up in tea, and a mild stimulant of its own.

  As a pure substance: LD50 332 mg/kg (mouse, oral) from source

• TheobromineC7H8N4O2

  On MoleculeFinder's curated tea list from source

  Chocolate's gentle stimulant, a milder cousin of caffeine that gives cocoa its lingering lift and faint bitterness.

  As a pure substance: LD50 300 mg/kg (dog, oral) from source

• TheanineC7H14N2O3

  On MoleculeFinder's curated tea list from source

  An amino acid found almost nowhere but tea leaves, credited with the calm, focused quality of a cup of green tea.

  As a pure substance, its GHS hazard label: signal word Warning; Irritant from source

• Epigallocatechin gallateC22H18O11

  On MoleculeFinder's curated tea list from source

  EGCG, the most abundant catechin in green tea and the compound most green tea extracts are standardized to.

  As a pure substance, its GHS hazard label: signal word Warning; Irritant, Environmental from source

• CatechinC15H14O6

  On MoleculeFinder's curated tea list from source

  The astringent flavonoid family in green tea, cocoa, and red wine that makes the mouth feel dry. Oxidizing them is what turns green tea into black tea.

  As a pure substance, its GHS hazard label: signal word Warning; Irritant from source

• Gallic acidC7H6O5

  On MoleculeFinder's curated tea list from source

  The astringent phenol in oak galls, tea, and wine. Mixed with iron it makes iron gall ink, the ink most of the medieval world was written in.

  As a pure substance: LD50 5,000 mg/kg (rabbit, oral) from source

• Tannic acidC76H52O46

  On MoleculeFinder's curated tea list from source

  The dry, puckery grip of red wine and strong tea, the feel of tannins on your tongue.

  As a pure substance, its GHS hazard label: signal word Warning; Irritant from source

• QuercetinC15H10O7

  On MoleculeFinder's curated tea list from source

  A flavonoid pigment in onion skins, capers, and apple peel, and one of the most common polyphenols in an ordinary diet.

  As a pure substance: LD50 161 mg/kg (rat, oral) from source

• WaterH2O

  On MoleculeFinder's curated tea list from source

  The one molecule everything else on this site dissolves in, freezes in, or is carried by. Two hydrogens and an oxygen, bent at about 104 degrees.

  As a pure substance: LD50 25,000 mg/kg (mouse, iv) from source

• ManganeseMn

  On MoleculeFinder's curated tea list from source

  A trace nutrient and the element that makes steel hard enough to be useful. Its dioxide is the black paste inside a dry-cell battery. Element 25.

  As a pure substance: LD50 9,000 mg/kg (rat, oral) from source