*Caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, although in smaller proportions.
*Polyphenols, also known as flavonoids, which are beneficial antioxidants that promote good health.
*Fluoride.
Theophylline is present in black tea (Camellia sinensis) at very low levels, approximately 0.02-0.04% of its dry weight. It has also been detected in green coffee beans at around 5 mg/kg and in trace amounts in cacao cotyledon. Dried mate contains about 0.004% theophylline.
Tea contains a minute quantity of theophylline, roughly equivalent to one milligram per five-ounce cup.
Theophylline, also referred to as dimethylxanthine, was initially extracted from tea leaves and chemically identified by the German biologist Albrecht Kossel in the late 1880s. Around seven years later, in 1895, Emil Fischer and Lorenz Ach described the chemical synthesis of theophylline, starting from 1,3-dimethyluric acid. Initially used as a diuretic in 1902, theophylline's bronchodilator properties were later recognized, leading to its introduction as a clinical treatment for asthma in 1922.
Theophylline is produced on an industrial scale and primarily used in pharmaceutical preparations. It acts as a relaxant for smooth muscles, making it valuable in asthma treatment by improving breathing and enhancing the rate and force of heart contractions.
In 1980, an estimated 26,000 pounds (11,800 kg) of theophylline were consumed in the United States. This estimation was based on the importation of 185 million pounds of tea with an average theophylline content of 0.03%. However, there was approximately a 50% loss during preparation and extraction.
Theophylline and tea
*Polyphenols, also known as flavonoids, which are beneficial antioxidants that promote good health.
*Fluoride.
Theophylline is present in black tea (Camellia sinensis) at very low levels, approximately 0.02-0.04% of its dry weight. It has also been detected in green coffee beans at around 5 mg/kg and in trace amounts in cacao cotyledon. Dried mate contains about 0.004% theophylline.
Tea contains a minute quantity of theophylline, roughly equivalent to one milligram per five-ounce cup.
Theophylline, also referred to as dimethylxanthine, was initially extracted from tea leaves and chemically identified by the German biologist Albrecht Kossel in the late 1880s. Around seven years later, in 1895, Emil Fischer and Lorenz Ach described the chemical synthesis of theophylline, starting from 1,3-dimethyluric acid. Initially used as a diuretic in 1902, theophylline's bronchodilator properties were later recognized, leading to its introduction as a clinical treatment for asthma in 1922.
Theophylline is produced on an industrial scale and primarily used in pharmaceutical preparations. It acts as a relaxant for smooth muscles, making it valuable in asthma treatment by improving breathing and enhancing the rate and force of heart contractions.
In 1980, an estimated 26,000 pounds (11,800 kg) of theophylline were consumed in the United States. This estimation was based on the importation of 185 million pounds of tea with an average theophylline content of 0.03%. However, there was approximately a 50% loss during preparation and extraction.
Theophylline and tea
