*sighs*
The point is not that in my example the caffeine is linked to poly-phenols in both cases, but that those poly-phenols differ....
the poly-phenols in tea responsible for slowing down absorption are tannins.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/d156g27v720r2412/
http://books.google.com/books?id=VF5vL1 ... 40-38181-5
maybe a little history and other languages like German make it clearer:
There used to be a misconception due to lack of science in the past and the caffeine
had several names in German for instance they where,
Koffein or Coffein when found in coffee
Tein or Thein when found in tea
and even Guaranin when found in Paullinia cupana (Guarana)
nowadays, since it became clear the caffeine is actually the same chemical still doesn't change the reason why the unknowing peeps back then gave it different names.
The assumption that those are different chemicals originated in the different effects on the human body. And now we even know why that is, its because the poly-phenols the caffeine is bound to differ.
Just because we know more stuff these days doesn't mean people back then who didn't have nowadays knowledge where all stupid.