"Bluesea" > writes:

> "Brent" > wrote in message
> ...
> > [...]
> > I refer you he http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=2477703
> >
> > "The overall average caffeine released in the first through third
> > brews were 69%, 23%, and 8%, respectively." Though it doesn't say so
> > in the abstract available at the link above, in the full article it is
> > said that the infusions were 5 minutes each. So... if 5 minutes
> > removes 69%, how much do you really think 30 seconds will?
>
> Logically, not enough to matter.
>
> Thanks for the link and the info about the 5-minute steep. Did you notice
> the next lines?
>
> "Three cups of tea brewed using three tea bags (Western culture) have
> approximately twice the amount of methylxanthines as the same volume
> prepared by three successive brews of loose tea leaves (Asian culture). "
>
> Does the full article address the reason for the doubled amount of
> methylxanthines? That's a curiosity since the volume and steep time were the
> same for both cultural preparations.

All I have is the same abstract you quote, but I interpret the
language differently. I think they're talking about using a new (I
almost said "fresh") teabag for each steep in the Western trials, but
*resteeping* the loose leaves in the Asian trials. It's no mystery
when you parse it this way.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html