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Caffeine
Caffeine can be considered the most popular drug in the world. Drinks that contain
caffeine include soft drinks, tea, energy drinks and coffee and they can affect the human body in
different ways. For example, some people need extra energy to start their day and the drink
coffee to increase their productivity at work or at school. Caffeine is responsible for the alertness
our body gets after its consumption and it is the reason why millions of people consume
caffeinated drinks every day. However, consuming too much caffeine can lead to health threating
condition and even death.
Caffeine was first discovered in 1819 by a German chemist named Friedlieb Ferdinand
Runge. He was the first chemist to isolate pure caffeine and he named it kaffebase. Caffeine has
a chemical formula of C8H10N4O2 , and it can be found naturally in coffee beans. It is believed
that the earliest evidence of caffeine consumption dates back to the Stone Age. People found that
chewing certain leafs and beans would relief fatigue and stimulate awareness. It was later found
that the effects of caffeine could be increased by steeping such plans in hot water. By the
beginning of the sixteenth century, caffeine was being consumed in the forms of coffee across
Europe and the Americas
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caffeine.svg
Caffeine can be found in many kinds of drinks like coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy
drinks but coffee beans are by far the world’s number one primary source of caffeine. According
to the US department of agriculture the top two coffee producing countries between 2010 and
2011 were Brazil and Vietnam. Brazil produced 54,500 thousand bags of coffee and Vietnam
produced 18,725, each weighing 132 pounds. Coffee is among one of the most popular drinks in
the United States. About 54% of Americans over the age of 18 drink coffee every day. The
reason why so many Americans drink coffee might be because of the high concentration of
caffeine. On average a cup of regular coffee contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine which
compared to soft and energy drinks it is low.
Caffeine is a psychoactive drug that heightens a person’s attention and awareness. The
drug effects start after consumption; it increases blood pressure, heart rate, alertness and thinking
capability. When caffeine enters the body it attacks adenosine receptors in the brain preventing
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adenosine from binding to the receptor. It is believed that adenosine plays a role in promoting
sleep and suppressing arousal. Caffeine has a similar molecular structure to caffeine and
therefore it blocks the adenosine receptors without activating them. The absence of adenosine
raises the levels of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is largely accounted for the
stimulatory effects of caffeine. It is also believed that the inhibition of adenosine binding can be
relevant to the diuretic properties of caffeine.
http://lifesciuniverse.blogspot.com/2012_10_01_archive.html
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People that drink excessive amounts of caffeine become addicted to the drug and can
suffer from its negative effects. People that regularly consume caffeine develop a resistance to
the drug and their body develops more adenosine receptors. The increase number of adenosine
receptors makes the body more sensitive to adenosine and when caffeine levels drop the effects
of adenosine will be increased. As a consequence, coffee drinkers that try to quit consuming
coffee can experience strong withdrawal symptoms such as tiredness, anxiety, irritability,
depression, constipation, and headaches. It is ironic because their caffeine addiction is giving
them symptoms that are the opposite of what they were trying to feel in the first place. When
people become addicted to caffeine, they develop a condition known as caffeinism. Caffeininsm
combines physical and mental conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, muscle twitching and hearth
problems. drinking more than 2 to 3 cups of coffee can cause a caffeine overdose. The symptoms
of an overdose are the same symptoms that caffeine has on the body when its consumed on
normal levels; however in an overdose the symptoms become stronger and much more
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noticeable. to avoid addiction people must understand that consuming drinks that contain
caffeine can be dangerous for their health and they should not be over used.
There are also people that decide to drink energy drinks instead of coffee, claiming that
regular coffee does not give them enough energy to get through their day. Energy drinks are
carbonated beverages that contain caffeine and sugar and some other ingredients such as B
vitamins, taurine, guarana and ginseng. A study, published in the Nutrition Reviews journal,
found lack of evidence to substantiate claims that the ingredients taurine, guarana and ginseng
boost performance in any way. Their high concentration of sugars and caffeine can give more
energy than a cup of coffee but this represents danger to the consumer. Energy drinks contain
about 500 milligrams of caffeine; excessive consumption of caffeine can lead to arrhythmia
seizures and even death.
As it was said before some soft drinks and tea also contain some caffeine. A drink like
coca cola classic contains 34 milligrams of caffeine per serving. The caffeine content is less than
a cup of coffee, so many people that a sensitive to caffeine may choose to drink soft drinks or tea
instead. However, drinking soft drinks on a regular basis can have a negative impact on an
individual’s health. Soft drinks have high concentrations of sugars that can cause negative effects
on human health, such as promoting diabetes, hyperactivity and hypertension, if they are
consumed in excess. It is for this reason why many schools in the nation have bans soft drink, to
prevent children from suffering obesity or diabetes.
A much healthier choose with a low content of caffeine could be black or green tea. A
cup of tea contains around 22 to 74 milligrams of caffeine. Drinking tea can be an alternative for
people that are sensitive to caffeine; however consuming an excessive amount of green tea may
cause oxidative stress and liver toxicity. Unlike green tea black tea is healthier, plain black tea
without sweeteners or additive contains negligible quantities of calories, protein, sodium, and fat.
Consuming caffeine with moderation can have many positive effects in the body. Beside
the energy and alertness that it gives us; caffeine can stimulate hair growth in bold men and
woman, it can protect against eye spasm, and it can reduce fatty liver disease in no alcoholics.
Also the increase levels of dopamine that caffeine causes in the body can ease depression.
Caffeine by itself has many helpful properties but when we consume caffeinated coffee the
benefits of its consumptions are increased. The antioxidants that coffee contains and all its other
components along with caffeine can cut mouth and throat cancer by 50%, reduce the chance of
stroke by about 22% and it can also reduce the risk of type 2diabetes.
Another interesting thing about caffeine is how it is removed form coffee beans.
Decaffeination is the process that removes caffeine form coffee beans and tea leafs. The first
successful decaffeination was done by the Roselius processs. The process was invented by
Ludwig Roselius and his co-workers in 1903. The process involved steaming coffee beans with a
variety or acids or bases and then using benzene to remove the product. However, due to the
health risks that benzene has the Roselius process is no longer the preferred method for
decaffeination. Other methods that remove caffeine are the Swiss water process and de co2
process. Decaffeination is usually performed various times on unroasted beans until the disered
concentration of caffeine is achieved. Decaffeinated coffee is the number one choise for people
that whant to stay away from the effects of caffeine and still enjoy the flavor of coffee.
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In conclusion, caffeine is a psychoactive drug present in coffee, soft drink, energy drinks
and tea and its consumptions increases alertness. When caffeine enters the body it goes to the
central nervous system and it acts as an antagonist to the adenosine receptors producing alertness
high blood pressure and increased hearth rate. If it’s consumed in large quantities an individual
could become addicted to the drug and the experience negative effects of caffeine. If overdose is
reached, its symptoms can damage your health and even kill you.
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<http://www.healthcastle.com/energy_drinks.shtml>.
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<http://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-health-are-energy-drinkseffective/20130724.htm>.
"Soft Drink." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_drink>.
"Green Tea." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_tea>.
"Top 10 Caffeine Health Benefits." Top 10 Caffeine Health Benefits. N.p., n.d. Web.
<http://www.caffeineinformer.com/top-10-caffeine-health-benefits>.
Doom, Justin. "World's Top 10 Coffee-Producing Countries in 2010-2011."Bloomberg.com.
Bloomberg, 9 Aug. 2011. Web. <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-19/world-s-top-10coffee-producing-countries-in-2010-2011-table-.html>.
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