Design challenge: caffeine vs. placebo
The presence of caffeine has become popular for increasing your alertness even though it has uncertain effects on cognition, coordination, and motor abilities. Caffeine is used as a stimulate to maximize performance on a daily basis for most people even those who do not have a morning drink to kick start to their day. People usually associate caffeine with their morning coffee or tea; however, “It can be found in a large portion of what we eat and drink and is consumed daily by an estimated 80% of children and adults in the United States (Barone & Roberts, 1996)”. The study by Childs and de Wit from the University of Chicago suggests that there might be a correlation in the variety of caffeine pills that have been given to some participants in past experiments (Childs & de Wit, 2008). In those studies the participants were given a caffeine pill that also has other herbal supplements which resulted in adding confounding properties to the study. The experiments where participants were given a true caffeine pill with 100% caffeine and no addit...
Planaria are commonly known as flatworms. These flatworms have sensory organs which allow them to detect light using eyespots (Planaria,2017). The eyespots contain receptors that are highly sensitive to light stimuli causing planaria to prefer darkness. Planaria do not have lungs nor gills. Oxygen enters their bodies through membrane diffusion. Although planaria are just worms, their body react very similar to that of humans when injected with certain drugs or stimulants. One overused and highly popular stimulant is caffeine. Caffeine is known to increase individual’s energy and physical activity which makes them more alert of the surroundings. This observation leads to the question of how different concentrations of caffeine would affect planaria’s
The objective of this experiment was to perform extraction. This is a separation and purification technique, based on different solubility of compounds in immiscible solvent mixtures. Extraction is conducted by shaking the solution with the solvent, until two layers are formed. One layer can then be separated from the other. If the separation does not happen in one try, multiple attempts may be needed.
Caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant, is the main psychoactive ingredient in energy drinks, which enhances alertness and mood, and counteracts symptoms of sleep. There is no doubt ...
Ephedrine is an over the counter herbal stimulant stemmed from the Chinese plant ma huang. The Chinese discovered this stimulant over two thousand years ago for the purpose of treating asthma, cold and flu symptoms, chills, lack of perspiration, headache, and edema. Ephedrine is presently found in herbal stimulants, prescription cold and flu remedies, and asthmatic aid products. Because it is a stimulant, ephedrine motivates thermogenesis in the body. This effect results in speeding up the heart rate causing the metabolism to expedite. Due to this increased metabolism, ephedrine can also be used as a weight loss supplement http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/ephedrine-final.htm
Astrup, A., Buemann, B., Christensen, N. J., Toubro, S., Torbek, G., Victor, O. J., & Quaade, F. (1992) The effect of ephedrine/caffeine mixture on energy expenditure and body composition in obese women. Metabolism. 686-688.
Caffeine is a mild stimulant that occurs naturally in at least 63 plant species. Caffeine can be found in the leaves, stems, seeds, and roots of these various plants. Caffeine is part of the methylxanthine family. It consists of a xanthine molecule with three methyl groups attached to it. Caffeine can be found in many products like sodas, tea, and coffee, but it also occurs in several other products such as prescription medications, diuretics, and pain relievers. Caffeine’s widespread use and popularity have caused many people to view the substance as an addictive drug. Thus making caffeine the most inexpensive and readily available drug known to man. Then on the other hand there are people who view caffeine as a helpful stimulant that increases the individual’s concentration and awareness as well as many other physical traits. The important thing to remember is that caffeine’s affects vary based on the person, the amount ingested, the frequency of consumption, and individual metabolism. (http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/kopykit/caffeine.html)
Werley, Jensen. CM’s 10 Most High-Strung School. Retrieved 24 December 2012 from University of Maryland. College Magazine: http://www.collegemagazine.com/editorial/3265/CMs-10-Most-High-Strung-Schools
Caffeine and coffee are a daily part of life for most people in modern society. The discovery of the coffee bean is said to have been in Ethiopia, when a sleepy eyed goat herder noticed his goats eating red berries, he then noticed the effect it had on them as they jumped and danced around him. He then tasted the berries and his eyes opened wide, he took them to the local village who also liked it and in particular the monks who used the berries to keep them awake during meditation.
Placebos are a form of treatment that is typically prescribed by medical professionals to benefit an individual’s psychological or physiological state. The placebo is a sugar-based pill that has no active ingredient, also known as a dummy pill. A Professor named Marcello Costa stated that “the substance may have a therapeutic effect on a person when in a doctor’s office or a professional in the medical field”. Placebos are also used as a control variable when testing new medicine in clinical trials. This is to help scientists evaluate whether the new drug produced is safe for a person to consume whilst ensuring it will work effectively and efficiently. A placebo is given to a person
Coffee has been becoming more and more popular. It is now considered stylish to be walking down the street with a disposable Starbucks or Dunkin cup in our hands. They can be found all over Instagram as proof. Coffee shops are where people go to catch up with friends, study, have meetings, and more. With this new societal norm in mind, researchers have become increasingly concerned with caffeine’s role in panic and other anxiety disorders. Roland Griffiths, PhD, a professor in the departments of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine says, “People often see coffee, tea, and soft drinks simply as beverages rather than vehicles for a psychoactive drug. But caffeine can exacerbate anxiety and panic disorders.”
The purpose of this study was to examine the role of impulsivity or sensation seeking in the relation between patterns of past alcohol use and hazardous drinking completed in the first year of college. The hypothesis of this experiment was that differences in sensation seeking would play a stronger role in predicting college use among low to moderate users then among heavy drinkers. In order to test this, 443 people, 49% male and 51% female who had participated in drinking their first year of college were asked to participate. The average age of these participants was 18.5 years old, but all of the participants were under the age of 21. About 82% of the participants were Caucasian, 13% were African American, and 4% identified as another race.
Caffeine is the single most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the United States (Einöther & Giesbrecht, 2013). According to Einöther and Giesbrecht (2013), 80% of the world’s population consumes caffeinated products every day, with coffee and tea being the primary sources. In the recent years, the demand for
caffeine can make towards a young Adult just from a couple of foods and drinks and that you
Millions of Americans begin each day by consuming the most widely used drug in the United States: Caffeine. Over 90% of United States adults consume caffeinated food or beverages on a daily basis and over 50% take more than the recommended amount. Our innocent daily ritual can turn into an addiction for some because many do not realize that caffeine is even a drug let alone the effects it can have on their bodies. Its use it becoming more and more prominent in our society. It’s not uncommon to walk outside and see a Starbucks or coffee shop on each corner. Innovative foods are coming out infused with coffee, and energy drinks are being pushed at every angle. Caffeine to many is a necessity to wake up in the morning and for others to stay up all night. This is dangerous because people are not only becoming more and more dependent on coffee drinks and energy drinks but they are beginning to ingest more of it each day and are now mixing it with other drugs that can be life threatening. Proper knowledge is important when taking any drug including one that the FDA considers to be a safe multi-purpose food substance and education is the key.
Open with Impact: How much coffee do you drink? How is that cup of coffee affecting your brain, thinking skills, alertness, sleep, and overall health?