Since long ago caffeine has been part of human life. According to the Chinese legend, tea was accidentally discovered on or about 3000BC. The earliest credible evidence of a coffee tree appears in the fifteenth century in Arabia and rapidly spread to Africa and later to Europe. The stimulant property of caffeine has been known since remote times and in some regions of the world caffeine was illegal or banned. It was not until 1895 when Emil Fischer synthesized caffeine and years later he was awarded the Nobel Prize. Nowadays, caffeine drinks are the most widely consumed beverage, about 90 percent of the world’s population ingests some form of caffeine. It is found in seeds, nuts, or leaves of a number of plants. The most well-known source of …show more content…
Desired effects begin approximately one hour after ingestion and usually stays in the body for about three or four hours. At normal doses, it provides some of the desired effects like to reduce physical fatigue, to increase wakefulness and focus, provides better body coordination, improves task performance during sleep deprivation, Increases learning, memory and concentration. Some of the health benefits that caffeine provides are that It can be used to treat bronchopulmonary dysplasia and apnea of prematurity. It’s also used with pain killers for head aches , migraine treatment and low blood pressure.
High doses or long term consumption of caffeine can produce side effects such as increased blood pressure, vasoconstriction, anxiety, jitteriness, insomnia, affects the gastrointestinal motility and gastric acid secretion, interferences with estrogen production and calcium absorption.
In healthy children ages 12 and under, Canada recommends a maximum daily caffeine intake of no more than 2.5 milligrams per kilogram. There are not sufficient scientific studies that demonstrate that low doses of caffeine in children could be
Caffeine is produced by plants as an insecticide. It is a drug that acts as a stimulant in humans and causes a raised heart rate, and is used to give more energy in drinks such as tea and coffee, add flavour to drinks such as coke, and in weight-loss foods. A raised heart rate increases the risk of cardiovascular disease as it makes the heart work faster which can wear it out. High levels of caffeine have been linked to increased stress and insomnia, which is also linked to heart disease as it raises blood pressure.
By this definition, and after knowing the effects of caffeine upon the human body, I have come to the conclusion that drinking caffeine is a sign of a lack of respect for oneself, and of an unappreciative attitude toward the life that each of us has been blessed with. Furthermore, it shows of either our inability, or unwillingness to learn to think clearly.
The exact process by which it affects the body is unknown. It is suspected that caffeine affects the nervous system by altering the perception of effort and exciting the neurons responsible for contracting muscles. It may also be accountable for causing more fat and less...
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 ...
Caffeine also increases dopamine levels in the same way that amphetamines do (heroine, and cocaine also manipulate dopamine levels by slowing down the rate of dopamine reuptake). Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that, in certain parts of the brain, activates the pleasure center. Caffeine’s effects are obviously much lower than heroin’s, but it is the same mechanism. The long term problem with caffeine is the effect it has on sleep. The half life of caffeine in your body is about 6 hours. That means that if you have a big cup of coffee with 200 mg of caffeine in it at 3:00pm, by 9:00pm about 100 mg of that caffeine is still in your system. You will still be able to fall asleep but your body is going to miss out on the benefits of deep sleep. The next day you are probably going to feel worse, so to make yourself feel better, you will need caffeine as soon as you get up and out of bed. This cycle can start to continue day after day. This is why 90% of Americans consume caffeine everyday. Once you get in the cycle, you have to keep taking the drug (home.howstuffworks.com).
Does one drink caffeine? Caffeine is everywhere, it's in everything, it's apart of our daily lives. That’s what people doesn’t realizes; every soda drink, every cup of coffee, and every energy drink he or she gulps down before a thrilling game, all of that is caffeine. Caffeine is only completed when he or she get addicted. Caffeine can be an exceptional threat to the human body; energy drinks for example, it has enough caffeine to kill someone if he or she drinks enough. Energy drinks has been the number one drink high school students drink to stay awake in school; they even bring the drink in classrooms, and more than one energy drink. Soda has enough caffeine to destroy ones inner body. Soda is a everyday drink for some individuals, they
Caffeine functions similarly to the hormone adrenaline (State Government of Victoria, 2014), and increases dopamine levels causing you to feel happy. It blocks adenosine receptors, which prevents you from feeling drowsy (Staci, 2012). Caffeine also stimulates the brain, improves comprehension, memory, reflexes, and the clarity of thoughts (Important Facts About Caffeine, 2011).
"Medicines in My Home: Caffeine and Your Body." U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Fall 2007. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
"Researchers have attempted to find out how much caffeine people consume every day. It was estimated that in the United States, coffee drinkers drink an average of 2.6 cups per day. Total caffeine intake for coffee drinkers was 363.5 mg per day - this includes caffeine from coffee AND other sources like soft drinks, food and drugs. Non-coffee drinkers even get plenty of caffeine: former coffee drinkers get about 107 mg per day and people who have never had coffee get about 91 mg per day." (Schreiber et. Al) It is ironic that with such a large caffeine byproduct industry, ...
As America quickly become the most unhealthy nation with approximately sixty-eight percent of adults over twenty classified as overweight or obese, citizens still choose to not find out what they are consuming and how their eating choices can affect their bodies (United States, Behavioral Effects of Caffeine in Children). When examining health, aspects such as calories, weight, and fitness levels are all inspected. Other factors such as the everyday drug that up to ninety percent of people around the world consume in one form or another need to be addressed in an inspection of the national health (“Caffeine” Health Education). Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant than modifies mood and can be found addictive (“Caffeine” Health Education). American’s average daily intake of caffeine is two hundred and eighty milligrams (“Caffeine” Alcohol and Tobacco). Many people consume much more than that; they are addicted. Caffeine is a drug common in our society that brings negatively affects the the consumer both mentally and physically and the true facts of the substance’s affects stay concealed such as how it affects the heart, brain, and other organs of adults, children, and animals alike.
In general, people usually wonder whether the consumption of caffeine is beneficial or harmful to their health. There some benefits and risk of consuming caffeine but based on the different studies that have been conducted over the years, more importance are given to benefits of caffeine (Hensrud, 2014). According to Gunnars (2013), caffeine is good for health as it contains antioxidants and beneficial nutrients which may improve human health. Plus, Gunnars (2013) also stated that studies show that coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of several serious diseases and have proven to have some health benefits. First and foremost, caffeine help people feel less tired, increases memory and increases energy levels. This is because, when caffeine is consumed, it is absorbed into the bloodstream which then travels to the brain and caffeine blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. Then, the amount of other neurotransmitter such as dopamine and noradrenaline increases which leads to enhanced firing of neurons. Therefore, this improves various aspect of brain function such as memory, mood, reaction time, alertness and energy levels (Gunnars, 2013).
Although caffeine gives some people a wanted boost, it has many undesirable side effects. People who consume caffeine may suffer from nausea, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, muscle twitching, tremors, and headaches. All of these side effects can harm an athlete's performance in many ways. Having tremors, headache, nausea, or any of caffeine’s negative side effects can make it extremely difficult for an athlete to concentrate on the task at hand (Solanki; Dikos). One thing that personally affects me when I consume caffeine is a caffeine crash. Right after consuming the caffeine I will feel energized and ready to go, but once it wears off I get an exhausted and run down feeling. I just feel sluggish. Having this crash take effect during an athletic event would be extremely detrimental to the success of the athlete.
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)
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?
Coffee is the first thing that people associate with instant energy on a groggy morning. “In the U.S., coffee is king of beverages” (Reinke) Research has been done that has named coffee as an addiction to the people who consume large quantities of it. Coffee was named the top source of antioxidants. This is partly because of the amount consumed each day. Some of the antioxidants that coffee has are quinines and chlorogenic acid. It also contains trigonelline, an antibacterial compound. This is where coffee acquires its delicious aroma. Now let’s step back for a minute and just think about how much caffeine people consume. In an 8oz cup of coffee it has about 85 milligrams of caffeine. This is about double the amount that tea contains. Studies have shown that caffeine stimulates the brain and nervous system. This is where you get that energized feeling. After about the third cup, knees start to bounce, pens are clicking and people start running laps around the office. Caffeine can become addicting if you drink too much. Coffee can become that addictive habit people are unable to shake.