Social Relevance Report
Chemistry
TOPIC: CAFFEINE
CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1-2
1.1 What is caffeine?
1.2 Social Significance
1.3 Overview
2.0 CHEMICAL BACKGROUND 3-5
2.1 Chemical Properties of Caffeine
2.2 Physical Properties of Caffeine
2.3 How Caffeine Works in the Human Body
3.0 SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE 6-9
3.1 How caffeine affects the society?
3.1.1 Health
3.1.2 Caffeine Addiction and Withdrawal
4.0 CONCLUSION 10
BIBLIOGRAPHY 11
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Figure 1.1 Coffee Beans (Clip Art, 2010)
1.1 What is caffeine?
Caffeine is a white crystalline xanthine alkaloid (refer to Figure 1.2), a psychoactive stimulant drug which has a bitter taste. In 1819, caffeine was discovered by a German chemist named Friedrich Ferdinand Runge (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 2010). The word "caffeine" came from the French word café and the German word kaffee , both meaning coffee (Kovacs, 2010). Caffeine is naturally found in plants such as coffee, cocoa, guarana and kola which act as an insecticide (Rosner, 2005). More than 60 different types of plants produce it to protect itself from insects (MyAddiction.com, 2010).
1.2 Social Significance
Caffeine has been used widely by our modern society to keep up with their hectic lifestyles. One of the many benefits of caffeine is that it increases alertness and prevents fatigue. The main source of caffeine is in the form of coffee, tea, coke and much more. However, due to its addictive characteristics, caffeine is now the most consumed drug all around the globe. Caffeine abuse results in many negative effects such as insomnia, increases blood pressure and heart rate (Pollick, 2010).
1.3 Overview
Sin...
... middle of paper ...
...tion.com (2010), Caffeine Effects, http://www.myaddiction.com/education/articles/caffeine_intoxication.html [viewed on 1.4.2010]
• Paajanen, S. (2010), Fast Facts About Caffeine, http://coffeetea.about.com/cs/caffeine/a/caffeinefacts.htm [viewed on 21.4.2010]
• Pollick, M. (2010), What is Caffeine?, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-caffeine.htm [ viewed on 8.4.2010]
• Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia (2010), Caffeine, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine [viewed on 1.4.2010]
• Withal, C. (2009), Caffeine Addiction, http://www.freedomyou.com/addiction/caffeine%20addiction.htm [viewed on 21.4.2010]
• Rosner, D. (2005), Why Plants Make Caffeine, http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/articles/article/dalyacolumn2.htm/ [viewed on 1.7.2010]
• Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia (1997), Caffeine, vol. 5, p. 113, Funk & Wagnalls, Inc., United States of America.
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 ...
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.
Caffeine raises your blood pressure when you drink/eat it, raising your blood pressure in general is not a good thing but imagine drinking and/or eating caffeine daily, and your blood pressure constantly rising. Another negative aspect is that caffeine can have a disruptive effect on your sleep. The most obvious effect of the caffeine is that it can make it hard for you to fall asleep. It can help you stay awake during the day but can also make you stay awake during the night when you are trying to fall asleep. You can also have withdraws from caffeine, going back to the story “Java Man” the author Malcolm Gladwell considered it a drug and remember you can get addicted to drugs (you can really get addicted to anything). There are plenty more negative ways caffeine can disrupt your lifestyle but you know what they say for every negative thing you can say there can be some
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)
A lot of people often wonder what caffeine is. When isolated in pure form, caffeine is a white crystalline powder that tastes very bitter. The chief source of pure caffeine is the process of decaffeinating coffee or tea. Caffeine is used to provide“boost energy” or a feeling of heightened alertness. It is often used to stay awake longer and late into the night. Many people feel as though they “cannot function” in the morning without a cup of coffee to provide caffeine and the boost it gives them. Caffeine is an addictive drug. It operates using the same mechanisms that amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin use to stimulate the brain. Caffeine effects are more mild than amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin, but it is manipulating the same channels, and that is one of the things that gives caffeine its addictive qualities. If you feel like you have to have caffeine everyday and cannot live without it, then you are considered addicted to caffeine.
Caffeine is the most popular and most widely used stimulant in the world. In Canada, the average person drinks 2.6 cups of coffee a day; that is equivalent to 949 cups of coffee a year. (Van Houtte) Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that improves ones attention, focus, and fatigue. When caffeine is ingested it causes your neurons to move at a faster rate, increasing alertness. (Fit Day) Caffeine also binds to the neural receptors, which blocks the adenosine, which prolongs tiredness. Caffeine is a white odorless powder that is most commonly found in coffee, tea, energy drinks, and pops. Caffeine can also be considered and ergogenic aid. Ergogenic aids are external influences that enhance/ improves ones strength, endurance, reaction time and speed of recovery. (Healthline) The three theories that make caffeine an ergogenic aid during exercise is the effect it has on the central nervous system, skeletal muscles, and metabolic changes. (Sheila G. Dean) Caffeine also has a positive effect on an individual’s health, some positive effects include: reduces risk of developing liver cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s. (Chawala) Caffeine has been proven to have positive effects on an athlete’s performance, and ones overall health.
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.
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
Scrutiny of caffeine and its effects has increased dramatically in the last 20 years, due in part to an increase in consumption of caffeine. In fact, coffee consumption among young adults rose to 3.2 cups per day in 2008 from 2.4 cups per day in 2005 (Rokerya 1). For instance, in a one hour period, on Richland College’s on-campus Starbucks, the author took note of how many customers arrived and purchased a cup of coffee. Between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, there were 51 customers, implying that – especially at college - many people are dependent on coffee in the mornings. However, the results from these studies are inconclusive and often somewhat contradictory – many studies (such as that by Tetsuya Ohara et al.) show that caffeine is a great boon to
Caffeine is a stimulant that has not been given the attention that some says it deserves. Caffeine is found in many everyday substances. It can be found in coffee, tea or sodas. Caffeine can be found on almost every street corner. There is a coffee place in just about every town. Sodas and coffee are found...
As the vast majority of Americans are addicted to caffeine, studies show that the effects during post-consumption, can be positive or negative depending on the amount and frequency of caffeine intake. As the demand for caffeine has increased, the caffeine industry has increased its amount of marketing and establishments to help aid this demand. Caffeine addiction can lead to serious health and physiological detriments. It is evident that the primary reason for consumption of caffeinated beverages is due to positive effects, such as alertness. The media has an abundance of marketing to continue to illustrate this main effect.
Caffeine is a chemical found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and various easy to get foods and drinks. Like all drugs, caffeine has its good and bad side. Caffeine’s categorized as a stimulant, meaning it temporarily increases alertness and energy. With this stated, you may ask yourself, what’s so bad about a little high associated with coffee or chocolate? I mean it’s practically harmless, right.
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.
Sereshti, H. & Samadi, S. (2014). A rapid and simple determination of caffeine in teas, coffees and eight beverages. Food Chemistry, 158, 8-13.
Preview: The potential effects are related to the main ingredient in coffee – caffeine. Caffeine is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system that increases alertness and energy, but it is also very addictive.