Effects Of Caffeine On Our Lives

This article discusses the affects caffeine has on several aspects of human health. These included toxicity, cardiovascular effects (arrhythmia, heart rate, cholesterol and BP), bone/calcium balance, behavior, and reproductive and developmental effects. It also discussing the affect caffeine intake has on children and reproductive-aged women.

Caffeine is a wildly use drug in today’s society. Caffeine is a methylated xanthine which acts as a mild central nervous system stimulant (MS & RL, 2001). It is a stimulant which acts upon the central nervous system and increases alertness, wakefulness and restlessness and it increases the release of catecholamine from renal medullar (Fernandez, 2016; Collines, 2007). It is present in many beverages. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, products containing chocolate (cocoa) and some medication (Collines, 2007). It is used as a cardiac and respiratory stimulant (Collines, 2007).Caffeine is the most frequently ingested pharmacologically active substance in the world (Collines, 2007).

1. According to a February 2008 nutrition article by about.com, having caffeine in your diet is not of any benefit to your

Caffeine is in tea, coffee, chocolate, many soft drinks,and pain relievers and other over-the-counter medications. In its natural form, caffeine tastes very bitter. But most caffeinated drinks have gone through enough processing to camouflage the bitter taste. Many people feel that caffeine increases their mental alertness. Higher doses of caffeine can cause anxiety, dizziness, headaches, and the jitters. Caffeine can also interfere with normal sleep. Caffeine in extreme cases could cause stroke, liver failure, and even

Caffeine, also known as trimethylxanthine, is a white stimulant drug in the xanthine alkaloid family. It has a crystalline structure and is bitter in taste. It

All around the world, people drink coffee, tea and caffeinated drinks to wake up in the morning, to be more vigilant and alert throughout the day. Not only does this keep individuals alert but also allows them to focus and efficiently manage their time throughout their day. This quality of caffeine has caused it to be one of the most highly consumed psychoactive drugs. Individuals who require frequent intakes of Caffeine often feel tired, weak, drowsy if they tend to miss their cup of coffee early in the morning. Although, Caffeine is known for causing wakefulness and alertness it also has its downsides. If a person has a large dose of caffeine in a limited time, the drug could cause them trembling, anxiety and nausea. In long term effects,

Drinking caffeine can cause you to “temporarily enjoy sharper vision” due to the adrenaline rush and “stimulates the release of dopamine” (Stoddard). Dopamine, a neurotransmitter and is responsible for “learning about rewards” (Newton). It is also commonly known as the “feel-good” hormone. The substance is being studied for “potential benefits in battling Parkinson's disease” (Brian). Parkinson’s disease is a “neurodegenerative brain disorder” that causes the dopamine in the brain to “break down” (WebMD). Studies have shown that “caffeine seems to block a malfunctioning brain signal in Parkinson’s disease”, lessening the severity of the disease (Tessman). These studies have also shown that “people who use caffeine are less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease” (Tessman). Nothing is 100 percent proven as different people have different reactions, but the future of caffeine and medicine is looking bright. Since the drug is so inexpensive and easy to access, it could help many people who could normally not afford the expensive medications that could have the same result. Caffeine can also aid in concentration, making it beneficial to drink while studying for students. It also “opens blood vessels to allow for greater blood flow” supplying the brain and heart with even more oxygen (Ted). With this extra oxygen from the increased blood flow, the brain and heart can work more

Caffeine is a central nervous system’s stimulant and is naturally found in more than 60 substances. It is the most universally used central nervous system stimulant as it is found in many dishes, drinks and medication. Health Canada regulates caffeine, when used as an additive, under the Food and Drug Regulations and recommends a limited consumption (Health and Welfare Canada [HWC], 1990).

Caffeine is considered to be the most consumed psycho pick-me-up and is present in more than sixty plants. It is part of our everyday consumptions, such as coffee, tea, energy drinks and even chocolate even its small amount, around 90% of individuals use caffeine in one form or another. Caffeine has many similar traits with more of the bigger drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines and even heroin. The thing is that caffeine uses similar biochemical mechanisms as the other drugs which in fact are known to stimulate the brain function. Caffeine is also known as 1, 3, 7-trimethylxanthine, and derives from a methylxanthine group and includes theophylline and theobromine (5). Methylxanthine inhibits the neurotransmitter adenosine by stimulating by beta 1 and beta 2 receptors from the release of catecholamine’s. Physiologically, caffeine impedes the binding of adenosine to its receptors in the cell membranes which causes a mild dilation of blood vessels and increases in blood pressure, metabolic rate, and urine production. It occurs naturally in the leaves, fruits, and seeds of numerous plant species, most noticed in coffee and cocoa beans, tea leaves, kola nuts, and guarana. Caffeine can be produced synthetically, but when added to food, it is most commonly derived as a byproduct of decaffeination (5). Caffeine is a substance widely used, not only for is ability to promote wakefulness and to stimulate the central nervous system, but to also begin an effect after 15 minutes of

Caffeine can affect our sleep. According to Brian,, Bryant, and Cunningham, When adenosine is produced in the brain, it binds to adenosine receptors. This triggers drowsiness by slowing down nerve cell activity. This also causes blood vessels to dilate in the brain. Caffeine appears like adenosine to a nerve cell and binds to the adenosine receptor. However, the caffeine doesn’t slow down the cell’s action like adenosine would. Because of this, the cell can’t recognize adenosine due to the caffeine taking up all the receptors that adenosine would typically bind to. This makes the nerve cells go faster.

Many people have their opinions on how much caffeine one should intake in a day. Some carefully watch their diet and some don’t even care what they are putting in to their body. Many different people have different thoughts about caffeine and there are several answers why they think that way. The people that don’t consume caffeine often usually try to stay away from it because they see the disadvantages to consuming caffeine. They think that the cons outweigh the pros. The people that consume caffeine often will go on about all the benefits to consuming caffeine. They, obviously, think that the pros outweigh the cons. There seems to be a lot of unanswered questions to what caffeine really does to

Spriet and Graham,"Caffeine and Exercise Performance”, point out their research on overuse of caffeine. Drugs contain caffeine can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, cramps, insomnia; palpitations should be used in accordance with the prescribed dose. Caffeine effective strengthening of intellectual clarity, and improve thinking ability through blockade of receptors which perform functions adenozyn inform the body needs to sleep. In addition, caffeine also changes some biochemical processes in the body, 2 cups of strong coffee can increase three times the amount of adrenalin in the blood, at the same time accelerate the respiratory rhythm. Caffeine also increase dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers in the brain, makes people

Caffeine (C8H10N4O2) in it chemical nature is a central nervous system stimulant which acts by dilating blood vessels and preventing adenosine from inhibiting the release of glutamate. (Oxford University Press, 2016) Caffeine as a widely used drug, is frequently studied in regards to its performance and physiological effects on an individual. (Harland, 2000)

Caffeine can increase mental alertness at work or while studying which can also enhance performance on certain mental tasks.

Ever since I can remember I have been addicted to caffeine. It started out with drinking diet coke which was my mother’s drink of choice, and then slowly as time went on it turned into Coca-Cola. I have experienced the harsh withdrawals that come with caffeine like the headaches, irritability, and those lovely morning shakes telling me that I need caffeine. The headaches and the shakes finally got so bad to the point where I needed coke in the morning just to function. At that point I realized that caffeine was probably not very good for me. After learning in my Chemistry 130 class that caffeine was classified under heterocyclic amines and was an alkaloid, the same classification that heroin is under, I finally took it upon myself to really get serious and give up caffeine. What I really was interested in however was how does caffeine affect the human body? Do the positive uses of caffeine outweigh the negatives or is caffeine something we shouldn’t be allowing into our bodies? To determine the answers to these questions we need to first familiarize ourselves with what caffeine is and then compare the positives and negatives of caffeine in order to draw a conclusion. So, what exactly is caffeine, where does it come from, where can we find it and how much should we be consuming?