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Caffeine and brain function
The hidden dangers of caffeine
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According to the CAC’s newly released 2013 Canadian Coffee Drinking Study, coffee is a dominant beverage in the Canadian market. Only tap water enjoys equally high past-day penetration. The results of the research show that approximately two-thirds of adult Canadians (65%) consumed coffee in the past day. Approximately three-quarters of Canadians aged 18-79 (78%) indicate they’ve consumed coffee in the past week. (Coffee, 2013) Also, through the survey, coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world after oil. The children aged under 18 is usually supervised by their parents. They are not allowed to drink coffee every day. Thus, this report is written for the adults who drink coffee as their daily routine and help them understand how …show more content…
Our nervous system is actively adjusted to adenosine levels through receptors. The adenosine binds those reactors, which slow down our brain activity. The more adenosine there is the more tired our brain feels. When adenosine levels reach a certain point in your brain and spinal cord, your body will start nudging you toward sleep, or at least taking it easy. (Purdy, 2010) Which make sense, the longer we awake, the more fatigue we become. Conversely, the concentration of adenosine decreases while we sleep; it helps blood vessels to dilate, most likely to let more oxygen into the brain during sleep. Then the wakefulness is gradually promoting during sleep. Caffeine, a bitter substance, which is found in coffee, plays the significant role in stimulating our central nervous system. It has effects on the body's metabolism, which can make us more alert and give us boost energy. However, it turns out that caffeine in our coffee is incredibly similar with adenosine in chemical structure (appendix1). From the appendix1, we can see that they are both organic chemical molecules with nitrogen rings (The nitrogen elements in the rings is marked in blue). The caffeine molecule works its way through our bloodstream and into our brain where it begins to compete and combine with the adenosine reactors. Plenty of caffeine molecules bind the receptors in our brain, which …show more content…
Dopamine elevates our moods to make us feel better and stave off depression, which is why there is so much coffee consumption in areas that lack the sunshine for extended periods, such as the USA Pacific Northwest and Scandinavia. Dopamine also helps create motivation and contributes toward conscious body motion. Some research even points to coffee drinkers having fewer problems with depression and Alzheimer's disease than non-coffee drinkers. (Louis, 2012). Here, caffeine, as a competitive antagonist at adenosine receptors, may produce its behavioral effects by removing the negative modulatory effects of adenosine from dopamine receptors, thus stimulating dopaminergic activity. Thus, we feel happy because of preventing adenosine
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 ...
Zhang, Yong. (1989) The Effects of Chronic Caffeine Ingestion on Peripheral Adenosine Receptors. New York.
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).
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 on this energy drink blocks the effects of adenosine, a brain chemical that helps you sleep which is why too much can lead to insomnia.
The idea that coffee stunts growth is a myth; hereditary determines a person 's height, and coffee provided benefits for an individual 's health. Although adding coffee addictions such as sugar and creamer detracts from coffees commendable health effects would not be beneficial. This brown, liquid, hot fresh beverage has proven through various studies and experiments, why individuals must drink coffee everyday. As stated before, over half of all Americans drink coffee everyday, with the population’s height growing every year. Perhaps, as years progress the height will keep getting towering, making the myth
In the United States, coffee is the second largest import (Roosevelt, 2004). Furthermore, the United States, consumes one-fifth of all the worlds¡¦ coffee (Global Exchange, 2004). The present industry is expanding. It is estimated that North America¡¦s sector will reach saturation levels within 5 year (Datamonitor. n.d.). According to National Coffee Association (NCA), 8 out of 10 Americans consume coffee. In addition, it is estimated that half of the American population drinks coffee daily. The international market remains highly competitive. It is estimated that 3,300 cups of coffee are consumed every second of the day worldwide (Ecomall, n.d.). The latest trends included dual drinkers, an increase in senior citizens...
The anti-reward system plays a major role in the occurrence of aversive effects in the body like jitteriness, and nausea; and is responsible for the negative-reinforcement that occurs through resumed drug taking. Negative reinforcement is responsible for bringing about the aversive effects that occur during withdrawal (i.e., when one intends to stop consuming the drug). This highlights the importance of the neuroadaptations that occur with prolonged drug use and can occur with over-consumption of caffeine (Meyer & Quenzer, 2005). In addition, caffeine can cause detrimental physiological effects, such as over-consumption.
Americans are obsessed with a lot of things: our smart phones, celebrities, and finding a good bargain. But perhaps the thing we’re most obsessed with is good ol’ coffee. For many of us, our mornings are perfectly diabolical without at least a cup or two or three of the stuff. And, come 2 o’clock, when we know in our heart and bones we’ll never make it ‘til five and we need that pick me up, many of us head to the nearest deli or barista to grab a cup of “second wind.”
As side from that, excess caffeine can also overstimulate the central nervous system, disrupting sleeping patterns. High amounts of caffeine produce negative effect on sleep onset and quality. However, there are large individual differences in the effects of caffeine on sleep. Many people consume coffee during the evening and have no problems falling asleep, while others find that the mild stimulation of caffeine consumed shortly before a bed time delays the time to fall asleep.
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.
htm medsafe.govt.nz/profs/PUarticles/caffeine.htm http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple http://media.highlandernews.net - http://media.highlandernews. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Ruxton, C. H. S. "The Impact Of Caffeine On Mood, Cognitive Function, Performance And Hydration: A Review Of Benefits And Risks." Nutrition Bulletin 33.1 (2008): 15-25. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
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.
When a person drinks coffee, the caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream and then travels to the brain where it blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine. When this happens, the amount of other neurotransmitters actually increases.