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The effect of caffeine on human health
The effect of caffeine on human health
The effect of caffeine on human health
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Did you know, that a statistic found last August said that at least 68 million Americans drink three cups of coffee every single day? Imagine how much caffeine is going into their systems, affecting them! Caffeine is part of our lives. It is a psychoactive stimulant, which means it can cause temporary changes in either mental or physical functions, or both. It is also a central nervous system stimulant. Caffeine has definitely taken part in making one much more energetic, or more aware of their surroundings. Where it’s found, how it affects our bodies, either mentally or physically, and the history of the drug will help us understand this stimulant, and we can find out whether or not, it’s okay for us to keep taking it.
Caffeine is naturally produced in the leaves and seeds of many plants, such as tealeaves, Kola nuts, and Cocoa beans. It is obviously in coffee, which is the main reason that we normally consume caffeine. Many coffee shops like, Starbucks and Tim Hortons have introduced its unique and delicious flavors of caffeine into the world, varying from frozen drinks, to hot coffee. Many people also have their very own coffee
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It is a naturally occurring stimulant that can be found from over sixty plants, but can also be manufactured and added to our everyday meals. Caffeine has been a part of the history of the world for many years, and each place in the world has their very own story and source of caffeine. Caffeine was first taken from cocoa beans into its most pure form, which was a powdery white substance in the 1820’s by a German Scientist called Ferdinand Runge. Today, caffeine is easily taken from and is used to make different products that we take in on a daily basis. Ways of extracting caffeine used to be done in many ways, but they were causing many health risks, environmental impacts, and cost, so those processes are no longer
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.
Caffeine is a very interesting chemical. Caffeine is found in many places including coffee plant, tea leaves, kola nuts and cocoa (1). Humans then process these plants into food stuff that contains caffeine such as tea, coffee and chocolate. Caffeine is composed of 14 atoms with a molecular formula of C8H10N4O2. It is one of the few central nervous system stimulants still legal in most countries (2). The chemical name for caffeine is 1-methyltheobromine (2).
Caffeine occurs naturally in some plants such as coffee beans and tea leaves. Caffeine is also added to other beverages.
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)
Several people rely on caffeine to wake them up or give them a boost of energy when they feel down. Acting as a stimulant, caffeine not only improves concentration and focus, but also stops fatigue (Staff 1). Considered the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world, approximately 90 percent of adults consume it daily (“MedicineNet.com” 1). But do caffeine buyers really stop to evaluate the possinle harmful effects on their body? Health scares similar to this are not recent. In fact, they have been going on for over 100 years. In 1911, the US Government sued the Coca-Cola company for making their drinks hazardous to other’s health (Lovett 2). Although the Coca-Cola company won, it proves that people worry about what they put into their bodies, even if it does help them stay up to finish their homework. Not everybody will experience the same effects from caffeine. Some people seem more sensitive to caffeine than others (Staff 1). While some will express unwanted effects after only one cup of coffee or tea, others will not notice these same effects until after maybe four or five cups. Although caffeine does include benefits, many downfalls exemplify the stimulant as well. Drinking even small amounts of caffeine daily develops harmful effects on most people’s body and health.
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 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.
Gladwell offers several hypotheses for caffeine’s success as the drug of choice for the modern world. Through the eyes of Coca-Cola the modern world gets hooked with the beginning of caffeine. Gladwell writes on how the adaptability of caffeine not just in adults, but also children causes the success of the drug caffeine to become successful in the modern world. Galdwell is able to grab the readers attention by representing the product that almost every child grew up drinking, Coca-Cola. The original Coca-Cola was the late-nineteenth century blend, the mixture of alcohol, the rich kola nit and coca, which is the raw ingredient of cocaine (Gladwell 232). After the removal of the wine, and the coca, it left the modern beverage known in the twenty-first generation: the carbonated, caffeinated sugar water with less of a kick then the popular warm refreshment.
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.
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 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...
The media fails to project the negative effects of excessive caffeine intake. This literature review will illustrate how excessive caffeine consumption can be detrimental to one’s life, and how problematic caffeine use derives from conditioning by the caffeine industry. 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 coffee has increased, causing the caffeine industry to create an expansion of coffee shops, new caffeinated beverages (Bailey, Saldanha, Gahche, & Dwyer, 2014), and mass-media advertising.
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.
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 is 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.
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.