Caffeine: Fact versus Fiction

Caffeine

Caffeine is quite possibly the most well known and consumed stimulant in the world. It is actually a bitter, white alkaloid that is considered to be a psychoactive stimulant drug, and was initially discovered by a German physicist by the name of Friedrich Ferdinand Runge in 1819. He termed his discovery kaffein, which is a chemical compound of coffee, as well as various teas. The English equivalent became caffeine. It can be found in a variety of beans, leaves, and fruits where it performs as a type of natural pesticide to paralyze and kill certain insects that feed upon the plant. As far as humans are concerned, we primarily consume caffeine as it is extracted from the cherries of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush, as well as some products derived from the kola nut.

Caffeine is a stimulant that affects our central nervous system by temporarily restoring alertness and reducing symptoms of drowsiness. It is the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive substance, but unlike most psychoactive substances, caffeine is legal and unregulated in almost all jurisdictions. In North America alone it is estimated that 90% of adults consume caffeine on a daily basis, with the United States Food and Drug Administration listing caffeine as a multipurpose, generally-recognized-as-safe food substance. It has a wide variety of side effects, and contains diuretic properties when administered to certain individuals, however, almost all regular users of caffeine have developed some form of tolerance.

There are many differences of opinion when it comes to caffeine. Many people believe it to be a mundane substance, while others consider it to be as dangerous as cocaine when used in improper doses. Regardless of which side of the fence you happen to stand on, understanding caffeine is the first step to educating yourself as to how exactly the substance works, as well as the positive and negative side effects.

Side Effects

The precise amount of caffeine necessary to produce any sort of effect upon an individual varies widely based upon whether or not they have established some form of tolerance to the substance, as well as the size of their body and various other factors. As a general rule, it takes less than an hour for caffeine to affect the body, with mild doses wearing off within a few hours. It is important to understand that the consumption of caffeine does not eliminate the need for sleep, but only temporarily reduces the sensation of exhaustion because of the stimulant characteristics. Most people will register some form of increased alertness and arousal after only 30-50 milligrams of caffeine. In such small quantities, caffeine can be said or to be an ergogenic, actually increasing an individual’s capacity for labor. Long-term use of caffeine citrate has proven effective at treating breathing disorders such as apnea of prematurity, with the only short-term risk associated with caffeine citrate being a temporary reduction in weight gain. Coffee can be used as a type of laxative in the sense that it relaxes internal anal sphincter muscles, which is why many people swear that coffee helps them with their daily bowel movements in the morning.

However, since caffeine is an antagonist of the central nervous system, people who regularly consume caffeine eventually adapt to the presence of the drug. As a result, if an individual suddenly stops drinking coffee, or caffeine, their bodies will go through a form of caffeine withdrawal. Symptoms can include headache, irritability, drowsiness, insomnia, and an inability to concentrate. The effects of caffeine withdrawal generally only last for a few days. Overuse of caffeine can actually lead to something known as caffeinism, wherein an individual combines caffeine dependency with a wide variety of other physical and mental conditions that can include nervousness, anxiety, muscle twitching, and heart palpitations. Since caffeine stimulates the production of stomach acid, a high level of caffeine over a period of time can actually lead to esophagitis, reflux disease, or peptic ulcers.

Pros and Cons

There are a variety of positive and negative sides to regular caffeine consumption. First and foremost, caffeine’s most obvious benefit is that it can increase the mental and physical energy of the individual consuming it, although people who consume caffeine in small doses infrequently have a better chance of feeling the boost than those who have built up a tolerance. In addition, the Mayo Clinic has shown through various studies that caffeine can actually temporarily boost your cognitive function when it relates to memory tasks, and long-term consumption of caffeine can possibly help decrease the risk of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, and other memory-related diseases. Caffeine from certain sources, such as green tea and coffee, is actually linked to a variety of health benefits as a result of the antioxidants found in those substances which work together with the caffeine to reduce inflammation in the body and lessen the risks of developing cancer and heart diseases.

On the flip side, however, caffeine can cause or worsen digestive tract problems such as acid reflux due to the stimulation of acids within the stomach. Caffeine overdose can cause the individual to feel jittery, or nervous, and can actually interfere with sleep patterns. This is why most people are cautioned not to drink caffeine late in the afternoon or in the evening because it can interrupt your sleep. Some individuals are prone to anxiety or panic attacks and can actually find their symptoms worsened by caffeine. Plus, regular consumption of caffeine can lead to dependency, and if you ever experience a day where you do not have your regular cup of coffee you will notice side effects such as headache, fatigue, and irritability. At the end of the day almost all of us consume caffeine in some form, but whether or not we have become addicted depends upon how much we consume. If you are someone who drinks two or three cups of coffee every morning, or has two or three sodas every day, or two or three cups of tea, then you may be walking the line of caffeine addiction.

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