CAFFEINE

BY CASSIE THOMSEN
 WHAT IS CAFFEINE?

A stimulant drug of the Central Nervous System that belongs to the

xanthine family. Caffeine can be found in many things. Some of the most
popular forms of caffeine are coffee, tea, chocolate, and caffeinated
beverages.
This is the most common form of legal drug taking.
 COFFEE

This form of caffeine (Coffea Arabica) was discovered between the eleventh and the fifteenth
centuries in the Middle East by man named Khaldi. He noticed his goats became hyper after
eating some berries, and so he tried it as well.
It then moved to England, in the seventeenth century, and coffee houses were formed, where
intellectuals argued different viewpoints. It was the British social drink as opposed to alcohol.
It came here after the Revolutionary War (especially when alcohol consumption started to
decrease).
Now the U.S. is the largest exporter of coffee, and in the top 25 nations per-capita to drink it.
Finland being the first.
 TEA
Theophylline is a xanthine stimulant that is found in small amounts in tea. It is
used as an antiasthma medication (helping asthma and other repertory problems).
Tea drinking started in China, later moving to Europe (because of Dutch traders,
17th century). The most popular places tea is consumed is Britain and Russia.
Tea is the oldest caffeinated beverage recorded, and comes from the leaves of the
Camellia sinensis (or tea plant- a large evergreen tea).
The Boston Tea party happened because British agents were allowed to sell cheap
tea to the American colonies (which Americans viewed as tyranny), so 50-60
colonists dumped all of the tea into the water, harming the fish.
 TEA CONTINUED

Black tea is fermented leaves before drying, whereas green tea is not, both coming
from the same Camellia sinensis plant.
Black tea can help with: preventing cardiovascular disease, inflammatory disorders,
neurogenerative disorders (like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimers) and some
forms of cancer.
Green tea (or the miracle drink) contains vitamin K (helps with clotting),
improves brain functioning, may lower risk for certain cancers (breast cancer,
prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer), and lower risk of type II Diabetes.
 CHOCOLATE
Theobromine is a xanthine stimulant found in chocolate), is only 1/10 as strong as
theophylline and caffeine.
Chocolate comes from cocoa bean pods (which are part of the cacao tree) which are native to
Mexico and Central America.
Cocoa bean pods were taken to Spain in 1528 and made it how it was learned from the Aztecs.
But added sugar this time, now called molinet. In Spain, this molinet was only consumed by
people of high power.
In France chocolate was considered the gift of love. And in England (where it was also
considered the gift of love), had taken it to coffee shops to be sold as a beverage.
 CHOCOLATE CONTINUED

The U.S. eats about 11 pounds of it per year (per capita), which is less than many other nations,
Switzerland takes first place (about twice as much as us per capita).
Xanthine amounts are very low (1/10th) compared to coffee or tea.
Its not high enough to keep a person up for the night like coffee or tea either!
 HOW IS CHOCOLATE MADE?

You take the cocoa beans, and roast them to where the natural fat (called the
cocoa butter) melts. What this melted paste is called is chocolate liquor. When
cooled and hardened, its called baking chocolate. To make it to eat (like in a bar),
one would add milk, sugar, and vanilla (all to various degrees depending on what
kind of chocolate you want).
 SOFT DRINKS

More than 95% of soft drinks are caffeinated (which is added during the production of them).
The United States consume about 45 gallons of soft drinks per capita annually. . Coca-Cola and
Pepsi-Cola being the top consumed).
Energy drinks (like Red Bull and Monsters) are the fastest growing in the industry of drinks.
Fun fact: cola drink flavoring comes from an African trees seeds (called cola nuts).
 WHAT DOES IT DO TO MY BODY:
ACUTE EFFECTS?
Elevated heart rate Alertness

Attentiveness Increased attention

Dilated blood vessels Increases heart rate

Increases temperature Increases blood pressure

 WHAT DOES IT DO TO MY BRAIN AND
BODY?
Caffeine blocks an inhibitory transmitter called adenosine. Adenosine
naturally binds to receptors, causing sleepiness and dilation of blood vessels.
It also protects a person against seizures, slows down reaction to stress,
and lowers vitals (Heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature).
Caffeine blocks this, so the effects are opposite, lowering drowsiness and
raising heart rate.
 BRAIN AND BODY EFFECTS

Caffeine also has bronchodilation effects (which can help with asthma
where bronchial passageways are very constricted. Theophylline does has
the same effect without the jittery feelings (at a lower dose of course).
 HEALTH BENEFITS

Lower risk of Parkinson's disease

Reduce the risk of the cognitive decline
Reduces mouth and throat cancer (by 50%)
Reduce the risk of stroke (by 22%)
Reduces risk of type 2 diabetes
Bronchodilation (helping with asthma)
 HEALTH RISKS: LONG TERM EFFECTS

Cardiovascular effects: Since caffeine already increases the heart rate, caffeine
could be a risk factor for a heart attack or cardiac arrhythmia. That is if a person
consumes a lot of caffeine. Also, if a person already has problems with their heart.
Osteoporosis and bone fractures: a study of more than 3000 elderly men and
women drinking nearly 3 cups of coffee or 5-6 cups of tea a day had 69 percent
greater risk of bone loss for osteoporosis than those who dont drink caffeine. It
lowers or inhibits the bodys absorption of calcium from them (in their age group).
 LONG TERM EFFECTS CONTINUED:

Breast disease: There was a relationship between consuming caffeine as well as

lumps found in the breast (called fibrocystic lesions).
Panic attacks: The heart already elevates, and people who have a history with panic
attacks should especially be careful to avoid it. Consuming caffeine could trigger an
attack (those with anxiety should also be aware of this possibility.)
 DEPENDENCE AND WITHDRAWAL
Symptoms of withdrawal include:

Headaches
Irritability
Anxiety
Depression
Difficulty concentrating
Fatigue
Boredom
 ACUTE TOXICITY

If too much caffeine is consumed in a short time period, effects of: extreme
nervousness, agitation, muscle hyperactivity and twitching, profound insomnia, heart
palpitations and arrhythmias, gastrointestinal problems, nausea, and diarrhea. This is
called caffeinism.
5 -10 grams of caffeine is lethal when the daily suggestion should be no more than
400 milligrams a day. Though death is rare. Its especially dangerous when it has other
substances traced in it. Children have died from getting into medications with high
contents of caffeine.
 PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Theophylline is based on xanthine. This drug can relax smooth muscle.

Theophylline has been used medically to treat conditions like:
bronchodilation for asthma, as well as congestive heart disease because it
also stimulates

cardiac muscle.
 CAFFEINE AS A DRUG

It generally takes 30-60 minutes to take effect (when taken orally). 3-7 hours after
consumption, about half of the caffeine is still in the bloodstream.
If a buzz is felt immediately, that would either be from the sugar or psychologically
(called conditioning).
Conditioning is when a stimulus reacts with something neutral, creating a reaction.
Eventually the thing is taken away and the stimulus directly creates the reaction
(instead of combining it with the neutral thing). So, when consuming caffeine, the brain
automatically starts to create the effects.
 CAFFEINE AND THE YOUTH

Kids are consuming caffeine more and more (mostly through soft drinks, coffee,
and energy drinks)

Health concerns are the lack of calcium and phosphorus for normal bone growth
(possible osteoporosis in their late adulthood).

Insomnia, nervousness, and anxiety may

arise with children.

 CITATIONS:

Levinthal, Charles F. Drugs, Behavior, and Modern Society. 8th ed., Pearson
Education, Inc., 2014.
Mankad, Rekha, and John M. Wilkinson. Caffeine: How Much Is Too Much? Mayo
Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 8 Mar. 2017,
www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-
20045678.