Waking up to a cuppa is more like brushing your teeth or taking a shower every morning. Some take it more of an excuse to spend time with each other or just sit back, cozy up in a chilly weather under a warm quilt with a cup of creamy hot coffee and then there are those who have taken to it like a drug addiction that has grown to degrade them from within. Caffeine is definitely one of the most addictive chemicals that exists in nature and is no less harmful to the human body in large dosage than nicotine or alcohol or even narcotics sometimes. It is a very well known fact that caffeine addiction is bad for you but does everybody know where all is this caffeine present in our food or drink? Do we still dwell under the myth that caffeine = coffee and not otherwise? More importantly can we use caffeine for our benefit and to become more healthy rather than enslaving to it? Let the caffeine world tour begin...
Splitting the coffee bean - Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid found in over 60 plants including coffee, tea, kola nut, cocoa. It is known to be a natural pesticide that kills and paralyzes certain insects. Caffeine is in highest concentrations in seedlings and also it prevents other seedlings around it to germinate making the survival of the seed it is present more possible. The soil around coffee and tea plantations also contains caffeine due to this reason. It is a naturally occurring psychoactive substance which is legal and unregulated. Caffeine has no other derivatives as thought to be mateine and guaranine since chemically speaking its a 'achiral' molecule which means its positioning is such within itself that no other atom can combine with it to form another derivative (isomer). However the effects of caffeine are different depending upon the sources it comes from and that is solely due to the fact that these sources also possess other xanthine alkaloids in varied proportions having relative effect like cardiac stimulants as well as central nervous stimulant. Caffeine is primarily a central nervous stimulant but it also acts as a diuretic. There have been studies not standing by the fact of its diuretic effect on regular drinkers however specific diuretic effect can be seen if taken in concentrations. Passing out drinking coffee is one of these effects since the brain is highly stimulated and the water content in the cells is dehydrated.
Wake up and smell the caffeine everywhere - Caffeine content in foods and drugs is a very important factor to select what food you buy or what drugs especially non prescription ones. Caffeine is found in
soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolates, tea leaves, coffee beans, gums, or any food product containing one of these as its ingredients. But what you must know is choosing the most common of the caffeinated products, your coffee. Caffeine varies a lot even amongst coffee beans depending upon how its grown and processed. Roasting is the process that reduces the caffeine content and that is why you will find lesser caffeine in a light roast than a dark roast coffee bean. A shot of arabica espresso (30 ml) varies between 80 - 100 mg of caffeine. There is another variation in caffeine content amongst coffee beans like arabica variety has less amount than robusta. Arabica variety is grown in Latin America, East Africa, Arabia and some parts of Asia whereas robusta comes from West Africa, South East Asia & India. Tea by sheer dry weight has more caffeine content than coffee but since teas are processed and brewed differently than coffee it ends up serving lesser caffeine than coffee in a cup. Soft drinks and energy drinks are lately more in the limelight for their caffeine content. A
cola drink can start from anywhere between 30 - 50 mg per serving (12 fl oz / 350 ml) where as energy drinks like red bull or four loco can also begin from 80 - 100 mg per serving (250 ml) whereas a cup of coffee (120ml) gives you 125 mg of caffeine. A decaf typically contains 5 - 15 mg for 200 ml which is the same as a milk chocolate bar with 11% cocoa but dark chocolates with 45% cocoa have 160mg for every 100 gm. Then again knowing which ingredient can give you caffeine is important like drugs that help migraines, psychoactive stimulant drugs, anti depressants. One must always read the content of any product that has to be ingested or taken in the blood stream before consuming or buying it.
Caffeine for good health - It has been administered to new borns to cure
apnea as well as improve alertness for those who need better mind focus and body coordination in very low amounts. Caffeine does not cause lack of need to sleep but merely reduces the general fatigue and stress as it stimulates the central nervous system causing temporary alertness. In moderate dosages it is taken for relief from migraine. Caffeine can be used as a performance enhancer however in young healthy adult men half the total amount ingested is eliminated from the body in almost 5 hours which means after 5 hours the effect of caffeine is reduced by half. Metabolites of caffeine like theophylline also help in bronchi dilation and thus help in asthma therapy. Caffeine has shown in studies that it can act as a protector from liver injury especially for those with alcoholism, obesity however caffeine is accumulated in large amounts in such cases which further prolongs its half life and that is no good news. Topically caffeine is a miracle for hair care and skin care. The dehydrating effect of caffeine is the best seen on baggy puffy eyes as it effectively works on it, hair growth suppression seen due to testosterone in men can be reduced with topical application of caffeine. Caffeine is also used in shampoos and conditioners for same reason as it is absorbed by the skin effectively.
How much is too much - What and how much of caffeine is adequate depends on the individual body's metabolism and half life of caffeine in it. For pregnant ladies, older population, infants, new born baby, diseased individuals the half life of caffeine can go upto 30 hours which is very bad for the nervous system. As caffeine easily passes the blood brain barrier it is effective within 45 min of ingestion as its easily absorbed by the intestine. It basically stimulates the adenosine receptors of the CNS and regular drinkers as an adaptive mechanism have more such receptors and grow indifferent over a period of time to the stimulation. However sudden decrease in hte intake will increase the receptors function and will give immediate withdrawal symptoms. Adenosine is a blood pressure regulator and increase in its activity due to reduction in caffeine can cause dilation of the blood vessels and hence lead to increased blood flow to the brain causing nausea and headache, the serotonin levels are also plumetted causing fatigue and inability to focus causing irritation and lack of enthusiasm, anxiety and some cases can also cause depression. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms may also lead to abdominal cramps and insomnia at extreme cases.
Down the caffeine hole - Addiction and tolerance to caffeine comes from consuming over 400 mg of caffeine per day. Caffeine intoxication can happen if 100 mg / kg of body weight of an individual or 100 cups of coffee are taken within a short period of time depending on the person's half life time. Remember that caffeine is primarily a central nervous system stimulant which also includes vital stats like breathing, heart beat and alertness. Adenosine and catecholamines receptors that are stimulated with caffeine control blood pressure, nervous response to muscle tone, locomotion, mental orientation, bronchi regulation, and serotonin levels too. Intoxication or extreme addiction to caffeine can cause mental disorientation, fuzziness, fidgetiness, restlessness, nausea, severe massive headaches continuously, difficulty in breathing, high blood pressure, pupil constriction, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), also palpitation since theobromine is a cardiac stimulant, muscle twitching, tremors, gastric disturbance, mania, major depression, irrelevant flow of thought with speech, dehydration due to increased urination, lack of appetite. Hallucinations, psychosis and dellusions are also symptoms and in extreme cases death can occur. To reach the intoxication level regular coffee is not good enough and there have been cases of caffeine pills or over the counter drugs responsible for this event. Fluvoxine is a drug that inhibits liver enzymes to metabolize caffeine thus making it last for longer period in the body and this together with a lethal dose of caffeine causes detrimental harm. Some energy drinks can play a role in this scenario as they contain higher levels of caffeine in them.
Caffeine just like any other substance present naturally can be used for betterment of our health and our lifestyle. Making sure we are aware of our consumption is of importance as it also influences how our younger generation model themselves after our actions. Visit the
wellness programs for consult on lifestyle management customized diet plans and fitness regime that helps you understand your body and life better.
