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Effects Of Caffeine
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Published: September 18, 2006
When you are feeling groggy in the morning, odds are you reach for something – anything – with caffeine in it. It might be a venti cappuccino, a mug of hot green tea or a bottle of neon-yellow soda. Whatever it is, it needs to be caffeinated before you can begin your day.
According to the International Food Information Council, caffeine is a naturally occurring compound found in the leaves and beans of coffee and tea, cocoa, yerba mate and guarana berries. There are more than 60 different plants containing this compound.
The word caffeine is derived from the Italian word for coffee (caffe) with the suffix,-ine, denoting its status as an alkaloid. Caffeine acts as a stimulant for the central nervous system, helping to ward off fatigue and increase alertness.
One primary source of caffeine is the coffee bean. The amount of caffeine it carries depends on the type of bean and the method in which it is roasted. For example, it is widely believed a shot of espresso has more caffeine than drip coffee and dark-roasted beans will yield a cup with higher caffeine content than mild or light roasts. This is not true.
One shot of espresso yields about 40 milligrams of caffeine versus the 100 milligrams of drip coffee. This is because the espresso process only allows water to contact the beans for about 20 to 25 seconds, leaving little time to extract a lot of caffeine. The roasting process also affects the amount of caffeine in that, the longer the beans are roasted, the greater the reduction of caffeine. So if you really want a strong cup of coffee, choose a mild-roast of drip coffee, it is likely to have the highest caffeine content.
Another popular source of caffeine is tea. Tea contains significantly less caffeine than coffee, but there are some blends, like oolong and black teas, which have as much caffeine as a shot of espresso per serving. Like coffee, the amount of caffeine yielded in a cup of tea can be affected by how it is prepared.
There are many beneficial aspects to caffeine, regardless of the manner in which it is consumed. In addition to warding off fatigue and increasing mental alertness, it also increases the capacity for mental and physical labor. That is why many athletes ingest sports drinks, and why coffeehouses around the world are continually flooded with college students cramming for finals. It takes less than an hour for the sleep to be warded off, and the stimulant wears off in a few hours.
Sometimes caffeine is used with pharmaceutical drugs, like pain relievers. Caffeine can speed the absorption of pain relievers, rendering them significantly more effective.
Moderation is vital when it comes to caffeine ingestion. The recommended daily dose is 250 milligrams (two to three cups of brewed coffee). There are some significant health effects of caffeine overdose or overuse. It is important to remember caffeine is a drug, and regular overuse can lead to addiction and other potentially serious side effects. This state of addiction is known caffeinism and has several unpleasant side effects, like nervousness, muscle twitching, insomnia and heart palpitations. Acute overdoses of caffeine can lead to jitters. This is marked by restlessness, headaches, anxiety, irritability and muscle tremors.
If you are an avid coffee drinker and some of the aforementioned symptoms sound familiar, maybe it is time to cut down. For those who are addicted to caffeine, cutting cold turkey will result in withdrawal symptoms. It is best to gradually reduce the amount of caffeine consumed, before switching to decaffeinated options.
Sources:
Caffeine. Teens Health. September 2004. Nemours Foundation. 15 September 2006. http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/drugs/ caffeine.html/
Caffeine. Wikipedia. 15 September 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/caffeine/
According to the International Food Information Council, caffeine is a naturally occurring compound found in the leaves and beans of coffee and tea, cocoa, yerba mate and guarana berries. There are more than 60 different plants containing this compound.
The word caffeine is derived from the Italian word for coffee (caffe) with the suffix,-ine, denoting its status as an alkaloid. Caffeine acts as a stimulant for the central nervous system, helping to ward off fatigue and increase alertness.
One primary source of caffeine is the coffee bean. The amount of caffeine it carries depends on the type of bean and the method in which it is roasted. For example, it is widely believed a shot of espresso has more caffeine than drip coffee and dark-roasted beans will yield a cup with higher caffeine content than mild or light roasts. This is not true.
One shot of espresso yields about 40 milligrams of caffeine versus the 100 milligrams of drip coffee. This is because the espresso process only allows water to contact the beans for about 20 to 25 seconds, leaving little time to extract a lot of caffeine. The roasting process also affects the amount of caffeine in that, the longer the beans are roasted, the greater the reduction of caffeine. So if you really want a strong cup of coffee, choose a mild-roast of drip coffee, it is likely to have the highest caffeine content.
Another popular source of caffeine is tea. Tea contains significantly less caffeine than coffee, but there are some blends, like oolong and black teas, which have as much caffeine as a shot of espresso per serving. Like coffee, the amount of caffeine yielded in a cup of tea can be affected by how it is prepared.
There are many beneficial aspects to caffeine, regardless of the manner in which it is consumed. In addition to warding off fatigue and increasing mental alertness, it also increases the capacity for mental and physical labor. That is why many athletes ingest sports drinks, and why coffeehouses around the world are continually flooded with college students cramming for finals. It takes less than an hour for the sleep to be warded off, and the stimulant wears off in a few hours.
Sometimes caffeine is used with pharmaceutical drugs, like pain relievers. Caffeine can speed the absorption of pain relievers, rendering them significantly more effective.
Moderation is vital when it comes to caffeine ingestion. The recommended daily dose is 250 milligrams (two to three cups of brewed coffee). There are some significant health effects of caffeine overdose or overuse. It is important to remember caffeine is a drug, and regular overuse can lead to addiction and other potentially serious side effects. This state of addiction is known caffeinism and has several unpleasant side effects, like nervousness, muscle twitching, insomnia and heart palpitations. Acute overdoses of caffeine can lead to jitters. This is marked by restlessness, headaches, anxiety, irritability and muscle tremors.
If you are an avid coffee drinker and some of the aforementioned symptoms sound familiar, maybe it is time to cut down. For those who are addicted to caffeine, cutting cold turkey will result in withdrawal symptoms. It is best to gradually reduce the amount of caffeine consumed, before switching to decaffeinated options.
Sources:
Caffeine. Teens Health. September 2004. Nemours Foundation. 15 September 2006. http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/drugs/ caffeine.html/
Caffeine. Wikipedia. 15 September 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/caffeine/
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