ABCs of Caffeine

 

A =     ADDICTIVE

Caffeine is an addictive drug -- the most popular psychoactive drug in the world. Although caffeine is milder, it operates using the same mechanisms that amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin use to stimulate the brain. It's manipulating the same channels, which is one of the things that give caffeine its addictive qualities. About 80 percent of all adult Americans take in caffeine every day. Physical dependence can occur in three days.

B =    BOUTIQUE COFFEE SHOPS

A Wall Street Journal lab analysis of the caffeine in take-out coffees found that coffee served at boutique and gourmet coffee shops , like Starbucks, had more than  50 percent more caffeine than traditional drip coffee. 

C =    CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM STIMULANT

As a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, caffeine has the effect of warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness. Caffeine's chemical formula is: C(8)-H(10)-N(4)-0(2).

D =    DOSAGES OF CAFFEINE

Three 6-ounce cups of coffee daily is considered an average or moderate dose of caffeine. If you're buying coffee at Starbucks or a convenience store, drinking it at home out of a mug or a commuter's cup, you are consuming it in 12, 14 or 20-ounce containers. Drinking an excessive amount, 10 six-ounce cups of coffee daily, can result in:

• Jitteriness
• Problems sleeping
• Anxiety
• Flushed face
• Nausea
• Fast heartbeat

E =    ENERGY DRINKS

Energy drinks are often a mix of carbohydrate, caffeine and "energy boosting" additives like guarana, B vitamins, and turine have become popular with sales more than $5.4 billion in 2007.

F =    FAT LOSS 

Almost all diet pills rely on a mix of caffeine and different plant extracts which suppress appetite. But if you suppress you appetite for long, your body goes into "starving mode" where your metabolism slows and stops burning calories. Obese people who use diet pills to help control their weight already have stressed their hearts and have high blood pressure because of their weight and adding diet pills only make their problems worse and can cause permanent heart damage.

G =    GUARANA

Guarana comes from seeds of a woody wine native to Brazil and is found in many sodas, energy drinks, protein bars and natural weight-loss aids. It contains concentrations of naturally occurring caffeine higher than that found in coffee, tea, cacao and kola. 

H =    HEADACHES

Without a caffeine fix, most regular users suffer mild to severe withdrawal headaches within 12 to 36 hours.

I =    INTOXICATION

Caffeine intoxication mimics organic mental disorders -- such as panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder and even schizophrenia. A growing number of medical professionals believe caffeine-intoxicated people are regularly misdiagnosed and unnecessarily medicated. 

J =    JAVA AND JOE

Java, and Joe are slang words for coffee, which Americans have been slurping copious amounts. Per capita national coffee consumption has risen almost 20 percent since 1995. And the amount of caffeine we consume has  jumped more than that. Serving sizes are way bigger than formerly and ounce-for-ounce a lot stronger in caffeine.

K =    KOLA NUT

Kola nut is the seed of the cola, an African tree whose seeds, or nuts, contain caffeine and yield the extract used to make cola soft drinks.

L =     LIQUIDS

Caffeine is found in practically every beverage we consume. From coffee to green tea to energy drinks and soda, beer and caffeinated water, caffeine is the drug that helps most of us get through the day. Caffeine is also in non-liquid products, including gum, candy bars, diet supplements, lip balm, diet pills, ice cream and yogurt. 

CONTINUED...Read More of the ABC's of Caffeine here.

Comments

[Raphael Fernandez]

Hi, Sharon! Happy Holidays!

Like this ABC thing on caffeine, I'll post a link of this in my site.

Ralph Fernandez