M = METABOLIZE
There's a wide variation in how individuals respond to and metabolize caffeine. Women usually metabolize caffeine faster than men. And women taking birth-control pills metabolize it at maybe one-third the rate that women not on the Pill do. Smokers process it twice as quickly as nonsmokers do.
N = NEURON FIRING
Caffeine causes increased neuron firing in the brain, which the pituitary gland sees and thinks some sort of emergency is happening and releases hormones telling the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline (the "fight or flight" hormone) and it has a lot of different effects on your body:
Pupils dilate; Breathing tubes open up; Accelerated heartbeat; Blood pressure rises; Liver releases sugar into the bloodstream for extra energy; Muscles tighten up, ready for action. O = OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS
Caffeine is often administered in combination with medicines to increase their effectiveness, such as with ergotamine to treat migraine and cluster headaches and with pain relievers like aspirin and acetaminophen. Caffeine is also used to overcome drowsiness cause by antihistamines. P = PREGNANCY PROBLEMS There is evidence that caffeine can be dangerous for fetuses and newborn children. Use of large amounts of caffeine by the mother during pregnancy may cause problems with the heart rhythm of the fetus. A Canadian study found that children born by mothers who had consumed more than 3 cups of coffee or 6 cups of tea were found to have, on the average, lower birth weight and smaller head circumference. Many doctors recommend that women discontinue caffeine consumption during pregnancy and also after birth until the newborn children are weaned. Other studies have found that caffeine increases the risk of a miscarriage. Q = QUESTIONABLE CAFFEINE Totally decaffeinated coffee and tea is not really caffeine-free. The decaffeinating process removed around 98 percent of the caffeine, but some is still present. R = RISKS FOR DISEASE DECREASED A number of recent studies emphasize benefits of caffeine for decreased disease risks: Helps prevent autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis; Believed to lower rates of Parkinson's disease; Can inhibit formation of gallstones; May ward off cirrhosis; Could help prevent Alzheimer's; Relieves asthma symptoms by acting as a bronchodilator; Suicide risk decreased with drinking up to seven cups of coffee daily; But suicide risk increased substantially with 8+ cups of coffee daily. S = SLEEP DEFICITS Caffeine can cause problems falling asleep, as much as 10-12 hours later in some people. The drug is linked to the production of adrenaline and cortisol, hormones which create that fight-or-flight response -- not good for relaxation and sleep. T = TEA The caffeine in just one cup of tea can speed up mental functioning. British research showed faster response times on mental tests within minutes of drinking a cup of caffeinated tea. U = UNDERTAKER STATISTICS There's little evidence that caffeine causes cancer -- except perhaps bladder cancer. Japanese research suggests that caffeine alters hormones in ways that my reduce the odds of breast cancer. Switzerland researchers found that coffee drinkers have a 27 percent lower risk of developing colon cancer. A Harvard study suggested four to five cups of coffee daily reduced the risk of colorectal cancer by 24 percent. V = VARIATION There's a huge variation in how folks respond and metabolize caffeine. It's similar to how two hits of marijuana can make one person really paranoid; while the same amount might cause nothing more than a food craving in someone else. One person might get anxious and jittery from a small amount of caffeine; while another can slurp coffee all day without any apparent side effects. Upon withdrawal, the body becomes oversensitive to adenosine, causing the blood pressure to drop dramatically, causing headaches and other symptoms. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms can begin as soon as 12 hours after stopping your intake. They are the worst after 24 to 48 hours, and can last for up to a week. Withdrawal symptoms include: Irritableness, Restlessness, Muscle stiffness, Difficulty concentrating, Headaches, Chills and/or hot spells. X = X-FACTOR Caffeine was the industrial revolution's x-factor. It was the boiling of water to make coffee and tea which helped decrease the incidence of disease among workers in crowded urban areas. The caffeine in their systems kept these workers from falling asleep while working machinery. Caffeine is the drug that made the modern world. Y = YOU-WHOOO Give a call-out to SmithKlineBeechum, the pharmaceutical giant which is one of the larger caffeine pill makers, for questions about caffeine pills at: (800) 245-1040 weekdays. Z = ZYGOTES Fertility is lowered by caffeine. A Danish study of 430 couples found that high caffeine consumption (300-700 mg a day) by non-smoker reduced conception almost one-third. READ ABOUT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY RESEARCHER AT INSTITUTE OF COFFEE STUDIES HERE. READ MORE ABOUT CAFFEINE-ALCOHOL BEVERAGES HERE. ON A LIGHTER, HUMOROUS SIDE READ: 25 REASONS YOU KNOW YOU'VE HAD TOO MUCH COFFEE.
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