History

Caffeine is a stimulant that is found in over sixty plants 1 . The four main plant sources of caffeine: coffee beans (Coffea Arabica), tea leaves (Thea sinensis), the cocoa plant (Theobroma cacao), and kola nuts (Cola nitida).

Coffee

• First used in Ethiopia in A.D. 650 where it was rolled in fat and used as a food source while traveling.

• Found by an Arab goat herder when he noticed his goats getting friskier after eating the red berries of the coffee plant,  he later tried the berries himself.

• Arabs were the first to extract the caffeine from the berries of the coffee plant by putting them into a hot drink rather than chewing them.

• About 60% of caffeine consumption is from coffee in America 1

Tea

• Thought to have been first used in China starting in 2700 B.C.; first written record of tea use was in A.D. 35.

• Introduced into Europe around the end of the 16th Century, becoming popular in England especially.

• Today, about 17% of the caffeine consumption in America is from tea.  In the United Kingdom, tea provides 72% of caffeine consumption.

• Major exporters of tea are India, Sri Lanka, and China. 1

Cocoa

• First used in the New World by the Mayan  and later Aztec Royalty as an unsweetened drink and spice.

• First brought to Europe in 1958, but much of its use did not start until chocolate bars were developed in the 19th century.

• Compared to coffee and tea there is only a small amount of caffeine found in chocolate. 1

Kola Nuts

• Caffeinated soft drinks sometimes use caffeine from the Kola nut.

• The Kola nut has been used in Africa for centuries.

• Its use spread to Europe in the mid-1800's in the where it was chewed or used in a syrup.

• By the late 1800's it spread to the United States in carbonated drinks, aka. Coca-Cola 1

Facts and Physical Properties

(Molecular structure of caffeine; Erowid, 2003)

• Caffeine is a white, bitter-tasting crystal powder. 1

• The alkaloid caffeine is part of the xanthine family. 1

• Structure of caffeine is similar to that of adenosine.

• Half life of caffeine in body is about 3 to 7 hours.1

• School are kids excrete caffeine faster than adults.1

To see how much caffeine is in your sodas, coffees or other beverages, CLICK HERE

Addiction and Withdrawals

Caffeine is the world's most popular drug. 2

Addiction:  The first things that came to mind when you heard that was probably “alcohol” or “drugs” right?  Never would you have initially thought about caffeine, but it actually is a very popular addicting drug among the world. 

What is an addiction?

• A person is addicted if their substance use is unable to be controlled.  Tolerance and withdrawal symptoms continue to develop as the person continues to use.  Some people may develop higher tolerance or withdrawal symptoms depending on usage. 13

Withdrawal symptoms:

• May start as soon as 12-24 hours and peaks at 24-48 hours after termination of substance.

• May last 2 days to 1 week.

• Throbbing headache is the number one symptom.

• constipation

• runny nose

• craving

• anxiety

• nausea

• insomnia

• cramps

• shakiness

• apathy

• fatigue

in severe cases:

• depression

• migraine

• panic attacks

• incapacitating fatigue

• vomiting

• significant distress 7

Are YOU addicted?

Have you ever tried to stop for a week but been unable to do so?

Has your substance use created problems with friends and family?

Do you try to avoid family or friends when you're using your substance?

Have you ever tried to control your addiction by switching to an alternative addictive substance? For instance, have you ever taken up smoking so that you could give up drinking? 3

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you should take this humorous quiz.

How to quit if you're addicted:

• Don't quit "cold-turkey," but wean yourself off gradually

• Substitute with another decaffeinated beverage

• Avoid people places and things that are associated with the addiction

• Look for caffeine free labels 3

Tolerance

Tolerance is when a person needs more of the substance to produce the same effects. 13

How affected is the youth?

• Caffeine use by children and teens has become a bigger problem today because it is found in so many daily substances without even knowing that they're included.

• Daily coffee drinking has grown most amongst 18-21 year olds (25% of their daily use)

• Consumption by ages 10-19 year olds remains constant for 10 years.

• Social use contributes to the problem by creating a place to hang out or study in a more appealing environment.14

• Media advertises its demand for popularity through television shows such as FRIENDS and numerous advertisements. 6

• Soft drink companies target the young consumers by using celebrities and entertainers to market their products.  Prize giveaways or catchy slogans help these companies appeal to the young consumer.

• A study published in Pediatrics showed that out of 191 students of ages 12 to 15 nearly 70% of their daily caffeine were from soft drinks.  Problems like these lead to more problems for teens such as staying awake late in the night and having to wake up early for school, thus hindering them in different areas. 5

Physiological Effects

Caffeine: Physiological Effects  

    Caffeine is the most consumed used drug because of it is found in the most widely used substances. It is a habit forming substance that can develop high levels of tolerance. Because it stimulates the Central Nervous system, low doses of caffeine intake can cause increase in concentration and attention. Motor activity increases and rapid, clearer thought is produced. In high levels of caffeine intake, the reverse can occur causing a person to feel anxious or jittery.  

    During high levels of caffeine intake, the central nervous system is the first to be stimulated. The cortex, the medulla, and the spinal cord are all stimulated next as the dosage increases. If reached to a point in which the body can no longer sustain the amount t of caffeine absorbed through the body, convulsions may occur or even death. 10 grams or more of caffeine are needed for such toxicity. 

    The effects of caffeine on the cardiovascular system are less profound than in the Central Nervous system. Its direct effect on the heart may be neutralized by its central vagus stimulation. Caffeine dilates the blood vessels but its direct effect is constriction. This is more evident during higher dosages of caffeine consumption. Headaches can be a result of decrease blood flow as a result of the increased cerebral resistance.  

    Brain cells, called neurons, transmit electrical energy so that we can go about our daily business. Adenosine, a by product of this cellular activity, is produced. If the activity is too high, the adenosine molecule will be produced in greater quantity, some binding to adenosine receptors and some to the neuron membrane. The high concentration of adenosine molecules will cause it to bind to a large number of adenosine receptors. This binding will cause the activity of the neuron to slow down. The slowing of the neuron activity is why we feel the need to sleep. When caffeine is involved it blocks the ability to bind adenosine to its receptor therefore the slowing of the neurons does not occur and the brain activity remains in an excited state. 

    Like the brain, the kidney also has adenosine receptors, although they serve a different function. The adenosine receptors in the kidney control blood flow and the amount of urine excreted. Caffeine enters the blood stream increasing the blood flow to the kidneys, thus more urine is created. 

    Xanthines, a crucial molecule necessary for the construction and maintenance of DNA, are a chemical that is naturally produced by humans. Caffeine belongs to the same group of chemicals. Waste Xanthine is converted into uric acid through enzymatic activity and then excreted in urine. Three methyl groups are added to convert a xanthine into caffeine. 1 carbon atom and 3 hydrogen atoms. Caffeine resembles the adenosine molecule by its three dimensional shape which is necessary to know in order to understand how caffeine affects the body. Though they have different chemical compositions. 15, 16, 17

Did you know...

• A typical lethal dose of caffeine is 10 grams, however people have been known to survive from 24 grams by ingestion.9

• In a 5 ounce cup of coffee there are 60-150 mg of caffeine depending upon how it is brewed.10

• Worldwide, 120,000 tons of caffeine are consumed in a year.10

• The average American person consumes 211 mg of caffeine in a day. Heavy users consume up to 2000 mg a day, which is equal to about 10 cups of coffee.

• Women metabolize caffeine 25% faster than men.

• A study shows that women become more addicted than men 4

• A cup of coffee does NOT help to sober up after drinking any more than drinking water.8 

• The word "coffee" was at one time a term for wine, but was later used to describe a black drink made from berries of a coffee tree.

• Caffeine is on the International Olympic Committee list of prohibited substances.  Athletes who test for more than 12 micrograms of caffeine per milliliter of urine may be banned from the Olympic Games.9

• The word "tip" goes back to the old London coffeehouses? There were brass boxes with the words "To Insure Promptness" etched to encourage customers to pay for more efficient service.  The resulting acronym, TIP, has become a byword. 

References

1.  Inaba, Pharm.D., D., & Cohen, W.E. (2004). Uppers, Downers, All Arounders. Oregon: CNS Publications, Inc.

2. Marr, B. (2002). Addictions to coffee, sugar, caffeine. Available: http://www.innerself.com/Health/addictions_10172.htm

3. Adelman, M.D., S., & Bozian, M.D., R. (2000). Caffeine addiction. Available:

        http://www.medhelp.org/forums/addiction/messages/30262a.html

4. Greenberg, J.L., Lewis, S.E., & Dodd, D.K. (1999). Overlapping addictions and self-esteem among college men and

        women. Available:  

        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov./entrez/query.fcgicmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=abstract&list_uids=10466852

5. Elias, M. (2003). Caffeine may affect sleep habits of teens. Available:

        http://www.detnews.com/2003/health/0301/09/d0154397.htm

6. Toth, C. (2000). Caffeine teens. Available: http://myadvertiser.com/2000/Jul/09/islandlife21.html

7. Griffiths, R.R., Juliano, L.M., & Chausmer, A.L. (2003). Information about caffeine dependence. Available:

        http://www.caffeinedependence.org/caffeine_dependence.html#tolerance

8. Burchfield, G. (1997). About this Episode: Caffeine. Available www.abc.net.au/quantum/poison/caffeine/caffeine.htm

9. Chudler, E.H. (2004). Neuroscience for Kids: Caffeine. Available: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/caff.html

10. Mountanos Bros. Coffee Co. (2004). The Chemistry form Caffeine and Related Products. Available: http://coffeefaq.com/caffaq.html

11. Erowid. (2003).  The vaults of Erowid: Caffeine chemsitry. Eroid.org [online]. Available: 

           http://www.erowid.org/entheogens/caffeine/caffeine_chemistry.shtml

12. Weil, A. & Rosen, W. (1998). From Chocolate to Morphine. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co.

13. Debenedette, V. (1996). The Drug Library Caffeine. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Publishers.

14. Lee, R. S., & Lee, M. P. (1994). Caffeine and Nicotine. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.

15. Hons Marshall, Sarah. (2002).Caffeine: Its sides effects, sources, burning fat, physiological effects and sport            

        performance. Available: http://www.myfit.ca/archives/viewanarticle.asp?table=supplement&ID=18 

 16. Bolton, Sanford Ph.D, Null, Gary M.S. (1981) Caffeine: Physiological Effects, Use and Abuse. Available:            

        http://www.garynul.com/documents.caffeineeffets.htm

17. Palmer, Julie. (1998) The Drug of the Ages.  Available: www.esb.utexas.edu/palmer/bio303/group14/CAFFEINE.HTM