Everyone knows about the magical little ingredient in your coffee or favorite energy drink, but do you know what caffeine really is? Caffeine is a psychoactive compound that naturally occurs in plant species in the tropical or subtropical regions. Early human civilizations discovered the stimulating effects of the plants containing caffeine, after which the trade of tea and coffee began to spread caffeine around the world. Caffeine is an alkaloid, a naturally occurring class of organic nitrogen-containing bases, like morphine and nicotine. Caffeine in its purest state is known as trimethylxanthine and is odorless but does have a very bitter taste.

You now know what caffeine is, but do you know what it does? Caffeine is processed in your liver and then becomes broken down into three separate compounds: theobromine, theophylline, and paraxanthine. According to CaffeineInformer.com, a 200 mg dose of caffeine, which is equivalent to about a cup of coffee, would take about 40 hours to metabolize in your body, but you would only notice the strongest effects in the first 5-6 hours after ingestion. The beneficial effects you will experience include alertness and a rise in energy. This is because caffeine blocks adenosine, a neurotransmitter that calms the body and nerves before sleep, and your body begins producing adrenaline and epinephrine instead, plus, caffeine can help with headaches as it is used as a pain reliever aid. Dopamine levels in the brain also rise when you take caffeine, leading to an increase of happiness. These are just the short-term effects of caffeine. Possible beneficial long-term effects from regular consumption include improved memory, helps protect against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, can increase stamina during exercise, helps prevent asthma attacks, reduces kidney stone risk, etc. Sadly, as with everything in the world, too much caffeine can be a bad thing. Short-term effects of caffeine that affect you negatively include jitters, anxiety, increased heart rate, etc. A few negative long-term effects of caffeine include increased blood pressure, insomnia, headaches, nervousness or anxiety, depression, etc. Typically, these effects only occur if you consume over the recommended dosage, but sometimes some people are more susceptible to caffeine and others are more tolerant. Because of this, some people experience negative effects after just one cup of coffee, while others don’t experience effects until several cups of coffee. I have posted my sources below, so feel free to visit these sites and find out more.

https://www.caffeineinformer.com/top-10-caffeine-health-benefits

https://www.caffeineinformer.com/harmful-effects-of-caffeine

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678?pg=1