Caffeine
You can call it 3,7-dihydro-1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6,-dione OR 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine, but what we are really talking about here is CAFFEINE....probably the most popular drug in the world. We consume caffeine in coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, some soft drinks, and some drugs. The actual source of caffeine is the coffee bean, tea leaf, kola nut and cacao pod. Pure caffeine is odorless and has a bitter taste.
Effects of Caffeine on the Nervous System
Caffeine is classified as a central nervous system stimulant. In moderate doses, caffeine can: increase alertness reduce fine motor coordination alter sleep patterns (increase the time it takes to fall asleep and reduce total sleep time) cause headaches, nervousness and dizziness In massive doses, caffeine is lethal. A fatal dose of caffeine has been calculated to be more than 10 grams (about 170 mg/kg body weight) - this is the same as drinking 80 to 100 cups of coffee in rapid succession - not an easy thing to do.
Caffeine enters the bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine and can have its effects as soon as 15 minutes after it is consumed. Once in the body, caffeine will stay around for hours - it takes about 6 hours for one half of the caffeine to be eliminated.
Caffeine belongs to the xanthine chemical group. Adenosine is a naturally occurring xanthine in the brain that is used as a neurotransmitter at some synapses. One effect of caffeine is to interfere with adenosine at multiple sites in the brain including the reticular formation. Caffeine also acts at other site in the body to increase heart rate, constrict blood vessels, relax air passages to improve breathing and allow some muscles to contract more easily.
Some studies show that caffeine causes physical dependence. One way to tell if someone "needs" that cup of coffee or bottle of Coke is to take it away from them and then see if they have any withdrawal symptoms. Typical withdrawal symptoms associated with caffeine are headache, fatigue and muscle pain. These symptoms can occur within 24 hours after the last dose of caffeine. One study has stated that the minimum consumption of caffeine for physical dependence is 4 cups of coffee per day. Other studies say that a few more cups of coffee are needed to develop dependence.
Did you know?
Legend has it that coffee was "discovered" around 850 AD in upper Egypt by a goat herded named Khaldi. One night, Khaldi's goats did not return home. When he found his goats, Khaldi saw them dancing around a shrub with red berries (coffee beans). After Khaldi tried some of the berries, he started to dance too. Khaldi spoke with some monks who used the berries to make a drink and....coffee was born!
Caffeine can be found in all kinds of items. The following items all contain
various amounts of caffeine:
Drinks
Item Item Size Caffeine Content (mg)
Coffee 150 ml (5 oz) 60-150
Tea 150 ml (5 oz) 40-80
Hot Cocoa 150 ml (5 oz) 1-8
Chocolate Milk 225ml 2-7
Jolt Cola 12 oz 71
Josta 12 oz 58
Mountain Dew 12 oz 54
Surge 12 oz 51
Tab 12 oz 47
Diet Coca Cola 12 oz 46
Coca Cola 12 oz 46
Tab 12 oz 46
Dr. Pepper 12 oz 41
Mr. Pibb 12 oz 40
Pepsi Cola 12 oz 38
RC Cola 12 oz 18
7-Up 12 oz 0
Mug Root Beer 12 oz 0
Sprite 12 oz 0
Food
Item Item Size Caffeine Content (mg)
Ben/Jerry No Fat Coffee
Fudge Froz. Yog. 1 cup 85
Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream 1 cup 40-60
Dannon Coffee Yogurt 8 oz. 45
Chocolate Bar 50 g 3-63
Chunky Bar 1 bar (40 g) 11.6
100 Grand Bar 1 bar (43 g) 11.2
Nestle Crunch Bar 1 bar (40 g) 10
Krackel Bar 1 bar (47 g) 8.5
Peanut Butter Cup 1 pk (51 g) 5.6
Kit Kat Bar 1 bar (46 g) 5
Mr. Goodbar 1 bar (50 g) 5
Raisinets 10 pieces (10 g) 2.5
Butterfinger Bar 1 bar (61 g) 2.4
Baby Ruth Bar 1 bar (60 g) 2.4
Special Dark Sweet Chocolate Bar 1 bar (41 g) 31
Chocolate Brownie 1.25 oz 8
Chocolate Chip Cookie 30 g 3-5
Chocolate Ice Cream 50 g 2-5
Milk Chocolate 1 oz 1-15
Bittersweet Chocolate 1 oz 5-35
Butterfinger Bar 1 bar (2.16 oz) 2
After Eight Mint 2 pc (8 g) 1.6
Jell-O Pudding Pop
Chocolate 1 bar (77 g) 2
Non-prescription Drugs
Item (1 tablet or capsule) Caffeine Content(mg)
Dextrim 200
Vivarin 200
No Doz 100
Excedrin 65
Vanquish 33
Anacin 32
Midol 32
Triaminicin 30
Dristan 16
Sources: Pennington, J.A.T., Food Values of Portions Commonly Used (16th Edition),
J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, 1994; Soft Drink Manufacturers Association; United
States Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service, Handbook
#8-14 (1986) and Handbook #8-19 (1991); Starbuck Co. Information Pamphlet
Researchers have attempted to find out how much caffeine people consume every
day. Americans consume about 45 MILLION pounds of caffeine each year. In the
United States, coffee drinkers drink an average of 2.6 cups per day. Total caffeine
intake for coffee drinkers was 363.5 mg per day - this includes caffeine from
coffee AND other sources like soft drinks, food and drugs. Non-coffee drinkers
even get plenty of caffeine: former coffee drinkers get about 107 mg per day
and people who have never had coffee get about 91 mg per day. (References for
these numbers is Schreiber et al., Measurement of coffee and caffeine intake:
Implications for epidemiolgic research, Preventive Medicine, 17:280-294, 1988
and Chou, T., Wake up and smell the coffee. Caffeine, coffee and the medical
consequences, West. J. Med., 157:544-553, 1992) One more thing to think about...Caffeine
does NOT counteract the effects of alcohol. In other words, coffee does NOT
make a drunk person sober or fit to drive.
Did you know?
The United States imports about 30% of the world's coffee. (Statistic from Prevention's Giant Book of Health Facts, 1991.) In the US, 80% of the adult population drinks coffee or tea daily. (From Benowitz, N.L., Pharmacology of caffeine, Ann. Rev. Medicine, 41:277-288, 1990.)
Did you know?
Caffeine is on the International Olympic Committee list of prohibited substances. Athletes who test positive for more than 12 micrograms of caffeine per milliliter of urine may be banned from the Olympic Games. This level may be reached after drinking about 5 cups of coffee.