otherhealth.com  

Go Back   otherhealth.com > Holistic Therapies > Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 5th August 2008, 02:46 AM
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: hangzhou
Posts: 5
sunnye is on a distinguished road
Default More about Caffeine

Caffeine (C8H10N4O2) is the common name for trimethylxanthine (systematic name is 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine or 3,7-dihydro-1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6-dione). The chemical is also known as coffeine, theine, mateine, guaranine, or methyltheobromine. Caffeine is naturally produced by several plants, including coffee beans, guarana, yerba maté, cacao beans, and tea. For the plants, caffeine acts as a natural pesticide. It paralyzes and kills insects that attempt to feed on the plants. The molecule was first isolated by the German chemist Friedrich Ferdinand Runge in 1819.
When purified, caffeine is an intensely bitter white powder. It is added to colas and other soft drinks to impart a pleasing bitter note. However, caffeine is also an addictive stimulant. In humans, it stimulates the central nervous system, heart rate, and respiration, has psychotropic (mood altering) properties, and acts as a mild diuretic.
A normal dose of caffeine is generally considered to be 100 mg, which is roughly the amount found in a cup of coffee. However, more than half of all American adults consume more than 300 mg of caffeine every day, which makes it America's most popular drug. Caffeine is generally consumed in coffee, cola, chocolate, and tea, although it is also available over-the-counter as a stimulant.
Caffeine is believed to work by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain and other organs. This reduces the ability of adenosine to bind to the receptors, which would slow down cellular activity. The stimulated nerve cells release the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline), which increases heart rate, blood pressure, and blood flow to muscles, decreases blood flow to the skin and organs, and causes the liver to release glucose. Caffeine also increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
Caffeine is quickly and completely removed from the brain. Its effects are short-lived and it tends not to negatively affect concentration or higher brain functions. However, continued exposure to caffeine leads to developing a tolerance to it. Tolerance causes the body to become sensitized to to adenosine, so withdrawal causes blood pressure to drop, which can result in a headache and other symptoms. Too much caffeine can result in caffeine intoxication, which is characterized by nervousness, excitement, increased urination, insomnia, flushed face, cold hands/feet, intestinal complaints, and sometimes hallucinations. Some people experience the symptoms of caffeine intoxication after ingesting as little as 250 mg per day. The lethal ingested dose, for an adult person, is estimated to be 13-19 grams. While generally considered safe for people, caffeine can be very toxic to household pets, such as dogs, horses, or parrots. Caffeine intake has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of type II diabetes mellitus. In addition to use as a stimulant and flavoring agent, caffeine is included in many over-the-counter headache remedies.
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 3rd October 2008, 09:28 PM
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 1
dluton is on a distinguished road
Default

Well I read your post but at the end of it what do we make of the caffeine, as you have depicted both the pros and cons of the substance should we refrain from it? As far my opinion goes anything taken in moderation should not call in any disturbances for the body functions but as you referred here in some cases people ailing from diabetes can treat this as their saviours. Interesting find I must say.
__________________
Narconon Vistabay
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
caffeine addict Didi Ananda Rucira Homeopathy List Discussion 0 13th October 2007 05:15 AM
What's up with caffeine? cscottie Homeopathy Discussion 14 20th October 1999 11:35 AM
fibroids and caffeine cscottie Homeopathy Discussion 13 15th October 1999 03:07 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 01:07 AM.



The information contained on OtherHealth.com arises by way of discussion between contributors and should not be treated as a substitute for the advice provided by your own personal physician or other health care professional. None of the contributions on this site are an endorsement by the site owners of any particular product, or a recommendation as to how to treat any particular disease or health-related condition. If you suspect you have a disease or health-related condition of any kind, you should contact your own health care professional immediately. Please read the BB Rules for further details.
Please consult personally with your own health care professional before starting any diet, exercise, supplementation or medication program.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
SEO by vBSEO 3.2.0
Copyright © 2008 otherhealth.com