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Caffeine

  • By: Elizabeth A. Olson
  • In: Green Health: An A-to-Z Guide
  • Edited by: Oladele Ogunseitan
  • Subject:Environmental Technology, Policy & Management, Geography of Health

Caffeine, most commonly found in the form of coffee bean or tea leaf infusions, has been used by humans since the Paleolithic period. Caffeine is a part of many pharmacological repertoires around the globe because it is easily harnessed from specific plant products and has known effects on the central nervous system. The industries producing two of the most common sources of caffeine, coffee and tea, are both parts of sustainable development programs in many areas of the developing world.

A tea plantation in Tzaneen, South Africa. The tea industry is making an effort to address the harmful effects of tea production, which include soil erosion, water pollution, and deforestation resulting from the harvesting of firewood to dry tea leaves.

Chinese legend attributes the discovery of tea ...

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