Caffeine

Caffeine, or trimethylxanthine, is a substance that appears naturally in plants such as coffee, tea, cacao, guarane, and kola nuts. In some cases, it acts as a pesticide by killing insects feeding on the plant. Caffeine acts as a stimulant to the central nervous system and has become the most commonly taken psychoactive drug in the world, with large international industries promoting the drinking of coffee and tea as a sophisticated lifestyle choice, in addition to its stimulant effects. Carbonated cola drinks also make use of caffeine to different extents and, in recent years, there have been considerable marketing efforts to promote hypercaffeinated soft drinks as a means of staving off fatigue and increasing personal productivity. These drinks are subject to abuse and, taken in large quantities, can lead to medical problems such as heart disease or even failure. A typical cup of coffee might contain 100 milligrams of caffeine, because caffeine represents some 0.7 to 1.5 percent of coffee by total weight. The caffeine content of a cup of tea may be around 40 milligrams, although tea varies a great deal in this regard, while soft drinks vary between 10 to 80 milligrams of caffeine per serving. These drinks are part of an enormous global trade that links impoverished coffee growers, powerful and wealthy intermediaries and coffee companies, and the consumers of the world's cities and suburbs. Coffee growing has become central to the struggle for justice in the fair-trade movement.

Regular users of caffeine, who include the great majority of adults in most Western countries and in those countries where coffee is typically grown, report increased liveliness and thought stimulation after imbibing caffeine in the preferred format. In some cases, it is believed that physical performance can also be increased for a relatively short time after taking caffeine. This effect intensifies with the dose of caffeine taken, which varies in efficacy from person to person and with regularity of usage. Negative impacts include sleeplessness, heart problems, and nervous irritability.

Withdrawal from caffeine use can lead to headaches and nausea, caused by excess flow of blood to the head. The period of withdrawal symptoms ranges up to five days, depending on the length and intensity of the usage. This means that caffeine should be considered an addictive substance. However, the use of caffeine is not regulated as a general principle anywhere in the world. Nevertheless, after the sudden deaths of several young people who were believed to have drunk a highly caffeinated soft drink and possibly combined it with vodka, regulation was suggested in some European countries, despite lack of definitive proof.

An average cup of coffee contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine and it represents some 0.7 to 1.5 percent of coffee by total weight.

[Page 330]Other results of overuse of caffeine include sleep disorders and anxiety, with more extreme cases leading to heart palpitations. Because the drinking of caffeine stimulates the production of gastric acid, excessive drinking can lead to the formation of peptic ulcers and the problems associated with them. Extreme use of caffeine can lead some individuals into a state of extreme excitability and can be related to an inability to think or communicate coherently. Repeated long-term use can also produce similar symptoms in some people; office workers are likely to be particularly susceptible to such problems, owing to the sedentary nature of working life and the easy availability of caffeinated products. In recent years, efforts have been made to promote and market decaffeinated products and to make people aware of negative effects of the substance.

...