Decoding caffeine: Benefits, risks and common myths from a medical toxicologist
In the bustling world of academia—where late nights and early mornings are often the norm—caffeine reigns supreme as an elixir of productivity.
Mar 20, 2024
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In the bustling world of academia—where late nights and early mornings are often the norm—caffeine reigns supreme as an elixir of productivity.
Mar 20, 2024
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When Dr. David Kao tells patients they have atrial fibrillation—an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm that can lead to stroke, blood clots or other health issues—their first question is usually "Do I have to give ...
Mar 4, 2024
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Caffeine restriction can help improve and reduce the severity of primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (PMNE), according to a study recently published in BMJ Paediatrics Open.
Feb 2, 2024
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You probably know that tea and coffee contain caffeine, but did you know it also can be found in other drinks, food and some medications?
Jan 22, 2024
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Caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive compound in the world. Even if you don't drink coffee or tea, you probably still regularly consume caffeine since it's found in everything from fizzy drinks and cold remedies to ...
Jan 17, 2024
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As we enter the festive season it's a good time to think about what all those celebratory alcoholic drinks can do to your gut.
Dec 27, 2023
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A study published in the Behavioural Brain Research by Staffordshire University and Shiraz University in Iran has found that while consuming caffeine before a game can improve the accuracy of soccer passes, it can have an ...
Dec 11, 2023
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The first known study to look at the combined real-world effects of alcohol and caffeine on nightly sleep quality and quantity came up with an unexpected finding—at first.
Nov 9, 2023
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Many people kick off their day with a large cup of coffee or two, but the amount of caffeine actually coming in these drinks is not so clear-cut.
Nov 2, 2023
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Women typically go through menopause between the ages of 45–55. It's a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman's reproductive cycle. This transition can usher in many symptoms, including hot flashes, anxiety ...
Oct 19, 2023
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Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that is a psychoactive stimulant drug. Caffeine was discovered by a German chemist, Friedrich Ferdinand Runge, in 1819. He coined the term "kaffein", a chemical compound in coffee, which in English became caffeine. Caffeine is also part of the chemical mixtures and insoluble complexes guaranine found in guarana, mateine found in mate, and theine found in tea; all of which contain additional alkaloids such as the cardiac stimulants theophylline and theobromine, and often other chemicals such as polyphenols which can form insoluble complexes with caffeine.
Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the beans, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants. It is most commonly consumed by humans in infusions extracted from the cherries of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush, as well as from various foods and drinks containing products derived from the kola nut. Other sources include yerba mate, guarana berries, and the Yaupon Holly.
In humans, caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, having the effect of temporarily warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness. Beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks enjoy great popularity. Caffeine is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive substance, but unlike many other psychoactive substances it is legal and unregulated in nearly all jurisdictions. In North America, 90% of adults consume caffeine daily. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists caffeine as a "Multiple Purpose Generally Recognized as Safe Food Substance".
Caffeine has diuretic properties, at least when administered in sufficient doses to subjects who do not have a tolerance for it. Regular users, however, develop a strong tolerance to this effect, and studies have generally failed to support the common notion that ordinary consumption of caffeinated beverages contributes significantly to dehydration.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA