CAFFEINE
Chapter: Entheogens
Read about CAFFEINE in "Drug safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding" section
Food Sources: Bissy nut, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, gotu kola, guarana, mate, soft drinks, tea (excluding many herbal teas), some stimulant drugs sold by mail or over-the-counter, and many over-the-counter medications.
Effects: Caffeine is one of the most powerful legal stimulants; it gives a mental boost by releasing adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream. It interferes on a cellular level with the compound adenosine, in effect flatlining the body's state of arousal, allowing the body to shift into high gear. It may also affect dopamine, acetylcholine, and other neurotransmitters. All coffee, including decaffeinated, contains at least three compounds that act like opiates, or heroin, on the brain. It improves typing skills, mental alertness, energy, reaction time, concentration, and accuracy in performing tasks, and relieves fatigue, mainly by causing the release of norepinephrine in the brain. It improves physical endurance by stimulating the skeletal muscles, increases the production of stomach acid and urine, causes bowel movements, and dilates the bronchial tubes (making it easier to breathe). According to studies, it has no effect on memory or clarity of thought. In addition, the presence of polyphenols in coffee and tea may prevent cancer by inhibiting the conversion of highly carcinogenic nitrosamines in the body. A few cups of coffee a day can help prevent gallstones in men, and four to five cups a day can reduce colorectal cancer by 24 percent.
Precautions: It should not be taken by anyone who is allergic to stimulants, has heart disease or irregular heartbeats, who suffers from insomnia, anxiety, or panic disorders, or has a peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum. A physician should be consulted first if any of the following conditions are present: hypoglycemia, epilepsy, or high blood pressure. To discontinue use, gradually decrease the amount over a month or more, or headaches, irritability, and drowsiness may result.
Not all researchers are convinced of its mental benefits. Some studies show no improvement in recall or response time, and others show that high doses can impair a person's ability to work with numbers. And it may have a negative effect on a person's ability to quickly process ambiguous or confusing stimuli. Any improvements in mental functioning may peak at a certain dosage, then decline with increasing consumption. Overall, caffeine may benefit the performance of simple tasks but have no effect on more complex ones such as reading comprehension or advanced mathematics.
Though it is readily absorbed into the bloodstream, researchers still do not understand its full effects upon the human body. Caffeine can lead to a condition in coffee drinkers called coffee intoxication, in which more than four or five cups a day results in irritability, muscle twitches, rambling speech and thought, and trouble sleeping. It can also worsen existing health problems, and may contribute to birth defects, bladder and colon cancer, kidney disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, abnormal heart rhythms, stomach ulcers, and heart disease, though more recent studies refute these findings. When combined with sugar, as in many cola drinks, it can be particularly addictive or habit-forming. It does not replenish a person's noradrenaline once it is used up, and either depletes or limits the absorption of many vitamins and minerals. Withdrawal symptoms can begin 12 to 36 hours after the last dose, and can include lethargy, irritability, severe throbbing headaches, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and possibly even nausea and vomiting; symptoms can last from one and one-half to seven days.
Other adverse effects include heart palpitations, high blood pressure, muscle twitches, rapid heartbeat, low blood sugar, nervousness, insomnia, increased urination, anxiety, indigestion, increased production of gastrointestinal acid, rectal itching, constipation, impaired concentration, a weakened immune system, bladder irritation and urinary problems (especially in women), and interference with DNA replication. It has been shown to trigger panic attacks in susceptible people - which it does by lowering the body's production of DHEA and increasing its production of cortisol - and interfere with the ability to sleep in most coffee drinkers. Decaffeinated coffee still contains some caffeine and can also cause these symptoms. More severe and infrequent symptoms include confusion, nausea, stomach ulcers, indigestion, and a burning feeling in the stomach. Overdose symptoms include excitement, insomnia, rapid heartbeat, confusion, fever, hallucinations, convulsions, and coma.
More than five cups a day can increase the heart attack risk to three times that of a non-coffee drinker. Long-term high-dose caffeine intake can promote calcium loss due to its diuretic effect, weakening bones. The lethal dosage has been estimated to be about 10 grams. If caffeine must be consumed, it should be derived from plant sources, as the synthetic form does not have the fat-burning properties the natural form does. As for the natural forms, kola nut and yerba mate are the best caffeine sources, guarana is adequate, and tea and coffee rank lowest. Boiled or percolated coffee can increase serum cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease; drip coffee does not, as the paper niters absorb the harmful oils in the coffee grounds.
Food and drug interactions are also a cause for concern. Grapefruit juice can increase the level of caffeine and extend its effects by up to one-third. Certain antibiotics such as Cipro (ciprofloxacin) and Penetrex (enoxacin) can significantly intensify and prolong the effects of caffeine. Consuming it with other caffeine-containing drugs, central nervous system stimulants, or sympathomimetics can result in overstimulation; with Cimetidine (Tagamet), oral contraceptives, or Isoniazid, increased sensitivity to the effects of the caffeine (Tagamet can increase caffeine levels by as much as 70 percent); with sedatives, sleep inducers, or tranquilizers, increased sensitivity to the sedative or tranquilizer; with MAO inhibitors, dangerously high blood pressure; and with thyroid hormones, an increase in the thyroid effect. Combined with caffeinated beverages, caffeine is likely to be more stimulating. Taken with alcohol, caffeine can slow a person's reaction time and intensify the effects of alcohol; with cocaine, it can lead to convulsions or extreme nervousness; with marijuana, it can lead to an increased effect of both substances along with a rapid heartbeat; and with tobacco, it can lead to an accelerated heartbeat and a decreased caffeine effect.
Some mail-order "look-alike" drugs that mimic amphetamines have reportedly triggered strokes and irregular heartbeats that ultimately led to death, but this may be blamed more on the stimulant phenylprolanolamine (PPA) than on the caffeine and ephedrine found in these drugs. Still, the health problems associated with ephedrine and caffeine have led the FDA to ban drugs and diet aids that contain these two ingredients.
Dosage: The majority of the research shows that healthy people can consume up to two cups of coffee (200 mg) a day without suffering any ill effects; more than 300 mg of caffeine a day, however, is not recommended. Green tea, in addition to containing about 100 mg of caffeine per serving, contains polyphenols, or strong antioxidant nutrients (which protect against arterial damage that can eventually result in heart attacks or stroke), making it preferable to black tea. Adding milk ties up some of the beneficial chemicals, rendering them useless.
Questions and Answers
does caffeine exist in most plants?, I know that caffeine is found in tea and coffee, how about other herbs or flowers that are used in the same way.
Besides tea and coffee, caffeine also occurs in cacao pods and hence in cocoa and chocolate products; in kola nuts, used in the preparation of cola drinks; and in the ilex plant, from whose leaves the popular South American beverage yerba mate is prepared
Caffeine stops you from getting taller or make you shorter?, I'm 5'11 (maybe even 5'10). I am 17 years old and I run 5 miles everyday. I weight 137lbs.
I've been on diet (1500-18000 calories a day) and taking some pills that will lose me some man boobs. The pill is called gynexin and they are claimed to made of only natural herbs, green tea extract, etc...They have caffeine in it too.
Will I be able to grow maybe another 1-2 inches?
you're 5'11/5'10 and you have man boobs?????im 5'8 and 137 and can barely fit into an A
Tea that helps with alertness without caffeine that works the first time I take it?, Maybe herbal teas? I know herbs sometimes have to be taken for a month before they become effective, but I need something to use to keep alert before my Ginseng kick in (which will take over for alertness when it does kick in).
I have to avoid caffeine for a health condition.
Apples are a great, healthy way to keep awake. I've actually tried it myself. I don't think cutting them up is as effective (you lose a lot of the juices) as biting into them and letting the juices flow. From experience, it's worked almost immediately. I know it's not a tea, but I suggested this to another person who wanted a drink that would keep her awake and she's reported that it DOES work. =] It sounds weird, but I'm just sharing what I know. Good luck.
Tea that helps with alertnes without caffeine that works the first time I take it?, Maybe herbal teas? I know herbs sometimes have to be taken for a month before they become effective, but I need something to use to keep alert before my Ginseng kick in (which will take over for alertness when it does kick in).
I have to avoid caffeine for a health condition.
Not all herbs take a month to kick in, even ginseng bud kicks in right way for me, not the root though. Mate tea has a caffeine like substance and works well or better than green or black tea. It has a cult like following similiar to coffee. I like it but too much and I get a weird headache. If you need a real rush try bringham tea which has pseudo-ephedra in it.
What herb(s) can I use to make a good type of hot tea (with no caffeine)?, I like to drink hot tea in the evenings. I used to drink cinnamon tea on a nightly basis until someone told me that it's not good to ingest cinnamon every day because it's supposedly bad for your liver.
So, what other types of herb(s) can I use to make tea with?
And please no weird hard-to-find herbs. I just want something that I can easily find at any local supermarket.
Chamomile Tea is extremely easy to find and even has variations of flavor. It is a relaxant tea that reduces stress and helps you fall asleep. It won't knock you out like a sedative but relaxes the mind to provide an easy and fulfilling sleep. I drink it at night after a long day and it hits the spot. Peace.
Can tea lose the caffeine depending on it's age?, I found some tea in my cupboard and am wondering if the caffeine would still be there. I can't imagine that it wouldn't, but I'm still curious. The caffeine in tea is a natural herb, not made from a chemical. Not that that should make a difference. I'm simply assuming that someone out there may know more than me =)
I dont believe that it can like you said its natural so it should lose its caffeine!
Which has the least amount of caffeine Clipper regular tea or Luaka tea ?, I want to reduce my caffeine intake.I have tried decaff teas and didnt like them.I am not too keen on herb teas either
tea
korkie
Does Coffee or drinks that contain Caffeine help keep you stay shorter?, Is there any research that drinks that contain caffeine help stop your growth? If no, then what foods, drinks, herbs, ect.. help do that? My daughter is 5'4" and she is 11, and she does not want to grow enormous.
I have never heard of such thing! and I don't think caffeine has anything to do with height. She is too young to drink caffeine too! However, if your daughter is playing basketball or swimming, I would recommend that she switches to another type of sports that won't elongate her bones.
Is it ok to drink energy drinks while taking antidepressants?, I'm currently taking Luvox (an SSRI that's supposed to help OCD) and I want to drink these energy drinks I bought (Rockstar). I already drank one yesterday, and it didn't seem to do anything bad, but you never know. They have all this caffeine and herbs and stuff...is the combination safe?
actually some studies suggests people who drink energy drinks get depressed once a while is okay but please talk to a doctor or a phamarcist
