Caffeine is addictive, psychoactive drug that is a central nervous stimulant. It is the most universally consumed, and studied drug. Many people, such as myself, have developed a dependency on caffeine due to it’s ability to hinder certain functions that cause sleepiness. Although the effects of caffeine seem desirable to many, it has a long economic history and may have a relation to many negative side effects.
Caffeine’s structure is remarkably similar to those of theophylline, which is in tea, and theobromine, present in cocoa. The only structural differences are the amount and location of the CH3 groups in each structure (caffeine having three and the others only two). Caffeine is found in many South American plants as well as coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao pods, cola nuts, mate leaves, guarana seeds, and yoco plants.
Many claim that they drink coffee because it wakes them up, but this belief is inaccurate. Caffeine simply renders certain processes that tire the brain and body. For instance, it protects against the effect of adenosine, a chemical that makes us sleepy, in the brain and parts of the body. Caffeine is a neuromodular, meaning that it decreases the frequency in which spontaneous nerve firing occurs. In turn, causing the release of other transmitters to slow down, which induce sleep.
Caffeine’s historic and present medical uses include the relief and prevention of asthma, treatment of migraines, increased blood pressure, and used as a diuretic. Although many may think caffeine is a miracle drug, it has a relationship to many negative side effects as well. These include links to certain cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis, ulcers, liver disease, kidney disease, sperm motility, decreased fertility, and negative effects on fetal development. There is no solid proof of a connection between moderate amounts of caffeine consumption and these effects, but it is considered a toxic drug. Ten grams of caffeine ingested by an average-sized adult would be a fatal dosage. This may sound shocking, but 10 grams of caffeine measures out to be between 55 and 125 cups of coffee, and twice the amount for tea.
It does not only affect individuals’ health, but has a history of causing political, economic, and environmental disputes and issues. The political and economic disparities that Haiti continues to face today are mainly attributed to the violent revolt against horrendous conditions of slaves used to produce coffee and sugar in 1791. It also caused the abolition of slavery in Brazil to be delayed in order to continue availability of cheap labor to produce coffee. In turn, it fueled Brazil’s economic growth, but for the price of deforestation, and the destruction of natural land and native animals to make space. Coffee plantation owners held power in the government and economics in many countries in Central America during this time, causing many similar issues and conflicts.
I never knew how caffeine worked in human systems to produce the addictive results that many crave. After looking at the medical uses, negative side effects, and historical issues associated with caffeine I’ve begun to think about my own consumption of the drug. Now that I know what causes the effects of caffeine on my brain and body, I wonder what long term, or future impacts it’s having within me as well. Just as Haiti experiences severe disparities currently due to the caffeine craze in 1791, do our bodies also suffer from the past and continued consumption of caffeine?