XV. CAFFEINE: 101

CAFFEINE 101: Benefits of Caffeine

 

 What is Caffeine?

Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive drug, but — unlike many other psychoactive substances — it is legal and unregulated in nearly all parts of the world. There are several known mechanisms of action to explain the effects of caffeine. The most prominent is that it reversibly blocks the action of adenosine on its receptor and consequently prevents the onset of drowsiness induced by adenosine. Caffeine also stimulates certain portions of the autonomic nervous system.

 

 

The Science of Caffeine:

It’s important to keep in mind that caffeine isn’t really giving you energy, because in reality that energy drink you’re drinking is really just blocking a signal to your brain. Adenosine stands to the side and waits to tell your brain you’re tired, while caffeine continues to occupy its position inside your brain. The longer you’re awake, the more adenosine builds up inside your brains.
Once caffeine detaches from the receptors, adenosine can bond with its brain cells, slow them down and make you feel the natural tired you were originally meant to feel, and then some. This is also known as the crash, which most caffeine consumers experience. Caffeine just puts off the inevitable inside the brain, which is why the next morning a regular coffee drinker will have symptoms of withdrawal and cause them to reach for their next cup in a cyclical effort to stay awake.

Products of Caffeine:

 

 

 

13 Health Benefits of Caffeine: 

 

1. Coffee Can Improve Energy Levels and Make You Smarter

Bottom Line: Caffeine blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, which leads to a stimulant effect. This improves energy levels, mood and various aspects of brain function.

2. Coffee Can Help You Burn Fat

Bottom Line: Several studies show that caffeine can increase fat burning in the body and boost the metabolic rate.

3. The Caffeine Can Drastically Improve Physical Performance

Bottom Line: Caffeine can increase adrenaline levels and release fatty acids from the fat tissues. It also leads to significant improvements in physical performance.

4. There Are Essential Nutrients in Coffee

Bottom Line: Coffee contains several important nutrients, including Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Manganese, Potassium, Magnesium and Niacin.

5. Coffee May Lower Your Risk of Type II Diabetes

Bottom Line: Several observational studies show that coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of getting type II diabetes, a serious disease that currently afflicts about 300 million people worldwide.

6. Coffee May Protect You From Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

Bottom Line: Coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease, which is a leading cause of dementia worldwide.

7. Caffeine May Lower The Risk of Parkinson’s

Bottom Line: Coffee drinkers have up to a 60% lower risk of getting Parkinson’s disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disorder.

8. Coffee Appears to Have Protective Effects on The Liver

Bottom Line: Coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of developing cirrhosis, which can be caused by several diseases that affect the liver.

9. Coffee Can Fight Depression and Make You Happier

Bottom Line: Coffee appears to lower the risk of developing depression and may dramatically reduce the risk of suicide.

10. Coffee Drinkers Have a Lower Risk of Some Types of Cancer

Bottom Line: Liver and colorectal cancer are the 3rd and 4th leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Coffee drinkers have a lower risk of both.

11. Coffee Does Not Cause Heart Disease and May Lower The Risk of Stroke

Bottom Line: Coffee may cause mild increases in blood pressure, which usually diminish over time. Coffee drinkers do not have an increased risk of heart disease, but a slightly lower risk of stroke.

12. Coffee May Help You Live Longer

Bottom Line: Several studies show that coffee drinkers live longer and have a lower risk of premature death

13. Coffee is The Biggest Source of Antioxidants in The Western Diet

 

SOURCE: Wikipedia