Caffeine is an alkaloid found in coffee and other beverages and foods.
Caffeine is an alkaloid present in coffee , chocolate , tea and mate , which is part of the xanthine group. It is a diuretic, cardiotonic substance that stimulates the central nervous system.
It should be noted that an alkaloid is an organic nitrogenous compound. In the case of the xanthine group, they are compounds derived from purine (a nitrogenous base that has a pair of heterocyclic rings).
Characteristics of caffeine
The German Friedrich Ferdinand Runge (1795-1867) was the discoverer of caffeine, whose taste is bitter. This alkaloid works as a psychoactive drug due to its effects on the central nervous system : its consumption helps reduce the state of drowsiness and temporarily restores the level of alertness.
When drinking infusions such as mate, coffee or tea we always ingest a certain amount of caffeine. The same thing happens if we drink soft drinks ( sodas ) made with kola nut , or if we eat chocolate: we also incorporate caffeine into the body.
Caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive drug in the world. A cup of coffee, for example, can contain between eighty and one hundred twenty-five milligrams of caffeine. When a person is sleepy but wants to stay awake, they may drink a cup of coffee so that the caffeine in the drink can take effect on their body and help wake them up.
Mate is an infusion with caffeine.
Other aspects to consider
Other aspects to keep in mind about caffeine are the following:
- Taking a significant excess of caffeine per day can push the body to the limit, so much so that there have been cases of death.
- There are different people who are not advised to consume products with caffeine. We are referring to both minors and people with heart problems and even pregnant women. The latter are not recommended to drink caffeine because it can cause their babies to be underweight and cause premature birth and even abortion.
- One of the curious peculiarities of caffeine is that it is capable of increasing body temperature.
- There are people who turn to this substance to lose weight. And it is considered to have a good function as a fat burner.
- It is also considered to significantly improve sports performance and help develop cognitive tasks.
- Caffeine can be found in a total of 60 different plants. Thus, in addition to mate or cocoa, it is found in guarana berries and camilla sinensis, for example.
Negative effects of caffeine
It is important to mention that if an excessive amount of caffeine is ingested, the individual can suffer from poisoning . Among its symptoms are gastrointestinal disorders, increased diuresis and a general state of excitement.
In the same way, we must not overlook the fact that caffeine can bring with it another series of consequences such as dependence, headaches, an increase in blood pressure, problems falling asleep, dizziness, heart palpitations. rapids and dehydration.