APA Papers – Caffeine

Caffeine comes from the word café, a term the French use for coffee. Although caffeine is found in the beans, leaves, and fruit over 60 plant species, it is most commonly associated with the coffee bean plant, kola nuts, and tea leaves. Several other plant species contain caffeine such as cacao, yerba mate, guarana berries, and the yaupon holly. The most commonly used caffeine plants are coffee, tea, and cocoa (ISIC, 2019).?Pure caffeine is called trimethylxanthine and the chemical formula of caffeine is C8H10N4O2 . Caffeine is an alkaline substance, a secondary metabolite, and an organic precursor compound known as xanthosine. The coffee plant produces an enzyme which breaks a clump of atoms from the xanthosine and then a group of atoms forms at another spot. After this process, two additional enzymes are then used to two other clusters. Once this happens, xanthosine is turned into caffeine (Helmenstine, 2017).

As caffeine is a secondary metabolite, it is technically not needed for a plants survival, but it still protects the plant, leaves, and fruit by essentially acting as a shield and pesticide to other plants (Herkewitz, 2014). Coffee leaves are submerged into the soil once they die, wilt, and fall. The soil is then filled with caffeine from the leaves. This poses a problem for other plants as they have difficulty germinating. Because of this, coffee prevents competing plants from growing around it and protects its own surrounding area (Zimmer, 2018). Caffeine not only benefits the coffee plant, but also other plants. When insects and bees feed on the netcar of the coffee plant, their memory is enhanced due to the caffeine compound. They also get an instant buzz just as humans do when they consume caffeine. This process increases the likelihood that the insect will remember the flower and return to it. In turn the insect will keep spreading the pollen of the flower all around and increase the success of its reproduction (Zimmer, 2018). A study by Dr. Geraldine Wright at Neuroethology at Newcastle University shows that caffeine helps the plant as well as the bees feeding on it. Bees that feed on the pollen from a coffee plant continue to attempt to find more of the same plant with the caffeinated nectar. In doing this, they contribute to better pollination and increase their foraging skills and the bees provide the plant with a consistent and reoccurring pollination process (Newcastle, 2013).

Caffeine has a major effect on humans and their central nervous system when consumed. Because caffeine is a stimulant, it fights drowsiness and increases alertness by blocking the neurotransmitter receptors that cause drowsiness (Hartney, 2018). After repeatedly consuming caffeine, a tolerance is built up inside the body and more caffeine may be desired to feel alert. Once consumed, caffeine only lasts around 4-6 hours in the body, so those that rely on the buzz may need to drink numerous cups throughout the day to stay alert (Sagon, n.d.).Too much caffeine can cause withdrawal-like symptoms and long-term overuse of caffeine can lead to many issues such as anxiety, sleep disorders, headaches, heartburn, muscle aches, increased blood pressure, and heart issues. Some of these symptoms are caused by the body experiencing a withdrawal from the caffeine. For example, when the body is experiencing a caffeine withdrawal, the blood vessels in the brain to constrict, causing a headache (Pietrangelo, 2017). However, certain studies have shown that humans who consume non-decaffeinated caffeine regularly have a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimers. It can also stimulate hair growth, reduce fatty liver, and many protect against cataracts (Sagon, n.d.).

References

1. Hartney, E., Elizabeth Hartney, PhD. (2018, September 22). Effects of Caffeine on the Body. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/effects-of-caffeine-on-the-body-21841
2. N. (2013, March 7). Bees get a buzz from flower nectar containing caffeine. Retrieved January 9, 2019, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307145257.htm
3. I. (2018). Coffee & Health. Retrieved January 11, 2019, from https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/topic-overview/sources-of-caffeine/
4. Helmenstine, A., Ph.D. (2017, September 5). Caffeine Chemistry. Retrieved January 10, 2019, from https://www.thoughtco.com/chemistry-of-caffeine-608500
5. Herkewitz, W. (2014). Addictive drugs that are actually pesticides. Retrieved from http://mentalfloss.com/article/55372/addictive-drugs-are-actually-pesticides
6. Pietrangelo, A. (2017, August 7). The Effects of Caffeine on Your Body. Retrieved January 12, 2019, from https://www.healthline.com/health/caffeine-effects-on-body#1
7. Sagon, C. (n.d.). Caffeine for Your Health — Too Good to Be True? Retrieved January 11, 2019, from https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-10-2013/coffee-for-health.html
8. Zimmer, C. (2014, September 4). How Caffeine Evolved to Help Plants Survive and Help People Wake Up. Retrieved January 10, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/04/science/how-caffeine-evolved-to-help-plants-survive-and-help-people-wake-up.html

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