Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is the world most widely consumed psychoactive drug. Unlike other psychoactive drugs, caffeine is legal and unregulated in most parts of the world. Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline purine, a methylxanthine alkaloid, and is chemically related to the adenine and guanine bases of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA).

It is found in the seeds, nuts, or leaves of plants native to south America and East Asia and provides several benefits One of the major sources of caffeine is coffee bean, caffeine is also included in beverages and drinks through its extraction by steeping the plant in water through a process called infusion which when ingested helps in relieving or preventing drowsiness to aid performance and productivity.

Caffeine containing drinks are coffee, tea and cola and is also present in some food such as chocolate. Caffeine has loads of benefits but could result in a negative health effect if it’s overused or abused.

FOODS THAT CONTAIN CAFFEINE

Caffeine is present in quite a number of things we ingest but most people are unaware, basically because most people are not conscious of what they eat neither are they bothered about the ingredients in that particular food, drink or even chocolate they love.
However here are some foods that contain caffeine some you aware of and most I can bet you never knew

-Beverages:

Beverages contains the highest level of caffeine, examples of such beverages are coffee, espresso, cappuccino, tea, low calorie, non cola carbonated soda, low calorie soda containing aspartame, Energy drinks

-Candies and Sweets:

Most confectioneries contain a reasonable amount of caffeine, typical example is the chocolate which I have known way back to contain caffeine, in some chocolates caffeine is used as an additive. Example of confectioneries with caffeine are chocolate, cereal, cookies, ice cream, shakes, soymilk, yogurt, caffeinated jellybeans, green tea wrap mints, chewing gum.

-Other Foods: Other food that can be artificially caffeinated are morning spark oatmeal, sumseeds (caffeinated sunflower seeds), Lightening rods.

PERKS OF INGESTING CAFFEINE

1. Improves your memory and protects the brain: Caffeine is known to improve brain functioning, it improves your short term memory and can speed up your reaction time and logical reasoning. According to a research carried out at John Hopkins University, it was discovered that a 200mg caffeine pill helped boost memory consolidation and also could reduce the risk of Alzheimer disease, it also lowers the risk of dementia.

2. Spikes up your performance and alertness: Ingestion of caffeine either through a cup of black coffee before work could help boost your performance, focus as well as improves your mental alertness. Caffeine increases the adrenaline hormone levels in the body which helps in preparing one for physical extensions.

3. Caffeine helps in shedding weight: Caffeine which is the most active ingredients in most diet pills helps in forcing burning of fats. According to a research performed in Germany, it was discovered that participants who drank 2-4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day were most likely to be successful in losing weight compared to those who didn’t.

4. Reduces your chance of having cancer: One study discovered that caffeine could decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer in men by 20% and endometrial cancer in Women by 25%. A study in Rutgers University discovered that caffeine prevented skin cancers in hairless mice, caffeine could prevent the development of basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer.

5. Protects against Parkinson’s disease: Research has shown that those who consume coffee are at less risk of having parkinson’s disease by 25% and it even reduces the risk of those genetically more likely to develop the condition. There is evidence that coffee causes activity in the part of the brain affected by Parkison’s.

6. Helps fight depression and light’s up your mood: Caffeine can also brighten your mood as it stimulates the central nervous system and boosts production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and noradreline which is known to elevate mood.

RISKS OF CAFFEINE

1. Caffeine could lead to increase in blood pressure: People suffering from hypertension or those not used to consuming caffeine could be vulnerable to having an increased blood pressure if they consume it. People with hypertension were given 250mg of caffeine ( about 2 coffees) and the data revealed that their blood pressure was elevated for 2-3 hours. Another study carried out by Mayo clinic found similar results form a 160mg dose, all participants experienced a marked rise in blood pressure and it was the most pronounced in those that didn’t normally consume caffeine.

2. Caffeine could cause indigestion: According to a study carried out in the University of Sydney and the Commonwealth Institute of Health, it was discovered that people who consume caffeinated beverages often especially on empty stomach complained of stomach upset or indigestion.

3. Caffeine could cause incontinence: A study conducted in Alabama revealed that women that consume large amounts of caffeine are 70% at risk of suffering from incontinence.

4. It could lead to Insomnia: According to a clinical study, caffeine use in an individual’s system around bedtime could mimic the symptoms of insomnia in the human brain. This could cause sleep shift to the early part of the night, which involves falling in and out of deep sleep early in your sleep cycle resulting in restless nights and tired working days .

5. Caffeine overdose could lead to death: Overdosing on caffeine could result in an adverse symptom which could lead to death especially when the person involved has an underlying medical conditions. Some have little tolerance to caffeine compared to others.

Thanks for reading :)

Images:

https://pixabay.com/p-1850629/?no_redirect
https://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/2012/12/18/not-just-for-coffee-anymore-the-rise-of-caffeinated-foods/
http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Caffeine
http://www.caffeineinformer.com/iced-coffee-caffeine-comparison
https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-white-ceramic-mug-97120/

Sources:

https://www.caffeineinformer.com/top-10-caffeine-health-benefits
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/caffeine
https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/pros-and-cons-caffeine-craze
https://www.warriorcoffee.com/news/2/12-health-benefits-and-6-disadvantages-of-coffee--smashing-it
https://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/caffeine.shtml
https://www.caffeineinformer.com/harmful-effects-of-caffeine
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-main-disadvantages-caffeine-your-brain-body-david-richerd
https://www.diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Foods_Containing_Caffeine