Caffeine

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Caffeine

Caffeine is a drug (or chemical) that is found in plants. In large amounts it can kill humans and other animals. Even small amounts can kill some animals, such as dogs.

Where is caffeine from?

Caffeine is the main drug that is in coffee. Coffee comes from a tree. The seeds of the tree are roasted to make coffee.

Caffeine comes from other plants also. It is found in guarana, yerba maté, cacao, and some plants used to make tea. The plants use caffeine as a pesticide. This is a chemical that kills insects if they eat the plant. It is the way the plant protects itself.

What is caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant drug. A stimulant is a drug that increases body actions like heart rate, blood pressure, and metabolism. It makes you feel more awake and alert.

Caffeine also is a diuretic. This means it makes you make more urine (the waste liquid you make).

The caffeine chemical is called a xanthine alkaloid. This is a group of chemicals that are stimulants. Some xanthine alkaloids (like theophylline) are used to help asthma.

What is caffeine used for

The biggest use of caffeine is as a stimulant. People drink coffee and other drinks with caffeine to stay awake (not sleep).

Doctors sometimes use caffeine as a medicine. It is used for headaches (head pain). It is sometimes used to help premature (born very early) babies to breathe. It is sometimes given to people after a lumbar puncture. This is a test to see if someone has meningitis (an infection around the brain).

Problems with caffeine

The largest problem with caffeine is addiction. This is when people get bad symptoms when they do not have the drug. When people have withdrawal (feel bad because they do not have the drug) they drink more. This makes them feel better. But if they cannot get more, they feel very bad.

Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal are:

Headache
Being tired or need to sleep
Feeling angry
Nausea (feeling like you will vomit)

Caffeine can also hurt people if they drink very much at once. If someone takes very much of a drug at once it is called an overdose. Caffeine overdose is a medical diagnosis. It is called:Caffeine-Induced Organic Mental Disorder or Caffeine Intoxication. People with this can have these symptoms:

Very bad feelings like:
- Paranoia (feeling like people want to hurt you)
- Restlessness or nervousness (feeling like you cannot sit down or rest)
- Anxiety (very bad worry)
Muscle movements that you cannot stop
Very fast heart rate
Abnormal heart rhythms (even heart stopping)
Very high blood pressure
Vomiting
Confusion (not knowing who you are or where you are)

How much caffeine is safe

250-300 mg of caffeine a day is a moderate amount. This is as much caffeine that is in three cups of coffee (8oz each cup). More than 750-1000mg a day is dangerous. But people who drink more coffee every day can drink more without getting sick.

Coffee is in many drinks and foods. This is approximate amounts of coffee in some food and drink:

Brewed coffee - 40 to 180 mg in a cup
Instant coffee - 30 to 120 mg in a cup
Decaffeinated coffee (with much caffeine taken out) - 3 to 5 mg in a cup
Tea - 20 to 110 mg in a cup
Soda drinks with caffeine - 36 to 90 mg in 12 ounces
Milk chocolate - 3 to 6 mg in an ounce
Bittersweet chocolate - 25 mg in an ounce

One ounce – abbreviated oz - is 30ml.

A 'cup' is 8 oz (240ml.)

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Gourt Home::Gourt :: Caffeine

Where is caffeine from?

What is caffeine

What is caffeine used for

Problems with caffeine

How much caffeine is safe