Caffeine

Effect of Caffeine On Cognitive Functions

The history of coffee goes back centuries when an African goat herder, noticed an unusual behavior of his goats that became so energetic when they were eating these brown berries. After the 17th century, travelers brought coffee in Europe where it became really popular and part of everyday life. Now it’s one of the most consumed products in the world. Many foods and beverages such as tea and chocolate, contain caffeine which is the active ingredient of coffee and its daily consumption affects mental and physical activity.

Although caffeine has no particular taste and no nutritional value, it serves as a stimulant to the central nervous system. The most noticeable effect upon entering the brain is alertness. This is why many people prefer to drink coffee in the morning, or when they have a heavy duty to achieve. Another beneficial effect of coffee is that it promotes a fat burning. Some medical supplements contain caffeine that upsurge the metabolic rate procedure. It reduces sleepiness and drowsiness, as well as headaches and it’s a common ingredient in medicines to treat migraines. In small doses can boost attention and decision-making procedure and reduces the cognitive decline by protecting the brain oxidative system. Studies have indicated that a moderate coffee intake may reduce the risk of Alzheimer and dementia. Athletes that want to have an excellent sport action, may indulge themselves in a daily cup, because of its effectiveness to increase performance in a wide variety of sport disciplines. Of course when you drink the same amount of caffeine every day, your body develops tolerance towards it. Certain factors such as the age, body weight and overall health can also define your tolerance to caffeine.

On the other hand, sudden reduction of caffeine may have some serious drawbacks, some of which are irritability, headaches even body tremor, therefore when you reduce the amount of caffeine, it is advisable to do it progressively. Although drinking coffee is a very enjoyable thing to do, we should not forget the case of overdose that results in irregular heartbeat, insomnia and seizures. Large amounts of caffeine may even cause death. Researchers have found that 250mg of caffeine, is considered to be a very safe quantity to take. In other words, two cups of coffee in a daily basis, is what most people may tolerate. In case of exceeding this amount a person can create a physical addiction that is also boosted from other sources in substantial amounts. A study concluded that adult Americans drink more than 600mg of coffee which is three or four times the amount that can cause addiction and is considered to be detrimental to one’s health.

Generally speaking we would say that coffee is very beneficial beverage. Although it has no particular taste, its’ essential nutrients promote human health. When it is absorbed in blood circulation it improves our energy levels and keeps our body and mind awake. It prevents mental diseases such as Alzheimer, Parkinson’s disease and dementia and improves physical performance when it comes to sports and other heavy duty activities. Coffee diminishes the risk of having a heart attack and it is a very useful drink as long as it consumed in a sensible way. When we exceed the daily recommended intake, we should take into account that it can become harmful and lead to adverse effects such as irregular heartbeat, insomnia and headaches. For that reason, coffee should be consumed in a reasonable way to avoid damaging side effects.

Works cited

Adriana Farah, 2019, Coffee: Consumption and Health Implications, United Kingdom, Royal Society of Chemistry
Marina Kushner, 2015, The Truth about Caffeine , 2015, United States of America: SRC Books