Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. It is found in seeds, leaves, and the fruit of some plants, where it serves as a natural pesticide that paralyses and kills certain insects feeding on the plants.
The most common caffeine plant sources are coffee beans and tea leaves. Other plant
sources include the kola nut, yerba mate, guarana berries, guayusa, and the yaupon holly.
Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world. It is also very
addictive. Many people do not realize that the brain actually forms a dependancy on it. In spite of this, it is both legal and unregulated in nearly all parts of the world.
Caffeine exists in various amounts in coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and cocoa. Caffeine products, especially coffee, are among some the worlds largest export commodities. Caffeine is also added to prescription and non-prescription drugs, such as antacids, cold remedies, and pain
relievers.
Caffeine is a diuretic, which in turn can deplete important minerals and cause anaemia. It stimulates the central nervous system, the heart, and digestive secretions. It also aggravates ulcers. Caffeine constricts the blood vessels and produces changes in them, which are similar to changes produced by prolonged resentment, hostility, and anxiety.
Caffeine consumption can produce irregular heart beat, hypertension, hair loss, and various other ailments. While caffeine can reduce fatigue, which can be helpful on a short term basis, it can also interfere with sleep and cause insomnia.
Caffeine raises the blood pressure and can contribute to and exacerbate heart disease
because it robs the body of the very minerals that protect the heart. An article in the
"Lancet" (British Medical Journal) back in 1980, stated that people drinking more than
coups of coffee a day have a 50% greater chance of having a heart attack than abstainers.
There has not been as much research on caffeine as there has on nicotine and alcohol.
However, a number of studies have shown that 2-3 cups of coffee a day or equal amounts of caffeine from soda, during pregnancy, can result in lowered infant birth weight. Caffeine consumption can also contribute to infertility and birth defects. Couples trying to conceive should abstain from consuming caffeine, because it significantly lowers the ability to conceive. Lower sperm counts, fibroids, PMS, and infertility are common symptoms among
people who consume caffeine on a regular basis. Like with all drugs, caffeine should be
avoided before and during pregnancy and while nursing.
The high consumption of caffeine from soft drinks is especially damaging to growing children and athletes because it robs them of the much needed nutrients for eye, nerve, mental, and physical development. Caffeine increases intraocular pressure in those with glaucoma. Visual defects, porous bones, and learning difficulties are common symptoms among children consuming caffeinated soft drinks.
Many so called “sports drinks” contain high amounts of caffeine and sodium. What parents, coaches and athletes don’t realize, is that caffeine can impair athletic performance by interfering with co-ordination. Highconsumption of these acidic, caffeinated drinks could be a factor in why so many athletes are dropping dead at such a young age. Selling or providing caffeine products in schools is irresponsible and dangerous and should cease.