Caffeine Effects and
Interesting Facts

If you care at all about what you're ingesting, here are some thought-provoking facts to ponder as you're sipping your java.

• The chemical name of caffeine is 3,7-dihydro-1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6,-dione OR 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine. Pure caffeine is white, odorless and tastes bitter.

• Caffeine is found in over 60 plants. It acts as a pesticide, paralyzing and killing certain insects on the plants.

• This xanthine alkaloid is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive substance, legal and unregulated nearly everywhere. In North America, 90% of adults consume caffeine daily in coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, some soft drinks, and some medications.

• For humans caffeine effects are relatively nonlethal but it is much more toxic to other animals, such as dogs, horses and parrots. These animals can't metabolize caffeine well.

  Also, spiders are affected negatively by this drug, causing them to spin crazy, messy webs, when they are usually able to spin beautiful, neat ones when not affected by the compound.
  

• If a person consumes over 300 milligrams, depending on body weight, metabolism, and tolerance level, this could result in an acute overdose, which may include nervousness, increased urination, gastrointestinal disturbance, muscle twitching, rambling thought and speech pattern, irregular or rapid heartbeat, and psychomotor agitation. Even higher doses could result in mania, depression, lapses in judgment, delusions, disorientation, hallucinations, psychosis, and death.

• Death from caffeine may occur in extreme cases. The victim would have to drink a lot of coffee (80-100 cups) in a limited period of time, but there have been reported deaths from caffeine pill overdoses. It's usually caused by the caffeine effects on the cardiovascular system, leading to ventricular fibrillation.

• IMPORTANT: Caffeine DOES NOT counteract the effects of alcohol. So, trying to sober up by drinking coffee before driving is just wrong. This does not make a person fit to drive a car.

• Women metabolize caffeine 25% faster than men.

• Calcium loss has been associated with caffeine intake and shown to be associated with decreased bone minerals in women.

• If you have this condition, you may not need anybody to tell you. But you may not know what could cause it. Therefore, I will tell you a possible cause. Caffeine causes relaxation of the internal anal sphincter muscles and, if you have fecal incontinence, you should obviously avoid it.

There are some positive caffeine effects, such as decreasing depression (unless you overdo your consumption), keeping you more alert, and reducing boredom.

Besides the unpleasant conditions listed above, if you decide to quit caffeine intake you'll probably endure a few days of withdrawal symptoms like headache, feelings of lethargy and loss of motivation. I've been there, done that, and know it's true.

"Coffee and tea are extremely hurtful to persons who have weak nerves." ~John Wesley, 1747

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