By Low Xun He Keefe
ABSTRACT
Caffeine, a substance that has been highly debated by healthcare professionals and the general public alike on its properties and the impact it has on the human body when consumed. There has been many well-founded research articles published over the years on the positive and negative impacts of caffeine on the body, however, it has never been clearly established if caffeine has a net-positive or negative impact on the body, and the factors that affect the influence of caffeine on the body has rarely been accounted for.
INTRODUCTION
Caffeine is a substance found more commonly than most people may think. Contrary to popular belief, it is not only found in coffee but in a variety of other types of foods such as tea, cereal and chocolate. Given its natural presence within a variety of foods, caffeine is regarded as a natural, organic compound, with its most well-known effect being the ability to keep an individual from feeling fatigued. Due to its ability to ward off drowsiness, caffeine has become highly sought after, especially in a world where many individuals have to work long hours to meet tight deadlines, juggling numerous responsibilities, and as a result neglecting rest and sleep. Therefore, in many cases, caffeine acts as a momentum for greater work proficiency, allowing people to go past their limits and work longer hours without the need for rest.
It is widely known that caffeine affects the body in various ways when ingested. In this paper, we will be diving into the various effects of caffeine on the body and the different factors that affect how caffeine acts within the body when consumed. In order to develop the topic, firstly a rundown on the general effects of caffeine consumption on the body, followed by the different factors that change how caffeine influences the body. Lastly, an in-depth look into the rise of caffeine addiction and the problems surrounding it.
THE EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE ON THE BODY
Caffeine is incredibly unique given its ability to directly interact with the brain. Caffeine works by the antagonism of the adenosine receptors, inducing the dopaminergic and other neurotransmitter networks. (1)
To put it simply, caffeine molecules bind to adenosine receptors, preventing adenosine from binding to the receptors in the brain and inducing drowsiness.
Moreover, caffeine maintains a higher dopamine concentration in certain parts of the brain especially in brain areas linked with attention. Through the neurochemical interactions between dopamine and caffeine within the brain, it helps to improve sustained attention, vigilance and reduces symptoms of fatigue. (1)
Caffeine is also known to increase oxygen intake, therefore heightening an individual’s physical endurance and stamina during exercise. Moreover, increased oxygen intake also helps to improve muscle strength and power by increasing the body’s maximum rate of aerobic respiration. Research has also shown that the increased oxygen intake does not burden the body’s homeostatic conditions, but keeps the body’s thermoregulation and osmoregulation mechanisms working without any problems. (2)
Caffeine also acts as a diuretic substance, which decreases the permeability of the collecting duct and as a result, increases the volume of urine excreted from the body. This increased volume of urine being excreted from the body may pose certain health risks such as kidney and heart problems, high blood pressure, and brain damage.
Some people also believe caffeine to be a cure for mental illnesses such as depression due to its ability to induce euphoric and stimulating effects on its consumer. However, not enough research has been done to make a well-founded judgement regarding its ability to cure mental illnesses.
COMMON FACTORS THAT AFFECT HOW CAFFEINE ACTS WITHIN THE BODY
DOSAGE
Although caffeine has numerous health benefits, it is also known to possess adverse effects on the human body if consumed in a dose of more than or equal to 300mg, with most of the effects attributing to its ability to stimulate the body. Some common ones include restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, facial flushing, arrhythmias, chaotic flow of thoughts, and speech as well as tachycardia. (3) These symptoms pose a significant disruption to daily activities and in rare cases, can even be fatal.
PREGNANCY
Caffeine is known to have a variety of beneficial effects on the human body, however this is not the case for pregnant women. Animal studies conducted with the physiologically relevant dosages have begun to break down the adverse effects of caffeine during pregnancy with respect to oviduct contractility, embryo development, uterine receptivity, and placentation that jointly contribute to pregnancy complications. (4)
GENDER
Caffeine influences the cardiovascular system differently depending on gender. Based on recent studies, females showed greater increases in diastolic blood pressure than males after caffeine administration. (5)
UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS
For people with underlying medical conditions such as hypertension and polyuria, not monitoring caffeine intake can be extremely dangerous. If not, fatal.
For example, in the case of hypertension, with caffeine’s ability to increase blood pressure through faster and more rigorous beating of the heart, and given the already high blood pressure levels of those suffering from hypertension, it could cause the rupturing of blood vessels, internal bleeding, and even organ damage.
RISE OF CAFFEINE DEPENDENCY AND ADDICTION
WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE CAFFEINE ADDICTION?
The criteria for caffeine addiction and intoxication with reference to the fourth edition of diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV) is recent caffeine use, usually in excess of 250mg, and five or more symptoms that develop shortly thereafter, such as restlessness, nervousness, gastrointestinal disturbance, and tachycardia.
Caffeine addiction and dependency is also judged by several other criterias on top of the aforementioned one, including some form of tolerance to caffeine, presence of withdrawal effects when caffeine is not consumed, a persistent or unsuccessful effort to control use, and “use despite harm”.
(eg. using caffeine despite medical advice) (6)
WHY IS CAFFEINE ADDICTION AND DEPENDENCY ON THE RISE?
In this era, many people work long hours to meet tight deadlines just to earn a decent living. This results in a large proportion of the population neglecting sleep, solely focusing on making ends meet. As a result, many people turn to caffeine as a means of pushing back their bedtime, allowing them to stay focused and alert for longer periods of time and in turn, getting more things done.
Caffeine is also widely used due to its accessibility and legality, unlike most other drugs that induces a high in its consumer. This combined with the lifestyle changes of people in this era, has caused the cases of caffeine addiction and dependency to skyrocket.
HOW CAFFEINE ADDICTION HARMS ITS CONSUMERS
Caffeine addiction harms people primarily by encouraging sleep loss. When caffeine is ingested with the intention of pushing back bedtime hours, sleep is being neglected which could have catastrophic consequences on the body such as a higher risk of cancer, obesity, kidney disease, obesity, stroke and other neurodegenerative diseases. Lack of sleep is also known to cause degradation of neuronal networks within the brain, causing impaired brain function.
However, the high concentration of caffeine within the body that comes with caffeine addiction can cause numerous problems as well including severe dehydration, fatigue, nausea, arrhythmias, and tachycardia.
CONCLUSION
Although caffeine has been regarded by many as a miracle drug, and true to its name possesses many health benefits, it is important to be mindful of the factors that may turn the positive influence of caffeine on the body into a negative one.
It is also crucial to stay away from the caffeine addiction pitfalls, that may cause severe health implications by regulating consumption volume and timings as emphasised in this paper.
Caffeine may be the revolutionary drug of this age, however always take precaution in the consumption of caffeine, and regulate your consumption where possible. By doing this, we can enjoy the benefits of caffeine on the human body while staying away from the possible adverse side effects that may arise.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Romain Meeusen a · Bart Roelands a, b · Lawrence L. Spriet c
“Caffeine, Exercise and Brain ” (2013)
“Effects of Caffeine ingestion on body fluid fluid balance and thermoregulation during exercise” Volume 68, Number 7 (1990)
Referenced from: https://doi.org/10.1139/y90-135
- Kamil Rodak, Izabela Kokot, Ewa Maria Kratz
“Caffeine as a factor influencing the functioning of the human body- Friend or Foe” (2021) 13(9), 3088 Referenced from: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13093088
- Jingjing Qian1 ∙ Qi Chen2 ∙ Sean M. Ward3 ∙ Enkui Duan1∙ Ying Zhang
“Impacts of caffeine during pregnancy ; trends in endocrinology and metabolism” (2020)
Volume 31, Issue 3 Referenced from: 10.1016/j.tem.2019.11.004
“Gender differences in subjective and physiological responses to caffeine and the role of steroid hormones” Journal of Caffeine research Volume 1, No. 1
Referenced from: https://doi.org/10.1089/jcr.2011.0005
- Addicott, M.A. Caffeine Use Disorder: A Review of the Evidence and Future Implications. Curr Addict Rep 1, 186–192 (2014).
Referenced from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-014-0024-9
Astra Stem 
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