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Caffeine- An Acceptable Drug For All

Caffeine has been called the most popular drug in the world. It is found naturally in over 60 plants including the coffee bean, tea leaf, kola nut and cacao pod. People, the world over are consuming caffeine on a daily basis in the form of tea, coffee, cocoa, chocaltee, soft drinks etc.In humans, caffeine acts as a central nervous system stimulant, temporarily warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness.

Because caffeine is a stimulant, most people use it after waking up in the morning or to remain alert during the day. While it is important to note that caffeine cannot replace sleep, it can temporarily make us feel more alert by blocking sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain and increasing adrenaline production. Most of us think of caffeine as a harmless way to inject vitality when we need that extra surge. Give us this day our daily jolt becomes our mantra. Of course, we can get caffeine from many sources besides coffee and tea. Caffeine is an ingredient in many foods and over-the-counter medications ranging from chocolate to sleep aids to headache remedies.{Energy drinks such as Red Bull, introduced in the U.S. in 1997, have high levels of caffeine. Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine.In comparison, a can of Coca Cola contains 34.5 mg of caffeine. Energy drinks such as Red Bull have high levels of caffeine. Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine. A can of Coca Cola contains 34.5 mg of caffeine.}

People usually start drinking caffeine as it helps make them feeel more alert and improves their mood. When working late in the night it is common to consume caffeine. When caffeine puts your brain and body into this hyper-aroused state, your emotions overrun your behavior.Caffeine affects our emotions  and can cause irritabilty and anxiety. Caffeine disrupts the quality of your sleep by reducing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the deep sleep when your body recuperates and processes emotions. Caffeine stays in our system for a long time and the evening coffee that you may have had will be still in your body when you go to sleep, thereby affecting your sleep. In fact traces of caffeine consumed in the morning will still be in the system when  we go to sleep. For those with sleep disorders, it is best to avoid caffeine, especially in the evening , if they want to have a good nights sleep. Think about the side effects of caffeine before you reach out for your next cup.

 

(Source: HealthBulletinSite.com)

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