Green tea, black tea and coffee have been long known as stimulants. They were used in order to revitalize the body and mind when they were giving signs of tiredness. Nowadays, many people rely on these ‘energy boosters’ to give them stamina to make it through the day. The day of a modern person starts with a large cup of tea or coffee, with a few more cups over the course of the morning to maintain the level of energy as high as possible. Also, we all know the popularity of the numerous energy drinks which and which are highly popular among people who want to increase their brain power (students) or muscular strength (athletes, clubbers) for a limited period of time.
The ‘miraculous’ ingredient which makes all these drinks highly effective in fighting sleep and tiredness and boosting the energy is caffeine. Some people (guilty as charged) heavily rely on it for solving demanding tasks in a limited period of time and with minimum physical effort. It has become part of daily life for millions.
The reason for which caffeine is so effective is that it reduces the release of adenosine, the chemical messenger which has multiple functions in the human calls but is also involved in announcing to the body when it is time to sleep. Without this chemical or when its presence in the body is significantly reduced, the body does not feel the need to sleep, thus prolonging its state of alert. Also, because caffeine aids in the oxygenation of the brain and reduces the flow of blood which reaches the heart, the brain gets more and more active and energetic, which leads to a (possibly perceived) increased intellectual activity. This is the reason for which most caffeine drinkers report increased uptake of new information and greater intellectual capacity after consuming a cuppa.
Yet, in addition to firing up the neurons and increasing the intellectual abilities for a limited period of time, the drinks containing caffeine also give the individual a state of well-being. This state is caused by the dopamine, the same substance which is responsible for creating addiction. Thus, if you drink caffeine drinks on a regular basis and you feel like you lose your focus when you do not have a cup of coffee in the morning, you should know that the only one to blame for that is the dopamine. The headache is most likely caffeine withdrawal.
Article by Vikas Pandey
