Physiological Effects of Caffeine on the Human Body - Research Paper Example

Caffeine can also be consumed in large amounts through a plant called guarana which in most cases is added to beverages, smoothies, energy bars, and other products in the form of ‘guarana extract.’ The majority of consumers take the products not knowing that it contains a large quantity of caffeine. In other cases, caffeine has been used in other products like beverages, vitamin water, and citrus-flavored sodas with consumers not knowing that the suggestive products do have the stimulant drug. Another source of caffeine is chocolate bars and drinks, the majority of the younger population about 30% consume chocolates without the knowledge that it contains caffeine. The majority of the population consumes and abuses Caffeine orally this is indicated in the table below. Caffeine can also be abused from medicinal drugs like aspirins, Café-got, Cope Midol, and Anacin which many individuals use as medication (Hopkins, 2011).   Caffeine abuse can start in early childhood among toddlerhood in some families where children are provided with iced coffee beverages or sweetened soft drinks. Hundreds of studies have argued that when caffeine is used in moderate amounts, for example, a cup a day, its effects are not serious. However, individuals who take large quantities of caffeine for long periods may be faced with serious health problems (Klosterman, 2007).   Physiological effects of caffeine on the human body Large quantities of caffeine intake may cause adenosine hypothesis which in most cases leads to behavioral sedation, reduction of oxygen delivery cells as well as dilation of cerebral and coronary blood vessels which ultimately results in asthma. Caffeine is rapidly absorbed into body water fluids from the gastrointestinal tracts and reaches the brain; this is because it can pass through blood-brain barriers more easily using body fluids. However, the half-life of caffeine in the blood does vary among individuals but in most cases, it ranges from about 21% to 71% hours. The source of caffeine in some cases influences the peak levels of caffeine, for example, for tea and coffee, it is about 30 minutes to ingest, while for other soft drinks like coca cola, it can take more than one hour to be ingested (Stephen & Connors, 2007).

The distribution of caffeine occurs in the entire body equally; as a result, it passes through the placenta with less difficulty, which means that the concentration of caffeine is the same throughout the body parts. Several health practitioners have stated that nearly all ingested caffeine is metabolized through the liver. Drugs and cigarettes interact with caffeine and can influence the metabolism mechanism positively or negatively. Persons who are addicted to caffeine feel grumpy and irritable before a cup of caffeine. A study that was done by pediatrics stated that when individuals are addicted to caffeine they start losing focus and alertness in the majority of activities. Experiments further show that physical dependence can develop to exposure to 300 milligrams of caffeine, while withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe and can begin within 12-24 hours of cessation of caffeine use. The withdrawal symptoms of caffeine use include headache, fatigue, depression, decreased alertness, and increased drowsiness (Wickman, 2008).

One acute effect of caffeine is stimulation of the Central Nervous System activity in the body after consumption of caffeine has reached its half-life. This results in behavioral and physiological effects such as elevated moods, individuals feeling energized, and in some cases, they become confident and alert. Among individuals who consume caffeine moderately, about 200mg each day, they are faced with cases of anxiety and in other cases, they can get panicky. Health practitioners have estimated that consuming 600mg of caffeine per day does increase caffeinism which increases the cases of toxic symptoms involving muscle twitching, psychomotor agitation, and cardiac arrhythmia (Stephen & Connors, 2007).  

In conclusion, even though caffeine has some desired effects, such as increased alertness and confidence, it has some detrimental effects. Continual use of caffeine in large amounts can result in diseases of the liver or affect the central nervous system of an individual. Therefore, people should regulate the amounts of caffeine that they take and exercise caution in what they consume since in some cases caffeine intake occurs unknowingly.   Read More