My lifelong drug addiction began when I was young. I was far younger than my parents would have ever wished; but, they shared this addiction. In fact, it is the drug that people are addicted to more than alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, hydrocodone and heroine combined. This drug is trimethylxanthine, better known as caffeine. We shall explore the early history, risks and benefits of this addictive stimulant which inhabits such desirable edibles as coffee, tea, carbonated soft drinks, and chocolate.
Caffeine has a place in our lives, telling back to the 9th century. Legend divulges to us that one night in a region of Abyssinia in 850, a goat herder named Khaldi went out in search of his missing goats. When he found them, they were dancing around a shrub with red berries. Curious, Khaldi sampled the mysterious red berries and soon was dancing, too! The next day, Khaldi spoke with the monks, who used the red berries to make a drink. The berries were coffee beans and the drink is what we now call coffee. America’s introduction to coffee was in 1607 and by 1668, it had replaced beer as America’s favorite breakfast beverage.
Despite the pleasure it brings to goat herders and colonists, trimethylxanthine is not a thing to dance about. Caffeine brings a scrolling list of side-effects due to how it stimulates the brain and causes constriction of the heart. These symptoms include but are not limited to: restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, diuresis, muscle twitching, rambling flow of thought and speech, and cardiac arrhythmia. Caffeine is a Trojan horse in the diet industry. It has the attributes of an appetite suppressant by altering the metabolism; but, has absolutely no effect on the appetite that could not be serviced identically by a placebo. While caffeine may give an athlete a necessary boost at a crucial time, routine usage will not benefit a dieter.
While, trimethylxanthine is not the answer for losing a few inches after the holidays, it does have some surprising benefits. Caffeine has been linked to bearing a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. A major study reported in the Annals of Epidemiology tells us that there are fewer suicides amongst coffee drinkers than those who abstain. Even more stunning is the recent finding of the American Heart Association that tells us an unknown ingredient in coffee beans is to blame for increased blood pressure, not caffeine.
Caffeine dependency is often treated as a lesser addiction, if one at all, despite consumption of the drug risks such conditions as Caffeine Withdrawal and Caffeine Overdose, the latter of which can lead to death. As a result of such passive handling and confusing medical reports, millions of people exceed the healthy daily amount of caffeine, measuring 200 milligrams – approximately one cup of coffee – and have made caffeine an $18 billion industry. I average no less than 2000 milligrams on any given day and use caffeinated beverages and caffeine pills. Although, I’m one of the worst cases of caffeine dependency that I know of, I have no desire to lessen my intake of the drug due to the symptoms suffered from Caffeine Withdrawal. I focus on limiting my children’s intake of caffeinated items, including chocolate. With hope, they will not succumb to the myths that caffeine is the miracle drug for weight loss, alertness and productivity; but, instead, will enjoy the tantalizing aroma of brewing coffee beans as they await their cappuccinos and the sparkling sweet bite of Coca-cola Classic in a healthy moderation.