Will caffeine be a major or minor part of your morning/day?

Question

Major for me!

Answer 1

Caffeine (sometimes called guaranine when found in guarana, mateine when found in mate, and theine when found in tea) is a xanthine alkaloid found in the leaves and beans of the coffee tree, in tea, yerba mate, guarana berries, and in small quantities in cocoa, the kola nut and the Yaupon holly. In plants, caffeine acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills many insects feeding upon them. The name is derived apparently from Italian caffè ("coffee") plus the alkaloid suffix -ine.

Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, having the effect of warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness. Beverages containing caffeine — such as coffee, tea, and soda — enjoy popularity great enough to make caffeine the world's most popular psychoactive drug.

In nature, caffeine is found with widely varying concentrations of the other xanthine alkaloids theophylline and theobromine, which are cardiac stimulants. When caffeine appears to have different effects depending on the source, it is due primarily to varying concentrations of other stimulants and absorption rates of the mixture.

Caffeine is a plant alkaloid, found in numerous plant varieties, the most commonly used of which are coffee, tea, and to some extent cocoa. Other, less commonly used, sources of caffeine include the plants yerba mate and guaraná, which are sometimes used in the preparation of teas and, more recently, energy drinks. Two of caffeine's alternative names, mateine and guaranine, are derived from the names of these plants.

The world's primary source of caffeine is the coffee bean (the seed of the coffee plant), from which coffee is brewed. Caffeine content in coffee varies widely depending on the variety of coffee bean and the method of preparation used, but in general one serving of coffee ranges from about 40 mg for a single shot (30mL) of arabica variety espresso to about 100 mg for strong drip coffee. Generally, dark roast coffee has less caffeine than lighter roasts since the roasting process reduces caffeine content of the bean. Arabica coffee normally contains less caffeine content than the Robusta variety. Coffee also contains trace amounts of theophylline, but no theobromine. [1]

Tea is another common source of caffeine in many cultures. Tea generally contains somewhat less caffeine per serving than coffee, usually about half as much, depending on the strength of the brew, though certain types of tea, such as black and oolong, contain somewhat more caffeine than most other teas. Tea contains small amounts of theobromine and slightly higher levels of theophylline than coffee.

Caffeine is also a common ingredient of soft drinks such as cola, originally prepared from kola nuts. Soft drinks typically contain about 10 mg to 50 mg of caffeine per serving. By contrast, energy drinks such as Red Bull contain as much as 80 mg of caffeine per serving. The caffeine in these drinks either originates from the ingredients used or is an additive derived from the product of decaffeination or from chemical synthesis. Guarana PMID 16533867, a prime ingredient of energy drinks, contains large amounts of caffeine with small amounts of theobromine and theophylline in a naturally occurring slow-release excipient.

Chocolate derived from cocoa is a weak stimulant, mostly due to its content of theobromine and theophylline, but it also contains a small amount of caffeine.[2] However, chocolate contains too little of these compounds for a reasonable serving to create effects in humans that are on par with coffee. A typical serving of a milk chocolate bar (28g) has about as much caffeine as a cup of decaffeinated coffee.

Finally, caffeine may also be purchased in most areas in the form of pills that contain from 50mg to 200mg. Caffeine pills are regulated differently by different nations. For example, the European Union requires that a warning be placed on the packaging of any food whose caffeine content exceeds 150 mg per litre. In many other countries, however, caffeine is classified as a flavouring and is unregulated
Coffee beans are indigenous to the land of Ethiopia, and by the fourth century AD, it was introduced to Arabia and the rest of the East.[4]

Tea has been consumed in China for thousands of years, where traditional stories tell that monks drank tea to stay awake during meditation practice. One legend has it that Bodhidharma cut his eyelids off to be able to stay awake longer, and the first tea plants grew from the spot where he flung them upon the ground.

In the 15th century by the Sufis of Yemen, who used coffee to stay awake during prayers. In the 16th century there were coffee houses in Istanbul, Cairo and Mecca, and in 1573 coffee was introduced to the Europeans. Tea was introduced later in 1657 and became very popular. Even later milk chocolate was introduced into Switzerland in 1876, near the end of the 19th century cola products started to appear around the world. [5]

In 1819, relatively pure caffeine was isolated for the first time by the German chemist Friedrich Ferdinand Runge. According to the legend, he did this at the instigation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Weinberg & Bealer 2001).

As of today, global consumption of caffeine has been estimated to be 120,000 tonnes per annum.[4] This number equates to one serving of one caffeine oriented beverage per person on the planet per day.

Like it now? huh? like it?

Answer 2

Major

Answer 3

I drink milk with breakfast and then have a BIG glass of tea I sip all day. I usually drink a glass at supper as well. So, I wouldn't say major anymore. I used to drink a lot of caffeine drinks, but now I can do with or without it. I do use caffeine as a relief for a headache at times though.

Answer 4

Minor

Answer 5

Minor...i try not to drink caffeine in the morning

Answer 6

Drinking coffee is a major part of my day.
Not so sure about the caffeine.

In the mornings, I'm sure I can drink mud or anything with a bitter taste that burns my toungue and it will wake me up more than I was before!

Answer 7

Major for me, too. Part of my morning routine - watch Today Show (oh, so sad abt Katie Couric), do NYTimes crossword and have coffee. Then, take a quick afternoon break w/ coffee - usually catch up w/ friends at work.

Answer 8

I start the day with one or two cups of coffee. Major part of the day? I don't think so, a good start for the day, definitly.

Answer 9

major

Answer 10

minor most days...major only on the very busy and hectic ones where i need to be up and going the whole time..:)

Answer 11

Yep it sure is, but do you know that an apple has more of that caffeine sensation than that of your regular cup of java.