Guess what's more weird than saying that caffeine is good for you? It's the fact that wearing caffeine pants can help you lose a couple of inches every time it is worn. (Read this article to find out more.)
Well, to tell you the truth, caffeine is needed so that you can stay awake especially if you have a boring desk job (and an exciting nightlife) or have to attend too many sleep-inducing corporate meetings.
And very soon, after a few cups a day, one cannot do without a shot of coffee (er, caffeine) when he or she wakes up in the morning. And there's a good explanation why you get that buzzed feeling every time you have one cup of coffee, thanks to the P450 Cytochrome. Blame it on the medical community labeling this substance as a psychoactive central nervous system stimulant…
Now, before we jump into understanding how the body metabolizes caffeine, let's understand what caffeine is composed of as a substance.
Caffeine
Derived from the coffee plant and tea bush, it's not just the beverages known as coffee or tea that are a strong source of caffeine, however since it is added to many other products such as chocolate and so on and so forth, you can be sure that the caffeine levels in your body get pushed upwards at regular intervals, and whether you know it or not.
And this is why, there have been several warnings that the amount of caffeine that one takes on a daily basis should be clearly avoided.
The Cytochrome P450 Oxidase Enzyme System – Metabolizing Caffeine
The metabolizing of caffeine happens in the liver, and this is where the action (so to speak) happens resulting in the breakdown of caffeine into three products. Each of these products have their own effects on the body, and this is what we will discuss.
#1: Paraxanthine
This by-product is the chief metabolite once caffeine is broken down, and consists of almost 84 % of the by-products that are formed. One major after-effect of this compound is that it increases lipolysis (breakdown of triglycerides to free fatty acids) which consequently increases the amount of free fatty acids and glycerol in the blood plasma. Another effect is that it acts as a psychoactive central nervous system stimulant but less potently than caffeine itself.
#2: Theobromine
Comprising 12 % of the by-product that remains, it is responsible in increasing urine volume as well as blood vessel dilation.
#3: Theophylline
A major function of this compound is to relax the smooth muscles of the bronchi which is what makes it an excellent form of treatment for asthma.
These compounds are known as dimethylxanthines, and function as nonselective adenosine receptor antagonists which in simpler terms mean that the neurotransmitters that slow down cell activity are blocked so as to prevent sleepiness, while also releasing adrenaline.
This might be tolerable for the first few times you drink coffee, but as the body gets more and more dependent on caffeine, the body become oversensitive to adenosine leading to headaches, gastrointestinal complaints, diuresis, flushed face, excitement, insomnia, nervousness, and restlessness.
In Closing
Food for though: Don't we have enough stimulants that exists in other forms already?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I am down to 1 cup of coffee per work day (AND I have quit cigs in the past 4 months)….this has taken lots of will power…once I realized how addicted I was, I felt like I HAD to kick the habit. I’m almost there! Glad to find a reinforcing article to keep me focused on getting off the black stuff!
A cup of coffee for breakfast is a habit of mine since I was young, and at most, if it’s a particularly cold day in the afternoon, I take my second and last cup for that day. Thank goodness, I’ve never been addicted to it that bad.