What Everybody Ought to Know About Caffeine

Before diving into specific focus foods, drinks and supplements, it’s critical to first understand details of the most widely used focus supplement: caffeine.

We all love caffeine. Or at least in North America, 90% of us do on a daily basis–and that’s a fact. Defined, caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that causes one to become more alert, and less drowsy. That, too, is a fact.

History:

Caffeine isn’t new. Humans have consumed the substance since the Stone Age. First, this came in the form of bark, seeds and leaves. Humans would consume them in order to ease the effects of fatigue. It also promoted alertness, which was critical to survival in that age–especially in battle. Surprisingly, the form of consumption that we know today (coffee and tea) was a much later discovery, and its roots can be attributed to ancient tribes and rituals. 

The first time the term “caffeine” was coined came in 1819 from German chemist, Friedrich Ferdinand Runge. He used the phrase “kaffein,” a chemical compound in coffee, which in English became caffeine.

The 4.5 Myths of Caffeine:

Myth 1: Caffeine Causes Dehydration: Ever heard that caffeine causes dehydration? As of today, that’s a hypothesis not a fact. In a New York Times article, Anahad O’Connor writes, “Caffeine may not be as powerful a diuretic as it’s often said to be.” In other words, caffeine doesn’t cause the dehydration claimed by many.

Myth 2: Coffee Contains More Caffeine Than Tea: Tea leaves contain more caffeine than coffee beans; however, once it’s prepared, coffee contains more caffeine than tea (yea, that’s a cheap myth–still, it’s a myth). 

Myth 3: Caffeine is Inherently Bad For You: The most extensive research study on caffeine was conducted by Harvard University. They studied 126,000 people over an 18-year period. They found that people who drink one to three cups of coffee/day are up to 9 percent less likely to contract diabetes. What’s interesting is what happened to those who drank six or more cups of coffee per day – men slashed their chances of contracting diabetes by 54 percent, and women by 30 percent.

Myth 4: Caffeine is Safe.  Caffeine can actually kill you if you go overboard with intake. You’ll need to go really overboard. For me at my weight of 170, it would take 107 cups of brewed coffee to kill me. Here’s a site that allows you to calculate how much caffeine will kill you: energy fiend.

Myth 4.5: Caffeine Makes You Piss Like a Race Horse: Last, but most importantly, caffeine helps you poop. It’s a good reset button for the first thing in the morning. This helps you focus, right?

What forms caffeine comes in:

When people think of caffeine, they think of coffee; some think of tea. In reality, caffeine finds itself spread through a variety of foods and plants: beans, leaves, herbs and in fruit, where it acts as a natural pesticide. Different cultures use caffeine in different ways. There’s the Yaupon Holly, which ancient tribes made “Asi,” with (commonly referred to as “The Black Drink.”) There’s also the Kola nut (coca cola–sound familiar?), guarana berries, yerba mate and more. We will discuss these preparations and types of use in future chapters.

5 Other Health Benefits of Caffeine:

1. Regular coffee drinkers are 80 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
2. Two cups a day gives you 20 percent less risk of colon cancer.
3. Two cups a day causes an 80 percent drop in cirrhosis.
4. Two cups a day prevents gallstone development by 50 percent.
5. It has also shown to be beneficial in asthma, stopping headaches, boosting mood and even preventing cavities

The Bottom Line:

Dr.’s are beginning to find that caffeine is only a temporary solution for focusing. The more one takes in caffeine, the more he or she will become immune to caffeine. Because of this, you may want to rotate different Focus Foods, or simply take in caffeine when you feel the need to get focused. In other words, for caffeine to work, one should use it as a solution; not out of habit.

More readings, sources and resources:

1. How Stuff Works on Caffeine
2. Actions of Caffeine in the Brain with Special Reference to Factors That Contribute to Its Widespread Use
3. Coffee — The New Health Food?
4. Wikipedia on Caffeine

IMPORTANT: If you enjoyed this article, I'd like for you to experience much more by purchasing the book. You can check out via Paypal or Google Checkout. Click here to buy the book.