#CAFFEINE MOLECULE FULL#

May protect against heart disease and diabetesĭespite what you may have heard, caffeine doesn’t raise the risk of heart disease ( 26, 27, 28). SummaryĬaffeine may improve mood, decrease the likelihood of depression, stimulate brain function, and protect against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. It’s important to note that coffee and tea contain other bioactive compounds (besides caffeine) that may also be beneficial.

When it comes to mood, more caffeine isn’t necessarily better.Ī study found that a second cup of coffee produced no further benefits unless it was consumed at least 8 hours after the first cup ( 9).ĭrinking between 3–5 cups of coffee per day or more than 3 cups of tea per day may also reduce the risk of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by 28–60% ( 10, 11, 12, 13). In addition, a study linked drinking 2–3 cups of caffeinated coffee (providing about 200–300 mg caffeine) per day to a 45% lower risk of suicide ( 7).Īnother study reported a 13% lower risk of depression in caffeine consumers ( 8). One review reports that after participants ingested 37.5–450 mg of caffeine, they had improved alertness, short-term recall, and reaction time ( 1). This change in brain messaging is thought to benefit your mood and brain function. This causes a relative increase in other signaling molecules, such as dopamine and norepinephrine ( 5, 6). It stimulates the brain by blocking the effects of the neurotransmitter adenosine.Ĭaffeine has the ability to block the brain-signaling molecule adenosine. SummaryĬaffeine’s main effect is on the brain.

#CAFFEINE MOLECULE FULL#

Because it affects your brain, caffeine is often referred to as a psychoactive drug.Īdditionally, caffeine tends to exert its effects quickly.įor instance, the amount found in one cup of coffee can take as little as 20 minutes to reach the bloodstream and about 1 hour to reach full effectiveness ( 1). This combination further stimulates the brain and promotes a state of arousal, alertness, and focus. It may also increase blood adrenaline levels and increase brain activity of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine ( 3). This blocks the effects of adenosine, leading to reduced tiredness ( 3). Normally, adenosine levels build up over the day, making you increasingly more tired and causing you to want to go to sleep.Ĭaffeine helps you stay awake by connecting to adenosine receptors in the brain without activating them.

It functions by blocking the effects of adenosine, which is a neurotransmitter that relaxes the brain and makes you feel tired ( 2). That said, caffeine’s main effect is on the brain. Once consumed, caffeine is quickly absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream.įrom there, it travels to the liver and is broken down into compounds that can affect the function of various organs.

Caffeine molecule