My home town Bristol buys more supermarket coffee than anywhere else in the country (perhaps this has influenced my love of coffee).
So what about my morning cup of coffee?
Everyone knows that coffee contains caffeine. I want to uncover the effect of my morning caffeine fix/ essay fuel on the body and to decipher truth from myth.
So caffeine....
Caffeine is a drug- its sounds strange to use this word,but is true by definition, as caffeine has a physiological effect on the body when ingested.
Caffeine is classed as a stimulant as it raises nervous activity in the body. As you drink an energy drink or a coffee. From the first sip the caffeine in the coffee is being absorbed by the lining of the mouth throat and stomach. Caffeine absorbed in the small intestine, metabolised in the liver and is distributed throughout the tissues in the body within 45 minutes of ingestion. Caffeine is broken down into Paraxanthine, theobromine and theophylline.
The Biochemistry bit (in brief).....
Paraxanthine increases lipolysis (the breakdown of fats). Theobromine dilates blood vessels which allow an increased supply of oxygen and nutrients to the brain and muscles. So perhaps try a cup of coffee before you exercise and it may help improve your performance. Theophylline is only produced in small amounts so its effects are not obvious, but it does relax smooth muscle.
Caffeine acts as an antagonist (it inhibits the action of phosphodiesterase -an enzyme which breaks down cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)). This results in increased levels of cAMP in the blood, this is what contributes to the feeling of alertness and energy of the consumption of caffeine.
What next?
So this is a lot to think about when you drink your next cup of coffee! It's interesting to note that caffeine will not replace your bodies need for sleep. It effectively masks the symptoms of feeling tired.
Thank you for reading :) I hope to do a bit more exploration of the effects of caffeine in future posts.
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