Caffeine is actually the most widely used psychoactive ‘drug’ in the world. About 80% of the total world population consumes caffeine, in tea, in coffee, in sodas and even in chocolate, on a daily basis. Fully 90% of Americans consume caffeine in one form or other each day. Half of those 90% ingest more than 300 milligrams of caffeine on a daily, day to day basis. Caffeine makes things work.

So just what is caffeine and why do we all crave it so much? Caffeine is the layman’s term for chemical compound 1, 3, 7-trimethylxanthine. In its pure, unadulterated form, caffeine is a white crystalline xanthine alkaloid with a bitter taste.

The German scientist Friedrich Ferdinand Runger discovered caffeine in the year 1819. He christened it kaffein, given that it could be derived from the beverage coffee.

Caffeine is naturally occurring and can be found in a variety of plants; it actually acts a pesticide, keeping insects at bay.

Caffeine is a nervous system stimulant and a diuretic, meaning it makes one feel awake and less drowsy and it also increases the production of urine. Caffeine is processed by the body within 30-45 minutes of ingestion; the effect wears off in about three hours depending on the amount consumed.

There are various benefits as well as disadvantages to consuming caffeine. Consuming too much caffeine-more than 6,000 mg/day which is a lot considering that the average intake is around 280 mg/day-isn’t recommended. Consuming anything in excess can lead to problems, and caffeine in excess can lead to sleeping disorders and even addiction.

It’s easy to build up a tolerance for caffeine. This basically means that your body easily adapts to higher levels, which means you end up having to intake more caffeine to feel its effects. Those who do consume high amounts of caffeine each day often end up feeling withdrawal symptoms such headaches and stomach pains when they don’t get their caffeine ‘fix’.

Caffeine, when taken in moderate amounts, has been proven to stimulate mental and physical prowess. Scientific trials have proven that it can enhance athletic endurance.

Percolated coffee contains around 80-135 mg of caffeine per serving; drip coffee, on the other hand contains 115-175 mg of caffeine. A Starbucks coffee, tall, 12 ounces contains 240 mg of caffeine. Green tea contains 30 mg, while black tea contains 50 mg.

Caffeine is not recommended in large quantities for pregnant women. Although the findings are as yet inconclusive, there is some evidence to suggest that caffeine may affect the formation of the fetus or possibly increase the risk of miscarriage. It may also affect fertility. That being said, there is no direct link connecting caffeine to miscarriage.

Some religions discourage the consumption of caffeine due to its stimulative properties.

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Caffeine can boost our energy levels like nothing else when we’re feeling weary, and its taste really grows on you. That would explain why there are hundreds of millions of coffee drinkers in the world.

A cup of coffee can also help us while we work. In studies, caffeine was shown to make people more alert, better able to concentrate and more efficient.

While the mental benefits of coffee are clear, the jury’s still out there when it comes to the physical benefits of the drink. Some people believe that it’s harmless, while others insist that it can’t be good for you.

Research has shown that coffee might raise blood pressure levels, and even heart rates, over time. Many people are alarmed by this idea.

However, the same studies explain that this would only happen when people consumed large doses of caffeine on a very regular basis. One cup of coffee a day is not likely to create any adverse effects.

Then, of course, we have the beneficial effects of the antioxidants in coffee. Studies have shown that they offer a line of defense against the development of diseases such as cancer. This is not hard to believe when we consider that coffee is natural. The same qualities are also to be found in red wine, another natural product.

When all is said and done, coffee should be consumed in moderation. Too much of anything is never a good thing, and you should treat any powerful stimulant with care, especially as you age.

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Some teas serve as the perfect accompaniment to finger sandwiches and petit fours at a proper tea party, while others provide a deep sense of calm and rejuvenation after completing a workout routine. Some people enjoy a strong cup of good tea in the morning to help wake up, while others savor a nice mild cup at night to help them relax for bed.

Tea blends come in a variety of all-natural, herbal flavors. And many blends of tea have been scientifically shown to offer strong health properties. Many teas are rich in antioxidants, which are known to greatly help the human body to defend itself against the onset of many kinds of cancer as well as to shield it from chemical free radicals in the environment. More recently green tea has become the subject of much scientific study, as it has been found to possess very potent anti-oxidant properties. Many scientists believe that the presence of green tea in the daily Japanese diet may be, at least in part, responsible for the country’s lower cancer rate.

As scientists continue to discover more of the potential health benefits of drinking tea, they are also beginning to uncover many of the previously unknown health properties of tea’s common competitor, coffee. Recently scientists have found that like many teas, coffee is extremely rich in antioxidants. Studies conducted in the past decade have, moreover, linked daily coffee drinking to a vast array of health benefits, including cancer prevention and memory preservation.

Most Americans today enjoy coffee both for the caffeine fix it provides and for its bold, smooth flavor. Some people enjoy taking a quick vacation from a long day with a good, strong cup of black espresso, while others look forward to socializing with good friends over a warm, frothy cappuccino at the local cafe. Whether it is treasured for the morning pick-me-up it provides or for its rich, unique flavor, coffee has long been a mainstay in the western diet.

Just as tea comes in a vast array of herbal blends, coffee drinks come in a variety of flavors. And although coffee and tea share many properties and characteristics, coffee is unique in that the taste that is derived from coffee beans will always reflect the soil properties and climate of where they were grown. A coffee brewed from a bean that is grown in one part of the world will have a very different flavor from one brewed from the same bean, grown elsewhere in the world.

One of the major differences between coffee and tea is that tea is more often savored by itself or with very few condiments. In contrast, coffee drinks often include many additives, such as a variety of types of milk, sweeteners, or syrups. Coffee drinks are prepared in countless ways. Thus while the coffee bean itself contains many wonderful health properties, certain coffee drinks can be high in fat or calorie content due to other additives. Tea is thus often a healthier bet than many coffee drinks.

Both coffee and tea are enjoyed for their nutritional and taste properties, yet any lover of either beverage can tell you that the two are very different beverages.

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Coffee, which is derived from coffee beans of the plant of the same name, has certainly evolved during the hundreds of years during which it has been utilized by various cultures. Today’s sometimes complicated coffee drinks would indeed be entirely unrecognizable to people who once simply chewed the raw beans. And now more and more people are converting to coffee for precisely this reason; with so many varieties of coffee drinks to choose from, there is something to fit the tastes of even the most discerning palate. Whether one enjoys a dark shot of rich espresso or would prefer a sweet extra-foam caramel macchiato, today’s coffee retailers ensure that everyone can be a coffee lover.

The recent growth of major chains, such as Starbucks, has given rise to a new movement in coffee that has truly raised the bar for what customers can expect. Gone are the days of a simple cup of joe, or a quick sip of mud, today’s coffee consumers are treated to an unprecedented number of interesting flavor combination options. Cafes and coffee retailers now regularly experiment with new flavors, including caramels, chocolates, white chocolates, and more. They also often offer seasonal variations of classic favorites, such as cinnamon spiced lattes during the holiday season, or pumpkin spiced mochas during the fall.

In this economy, in particular, more and more people are taking solace in enjoying small, more cost-friendly, quality-of-life indulgences, and forgoing more expensive habits such as dining at high-priced, four-course restaurants.

Yet while coffee is enjoyed by many solely for its savory, rich, bold taste, there are also a number of people who additionally depend on coffee to make their mornings a bit brighter. Coffee has long been known to contain a concentrated amount of caffeine, a property which helps make college students’ study periods a bit more productive, and lawyers’ morning reviews a bit more jovial.

Recently scientists studying the chemical composition of coffee also found that it contains some properties that were not previously known.

In the past decade it was discovered that coffee beans are rich in antioxidants, which are usually found in darkly colored natural foods. These chemical components are believed to be very useful for the human body in a variety of ways, one of which includes the delaying of premature skin-aging.

Many people around the world have thus taken notice of the potential role of coffee in their skincare and dietary regimen, however perhaps the most important role of the antioxidants found in coffee relates to their ability to improve overall health. Antioxidants are believed to be rich in cancer-prevention properties and to thus help to prevent numerous forms of human cancer.

Thus whether it is being enjoyed for its delightful, rich flavor, its ability to brighten up a morning, or its numerous health benefits, coffee is quickly becoming the beverage of choice of many people around the world.

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