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Addicted to Caffeine? It’s in the Genes!

Coffee lovers breathed a sigh of relief: those who drink excessive amounts of coffee can now confidently blame their genes! Because a study found out that caffeine dependence or the preference for coffee or tea is genetic. Learn more here.

Dearly beloved pick-me-up: Do you prefer coffee to tea? Scientists from Australia have found that this is due to genes. In order to get to the bottom of the question of why the majority of people prefer coffee to tea, around half a million participants were tested as part of a gene project. The main focus was on the connections between beverage preferences and DNA sections.

The bitter taste is perceived differently

Even before the start of the test series, it was known that people react differently to bitter tastes and therefore perceive them differently. This depends on which taste receptor genes you have. As the Australian scientists have now discovered, it is precisely these genes that determine whether one prefers tea or coffee.

Incidentally, those who are most likely to develop a caffeine addiction are those who can taste caffeine stronger due to their genes. A higher perception of caffeine can therefore lead to drinking a lot of coffee – some even more than four cups of coffee a day. Teas can also contain caffeine, but these amounts are so small that no caffeine addiction can be satisfied in this sense.

Coffee – healthy or not?

There is good news for everyone who likes to drink several cups of coffee a day. The bad conscience no longer has to drink, because the caffeine drink is far healthier than is often assumed.

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health

This is How Caffeine Changes Our Brain

Most people consume caffeinated beverages regularly. It’s hard to get through the workday without the pick-me-ups. Scientists have now researched the effects of caffeine on our brain, specifically on the gray matter of the brain.

What does caffeine do to our brain?

According to Statista, the per capita consumption of coffee in Germany recently totaled 164 liters per year. This makes coffee the most popular hot drink among Germans. Caffeine is also considered to be the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance. A study by the University of Basel has now shown that regular caffeine consumption has a negative effect on the gray matter and the hippocampus. Why too much coffee is unhealthy has been known for a long time.

According to a statement from the University of Basel, the basis of the caffeine study was that previous studies had shown that sleep deprivation affects the gray matter in the human brain. The research team led by Christian Cajochen and Carolin Reichert from the University of Basel and the Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Basel has therefore investigated the influence of regular caffeine consumption due to sleep disorders on the brain structure.

The result of the study was that regular caffeine consumption makes changes in the gray matter visible. An important part of the central nervous system is, in addition to the white, also the gray brain substance, which is responsible for processing signals from the sensory organs and for regulating motor processes, motivation, drive and the psyche. In addition to intelligence, the gray matter controls all motor performance and perception processes, explains the online encyclopedia operated by doctors

Caffeine affects our “cognitive hardware”

The scientific study was conducted with 20 young and healthy subjects, all of whom consumed caffeine daily. The subjects were divided into two groups, with the first group being fed caffeine pills twice for ten days and the other being fed a placebo drug, also in pill form. The sleep quality was then analyzed with the help of brain scans (EEG).

The researchers found that the sleep quality of the two groups was relatively the same, but there were clear differences in the gray matter of the brain: the volume of the gray matter in the brain was visibly reduced in the caffeine group. Part of the so-called medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus, was particularly important. These regions are responsible for our memory. So does coffee make us more forgetful? Not necessarily.

The study leader Reichert emphasized in this context: “Our results do not necessarily mean that caffeine consumption has negative effects on the brain. But obviously everyday caffeine consumption changes our cognitive hardware.” In addition, the change appears to be only temporary: after just ten days of caffeine withdrawal, the test subjects’ gray matter had regenerated significantly.

Further investigations necessary

However, the research team warns that more scientific research is needed in this area because the impact on how the brain actually works is not yet clear. The scientists conclude that further study should look at how the brain reacts to the loss of gray matter and whether this causes it to become less functional. In addition, according to Reichert, there are still no comparisons between coffee drinkers and people who consume little or no coffee at all.

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Food

Does Caffeine Help With Lack of Sleep? – Study With a Clear Result

A recently published study examined how caffeine counteracts the loss of performance caused by lack of sleep. The result is clear and underlines the importance of sleep.

How caffeine affects cognition during sleep deprivation

It is well known that sleep deprivation has negative effects on cognition. The research team led by psychology professor Kimberly Fenn therefore investigated to what extent the increase in caffeine can counteract this.

The 276 subjects were initially asked to complete a simple task that required little attention. There was also a difficult task to solve in which the participants had to complete several steps in a specific order – no steps could be skipped or repeated.

“We found that sleep deprivation impaired performance on both task types and that caffeine intake helped people successfully complete the easier task,” study author Fenn said in a Michigan State University news release. However, the intake of caffeine mostly had little effect on the more difficult task.

Conclusion: Caffeine cannot replace sleep

While caffeine can help you stay awake and get a task done, it does little to prevent procedural errors that can lead to medical errors or car accidents, for example. “Caffeine increases energy, reduces drowsiness, and may even improve mood, but it certainly doesn’t replace a full night’s sleep,” says Fenn.

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health

Coffee as an Anti-Inflammatory? How Caffeine Can Treat Infections

On average, everyone drinks three cups of coffee a day. As a new study has found, the caffeine it contains is not only a good pick-me-up, it can also help fight infections.

Promising study: Caffeine may help fight infections

It was already known from previous studies that caffeine has anti-inflammatory properties. The substance stimulates what is known as phagocytosis, a process in which cells absorb small food particles. This is an important part of our immune system: the scavenger cells, also called macrophages, “eat” pathogens that the immune system recognizes as foreign. The Brazilian research team focused on precisely these scavenger cells.

The researchers tested the effect of caffeine in cell cultures with mouse macrophages. To do this, some of the scavenger cells were first exposed to caffeine for one day and then to salmonella for four hours. The other part was the other way around, the scavenger cells first came into contact with the bacteria for four hours and then with caffeine for 24 hours.

The researchers found that after treatment with caffeine, the scavenger cells had a higher viability and the bacterial load in the cells decreased. The treatment of living mice also showed success. After a targeted infection in the peritoneal cavity, they were given intravenous caffeine. In contrast, two control groups received only a buffer solution or another anti-inflammatory agent.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-infectious: caffeine is so healthy

In the mice that had been given caffeine, the penetration of white blood cells into the inflamed area was significantly reduced. These so-called leukocytes fight pathogens in our body. At the same time, the bacterial load in the abdominal cavity of the mice as well as in the bloodstream, liver and spleen was lower, as the scientists report.

“We can conclude that caffeine has both anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties that may be useful in treating bacterial infections along with antibiotics,” the study concludes. However, before a correct treatment method can be developed from this, further investigations are needed. The researchers now want to test the approach in follow-up studies on humans.

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Food

Caffeine: Effects, Side Effects and What Else You Should Know

Caffeine works quickly and stimulates – that’s well known. But how exactly caffeine works in the body and what side effects there are, most people don’t even know. We’ll show you what coffee, cola and co. do to the body.

Caffeine and its effects on the body

Caffeine takes effect after just 30 minutes and is distributed throughout the body via the blood. The effects of caffeine last about four hours:
High doses of caffeine make the heart beat faster and increase the pulse. Blood pressure also rises in people who rarely consume caffeine.
Even in small doses, caffeine can improve concentration and temporarily eliminate tiredness.
Caffeine also often constricts the blood vessels in the brain and can thus relieve mild headaches and migraines.
The muscles can be better supplied with oxygen when we consume caffeine. That’s why some athletes take caffeine before training, for example in the form of tablets.
However, our body gets used to caffeine with regular consumption. This habituation effect leads to the fact that many of the mentioned modes of action occur only weakly or not at all.

side effects of caffeine

Consuming too much caffeine can result in a caffeine overdose. Doctors speak of an overdose of one gram of caffeine. This corresponds to 15 to 20 cups of espresso. Symptoms include:
sleep disorders
restlessness
headache
nervousness
Panic Attacks
Gastrointestinal complaints
circulatory collapse
Some of the symptoms don’t even require an overdose—they can occur with overconsumption. However, this is usually harmless because of the said habituation effect, so that many people can tolerate several cups of coffee in a row.

According to the European Food Safety Authority, 200 mg of caffeine per single dose and 400 mg per day are safe for humans. Children should consume a maximum of 3 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight.

Caffeine content in coffee, cola & co.

The amount of caffeine in coffee depends on many factors: How hot was the coffee roasted and brewed, how long does it steep, how finely are the beans ground and which beans are they? A guide value can still be set for coffee and other caffeinated foods:
Coffee: 50 mg per 100 ml
Espresso: 130 mg per 100 ml
Black and green tea: 20 mg per 100 ml
Coca-Cola: 10mg/100ml
Club Mate: 20 mg / 100 ml
Red Bull: 32mg/100ml
Dark chocolate: 90 mg / 100 g
Milk chocolate: 15 mg / 100 g
A cup with 250 ml of coffee comes to around 125 mg of caffeine.

However, the amount of caffeine can vary greatly, especially in restaurants and cafés with professional coffee machines: In the USA, scientists have found large differences in the amount of caffeine when comparing espresso in different restaurants. In their study, the researchers found up to 317 mg of caffeine per espresso – more than the maximum single dose should contain according to the EU.

Caffeine for hair loss?

Many shampoos now contain caffeine, which according to advertising is said to protect against hair loss. However, its effectiveness is controversial because there is no clear scientific evidence for it. Caffeinated shampoos can stimulate cell growth, but the specific effect is unclear. In any case, you don’t have to buy such a product – you can instead make your own shampoo for your hair out of old coffee grounds.

Are caffeine pills harmful?

Caffeine tablets work just like the caffeine in coffee and tea. However, it is highly concentrated and can be taken at any time. A caffeine tablet usually contains 200 mg of caffeine and thus the maximum single dose.

For many people, caffeine tablets are better tolerated than coffee. Because the acid contained in coffee can lead to stomach problems.
However, the high dosage should only be taken if you are already used to caffeine. Otherwise symptoms such as restlessness, nervousness and sleep disorders can quickly occur.
Like other caffeinated foods, caffeine pills can only mask tiredness. The effect of the tablets abruptly wears off over time. Therefore, you should not use them as a pick-me-up when driving.

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Food

Guarana: Why The Caffeine Alternative is Problematic

Guarana is many times stronger than coffee. Here we explain how the liana plant is cultivated and what is problematic about it from an ecological point of view.

Guarana: A liana-like plant from the rainforest

Growth form: Although the guarana plant is one of the soap tree plants, its growth form is actually not a tree. Guarana is one of the lianas and is more like a shrub, but it can grow up to fifteen meters high.

Development: When the plant is young, guarana has brown, hairy, woody branches. Over time, these become softer and bare, so that they are more and more reminiscent of lianas. The plant has large, oblong to oval leaves that can grow up to 35 cm long. It also has deep red flowers that gradually lighten. At the end remains a capsule-like fruit, three centimeters in diameter, containing small black seeds. When ripe, it opens up and resembles the shape of an eye.

Area: The exotic fruit loves tropical and subtropical climates and is native to the Amazon rainforest. There it grows wild among the diverse other jungle plants. The harvest workers cover five to ten kilometers a day on beaten paths.

Harvest: The harvested fruits are stored in sacks for four to six days. During this time, the shell separates from the seeds and the caffeine content increases to four percent. The seeds are then crushed, sorted by hand, washed and completely separated from the shells. The latter are still used as natural fertilizer.

Then it’s time to wait again: the kernels are dried in the sun until they only contain seven percent moisture. This can take a few hours to days. When they have dried sufficiently, they are freed from dust and dirt using a kind of wind tunnel and then ground into powder.

The main active ingredients in Guarana

The most important ingredient in guarana is caffeine: the caffeine content of guarana powder is between 0.9 and 7.6 percent – and thus significantly higher than the caffeine content of coffee, which only manages 1.2 to 1.3 percent. In addition, caffeine in guarana is much better tolerated by the human body than that in coffee.

These active ingredients make Guarana so effective:
Caffeine: The caffeine in guarana takes about 45 minutes to kick in, but it takes time to reach its full potential, which is why the effects can last up to six hours. This is due to the tannins to which the caffeine in guarana is bound and which have to be broken down little by little.
Tannins: These tannins also kill bacteria and cause the gastrointestinal tract to contract. This has also led to the use of guarana as a diarrhea remedy.
Saponins: The saponins – or soap substances – contained in guarana also have a draining effect, stimulate the kidneys and support the gastrointestinal system. Because of the saponins, guarana also has an antibacterial effect and is used against salmonella and choli bacteria.
Theophylline and theobromine: The theophylline and theobromine contained in guarana also stimulate kidney function, support heart activity and have a stimulating and stimulating effect.

effects of guarana

Specifically, caffeine and thus guarana has the following effects:
It provides energy, wakes you up and increases performance.
Caffeine stimulates kidney activity.
Caffeine stimulates the digestive organs, lungs and liver.
It also improves heart activity by expanding blood vessels.
And brain activity is also increased.
Like all products containing caffeine, guarana can also cause heart palpitations, high blood pressure, nervousness, sleep disorders or tremors. In rarer cases, guarana also harbors an allergy potential or can lead to abdominal pain.
Some Guarana is also praised as a “slimming agent” because it suppresses the feeling of hunger for a while. However, its effect as a diet agent is very controversial.
Other studies have also proven the blood-thinning effect of guarana, which makes it possible to use it as a remedy for thrombosis.
Because of all these effects, guarana is also often used as a remedy for hangovers. In this country it is usually available as a powder or in ready-mixed drinks. Guarana capsules, muesli bars with guarana or guarana chewing gum are also available for purchase.

How to use guarana

How to prepare the energy drink yourself:
Stir 1 teaspoon of powder into 250ml of hot water. Let the drink steep for a moment.

Caution: If you consume more than three to four grams of guarana a day, this can lead to tachycardia or high blood pressure. To be on the safe side, you should also always read the information on the packaging – because the caffeine content of guarana, as I said, varies greatly. Pregnant women and people suffering from high blood pressure should not take Guarana.

Guarana from an ecological point of view

Like many products from warmer climates, guarana has to travel long distances before it reaches German supermarkets. In contrast to coffee, however, guarana is not cultivated in monocultural plantations, but extracted from its natural environment.

If you don’t want to do without guarana, you should consume it in moderation and pay attention to the organic and fair trade seal when buying it. Such excellent products were grown under fair social and ecological conditions.

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Food

Theine and Caffeine: What’s the Difference?

Is there a difference between theine and caffeine? We explain where the active ingredient theine occurs, how it works and what you need to know about it.

What is thein?

Coffee contains the active ingredient caffeine and black or green tea contains the active ingredient theine – at least that’s what many believe. But it is now known that the active ingredient in tea is identical to the active ingredient in coffee. So both drinks contain caffeine.

Caffeine is not only found in coffee beans. In addition, it is also found in numerous other plants – the tea bush, the mate bush, guaraná and the kola nut.

Theine and caffeine are basically the same substance. However, caffeine in coffee and tea works differently. This is because caffeine is released differently in coffee and tea.

Theine and caffeine: 6 important facts

If you like drinking tea and coffee, you’ve probably noticed that the two drinks have different effects. There are various reasons for this. We have summarized six important facts about the effects of caffeine (theine):
The caffeine content in the coffee bush, tea bush and mate bush is different and also varies from plant to plant.
A cup of tea contains less caffeine (theine) than a cup of coffee. This is due to the dose: You brew significantly fewer tea leaves for a cup of tea than coffee beans for a cup of coffee.
The caffeine content in tea is related to its brewing time. In black and green tea there are about 20 milligrams of caffeine in 100 milliliters of water after one minute and about 33 milligrams after five minutes.
Tea has a calming effect. The longer the tea steeps, the more tannins are released. These have a calming effect on digestion.
L-Theanine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in tea. It’s supposed to be relaxing. L-theanine is not found in coffee.
Various antioxidants are contained in the tea. These can trap free radicals in our body and thus protect us from diseases. In addition, they should cause a slow and even absorption of caffeine in the blood. Theine (caffeine in tea) should therefore act less quickly, but the invigorating effect should last longer.

Are there health risks from tea and coffee?

How much caffeine or caffeine you can consume per day varies from person to person. If you are unsure, consult your doctor.

Make sure you prepare your tea correctly. Prepare it with boiling water and do not leave it for several hours. This will prevent germs from forming in the tea.

Always pay attention to organic quality when buying tea and coffee. Because conventional types of tea and coffee can be contaminated with pollutants. In 2018, the consumer magazine Markt found high levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in various types of tea, for example. This drug is suspected of causing liver cancer.

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Cooking Tips

Iced Coffee: Cool Caffeine Enjoyment With Numerous Variants

So much for cold coffee – iced coffee is a classic that makes a comeback every summer. As Caffè freddo, it is traditionally served in Italy as an often sweetened espresso lengthened with ice-cold water, as a café frappé in Greece and in Cyprus as cold frothed coffee with pieces of ice. And even if people like to use ready-mixed powder bags these days – a home-made iced coffee is a pleasure that is well worth the little effort!

Our favorite iced coffee: Nutella iced coffee

Similar, but alcohol-free and a bit sweeter, is “Nutella Iced Coffee”. Here the glass is first garnished with chocolate and caramel sauce, then cold coffee or espresso (depending on your taste) is filled with vanilla ice cream. Then stir in a spoonful of Nutella, decorate with cream and grated chocolate and enjoy.

Viennese Iced Coffee & Co

The variation of the frozen cappuccino is also enjoying increasing popularity. To prepare it, you need a blender with a cup of espresso, about three quarters of a cup of milk, a teaspoon of brown sugar and 60 grams of ice cubes. After mixing the ingredients, let stand briefly and then pour into a glass. Of course you can also use sugar syrup instead of cane sugar here or use other syrup variations as you like. Another specialty is Viennese iced coffee. Here the vanilla ice cream is poured directly into the still warm coffee, then milk and sugar are added and the whole thing is carefully stirred. This sweet mixture then goes into the freezer for two hours. Before serving, briefly whip the melange again and serve with a little cream if desired. For a fruity variation on cold coffee, take two tablespoons of freshly brewed or instant coffee, stir in a tablespoon of sugar and allow the drink to cool. Add 100 milliliters of orange juice and the coffee to about 250 grams of whipped cream. Mix well and add 320 grams of vanilla ice cream, finish with coffee beans and, if desired, additional whipped cream. If you prefer something stronger, you can take a chilled double espresso as the basis and refine it with one or two scoops of ice cream and some frothed milk.

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Cooking Tips

Caffeine Content of Coffee – a Comparison

Caffeine has a stimulating, stimulating effect and is an alkaloid that appears as a white, crystalline, odorless powder with a bitter taste. Worldwide, caffeine is the most consumed substance with active pharmacological effects. Caffeine not only occurs in coffee but also in other luxury foods such as tea, mate, cola, guaraná, cocoa, colanesses and energy drinks. Even in various painkillers, caffeine is often contained, which can be read on the package insert.

The stimulating effect, if it is available in the appropriate quantity, works very quickly. However, if the caffeine content of the drink or other product is minimal, then no effect can be felt at all. But not only the caffeine content plays a major role in the mode of action, but also the type of food and its composition.

The caffeine content in comparison

25 ml espresso (often served in a 40 to 50 ml espresso cup) contain between 25 to 30 mg of caffeine
Since cappuccino and latte macchiato each contain an espresso, the caffeine content corresponds to that of an espresso.
Good to know: In Italy and other countries you get a double espresso when ordering a Caffè latte, which is poured in with plenty of hot milk.
25 ml in the filter infusion process of brewed bean coffee contains between 15 and 25 mg of caffeine. With a usual coffee cup with 125 ml filling quantity, this results in a amount of caffeine of 75 – 120 mg
While a decaffeinated coffee in a 125 ml cup has a small residual amount of caffeine that is between 1 and 4 mg.

The pros and cons of caffeine in various types of coffee

Usually the caffeine content depends on the variety of the coffee contained in the drink, as well as on its quantity and the type of preparation. If you tolerate caffeine well and appreciate your vicarious effect, you should use an espresso, filter coffee or a soluble, freezer -dried coffee. If you cannot tolerate caffeine in return, it is best to do without all caffeinated drinks and choose a decaffeinated coffee.

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Caffeine: How it Affects Our Body

Many people drink their coffee in the morning not only because it tastes good, but also because of the stimulating effect. This comes from the caffeine. Here we explain exactly what causes this substance in the body and what advantages and disadvantages it has.

What is caffeine?

People like to consume caffeine because it wakes you up and keeps you awake and can help you overcome minor performance dips. It has already been proven that this is not imagination, but true: caffeine stimulates almost the entire body. It is an alkaloid and is one of the psychoactive substances. As a natural ingredient, caffeine (also caffeine) is contained in coffee beans, tea leaves, mate trees, kola nuts and guaraná berries. There are also numerous energy drinks that contain caffeine.

Nowadays, however, caffeine can also be easily produced synthetically. The caffeine tastes bitter, but is otherwise a colorless and odorless powder. The chemical name is 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine (molecular formula: C8H10N4O2) – admittedly a somewhat unwieldy name. There are many different terms for caffeine (which are more common than the chemical name) such as caffeine, theine, guaranine, methyl theobromine or trimethyl xanthine. What is meant here is always the same substance.

Who Discovered Caffeine?

One name you probably don’t associate directly with caffeine is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. But the famous poet had a decisive part in the discovery of the substance. Whenever the famous poet had a cup of coffee, like so many others, he felt more awake and energized. He wondered what substance in coffee was responsible for this effect. So he gave the young chemist Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge the impetus to get to the bottom of the cause. After numerous attempts and experiments, Runge finally succeeded in isolating caffeine from coffee beans around 1820.

How does caffeine affect our body?

Caffeine is a psychotropic substance. The human psyche is influenced by this and can raise and lower a person’s state of mind. How much caffeine affects the human body also depends on the amount ingested. Every day, people in Germany consume an average of 200 mg of caffeine – that corresponds to around one to two cups (200 ml) of filter coffee. It takes between 30 and 45 minutes for the caffeine to get into the bloodstream and take effect. It reaches the entire body via the blood and is excreted again after about four hours.

Where is caffeine in?

No surprise: coffee beans contain caffeine. However, the caffeine content varies depending on the type of bean. Because caffeine is heat stable, the roasting process does not affect the caffeine content of the beans. In addition to coffee beans, caffeine is also found in more than 60 other plants, for example in the tea bush, the guaranà plant, the mate tree or the kola nut.

In addition to coffee, other drinks also shine with their caffeine content. The classic pioneering role is taken by the energy drink. This also contains other stimulants such as glucuronolactone, taurine and more. Black and green tea, for example, have a caffeine content of 3 to 3.5 percent. But other drinks and foods such as cola, cocoa or chocolate also contain caffeine in harmless amounts

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