ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks to

my biology teacher Mr. Rajeev Kumar, PGT Biology,
as well as our School Principal Mrs. Sudharshana
Mam who gave the opportunity to do this
wonderful project on the topic
______________________________________
____________________________________ which
also helped me in doing a lot of research work and I
came to know about so many things. I am really
thankful to them.
INDEX :

 Abstract
 A General introduction on
caffeine
 Caffeine consumption and its
effects
 Sources of caffeine
 Overuse
 Caffeine intoxication
 Caffeine withdrawal a case study
 What the experts suggest?
 Conclusion
 Bibliography

ABSTRACT :
 The goal of the project is to study coffee
addiction its causes and effects of coffee withdrawal in 3
persons.
Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from
roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the
coffee plant. They are seeds of coffee cherries that grow
on trees in over 70 countries, cultivated primarily in Latin
America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Green unroasted
coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities
in the world. Due to its caffeine content, coffee often has
a stimulating effect on humans.
Today, coffee is the third most popular
drink in the world, behind water and tea. Some
controversy is associated with coffee cultivation and its
impact on the environment. Many studies have
examined the relationship between coffee consumption
and certain medical conditions; whether the overall
effects of coffee are ultimately positive or negative has
been widely disputed. The method of brewing coffee has
been found to be important to its health effects.
A GENERAL INTRODUCTION ON CAFFEINE :

Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline

xanthine alkaloid that is a psychoactive stimulant drug.
Caffeine was isolated in 1820 by a German chemist,
Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge. Caffeine is found in varying
quantities in the beans, leaves, and fruit of some plants,
where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and
kills certain insects feeding on the plants.[6] It is most
commonly consumed by humans in infusions extracted
from the bean of the coffee plant and the leaves of the
tea bush, as well as from various foods and drinks
containing products derived from the kola nut. In
humans, caffeine acts as a central nervous system (CNS)
stimulant, temporarily warding off drowsiness and
restoring alertness. Caffeine is the world's most widely
consumed psychoactive substance, but, unlike many
other psychoactive substances, is legal and unregulated
in nearly all jurisdictions
CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION AND ITS EFFECTS :

Caffeine is a potent and quick-acting drug which

produces an effect similar to the stress response in our bodies. Caffeine
affects each person differently, depending on individual circumstances
such as weight, build, etc. It has an almost instant effect on your mind-
body which will continue to influence your state for 6-8 hours
afterwards.
Every time we drink tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, or cola
we are giving our body a 'hit' of caffeine. Along with nicotine and
alcohol, caffeine is one of the three most widely used mood -affecting
drugs in the world.
If you have more than two or three caffeine drinks per
day your 'habit' may be affecting you emotionally and physically much
more powerfully than you might expect.
Some commonly observed effects of caffeine are:

1. Stimulates your heart, respiratory system, and

central nervous system.
2. Makes your blood more `sludgy' by raising the
level of fatty acids in the blood.
3. Causes messages to be passed along your
nervous system more quickly
4. Stimulates blood circulation
5. Raises blood pressure
6. Causes your stomach to produce more acid
7. Irritates the stomach lining
8. Makes digestion less effective by relaxing the
muscles of your intestinal system
9. Its diuretic effect caused increased urination -
although you would have to drink about 8 coups of coffee in
one sitting for this to occur
10. Stimulates the cortex of your brain heightening
the intensity of mental activity. This can result in a temporary
feeling of alertness and, in the short term, banishes drowsiness
and feelings of fatigue. In those who already have high levels of
anxiety the heightened intensity of mental activity can produce
unpleasant effects. But check out below which contradicts this.
11. Affects the length and quality of sleep. Heavy
caffeine users suffer from sleep-deprivation because their
nervous system is too stimulated to allow them deep, restful or
prolonged sleep.
12. The American Medical Journal has reported a
correlation between caffeine and decreased bone density or
osteoporosis in women.
In addition to the above effects prolonged or very
heavy caffeine use can produce the following:
13. `Caffeine nerves' a jittery feeling with shaking
hands, palpitations, and wobbliness in the legs.
14. Caffeine addiction which involves nervousness,
irritability, agitation, headaches or ringing in the ears.
15. Causes your adrenal glands to release their
hormones into your bloodstream
16. Causes blood sugar, or blood glucose, to be
released from storage through the effects of the adrenal
hormones. This gives you a temporary lift but…
17. Requires your pancreas to over-work. This is
because your pancreas now has to produce extra insulin to
reduce this extra blood sugar. Once the extra insulin has
'mopped up' the extra blood sugar your temporary lift from the
caffeine ends. Your vitality level is back to normal. However in
heavy caffeine users the pancreas, in time, becomes over-
sensitive and over-zealous. Now it begins producing too much
insulin – it 'mops up' not just the excess blood sugar but the
blood sugar you need to feel alert and energetic. The initial
effect of this is a let-down effect and a craving for more caffeine
to give you a further boost. A later effect can be excessive and
chronic tiredness, even on waking in the morning. Some people
find that many of the psychological complaints common to
reactive hypoglycaemia (the emotional yo-yo effect, shakiness,
palpitations, weakness, tiredness, etc.) disappear within a few
days of stopping caffeine.

On the other hand...

some research indicates that caffeine in coffee (though
not cola) can be beneficial in preventing heart disease (1) - or,
at least, that coffee drinkers had a lowered incidence of heart
disease. Nevertheless they were unable to confirm that one
caused the other nor why this apparent relationship might be
appearing
SOURCES OF CAFFEINE :
As little as 20 mgs of caffeine can
produce noticeable body and mood changes. As a very
rough guide to how much caffeine you may be taking on
a daily basis...An average cup of tea

contains around 50 mgs of caffeine.

An average cup of instant coffee contains
around 70-100 mgs. Instant decaffeinated coffee
contains about 3 mgs.
A 6 oz cup of espresso coffee (much
larger than the normal cafe cup, incidentally) contains
about 80-90 mgs. A single-hit cappuccino will contain the
same amount.
Filter coffee (called 'drip' in the US) can
contain 25-50% more caffeine than instant.
 A 340 ml or 12 oz can of regular or diet
cola contains between 35 and 45 mgs. of caffeine
depending on the brand
Some so-called 'energy drinks' contain
very high doses of caffeine - equivalent to to 4 or more
cups of strong coffee in one dose!
One ounce or 28 grams of chocolate
contains about 10-15 mgs.

OVERUSE :
In large amounts, and especially over extended
periods of time, caffeine can lead to a condition known as
caffeinism. Caffeinism usually combines caffeine dependency
with a wide range of unpleasant physical and mental conditions
including nervousness, irritability, anxiety, tremulousness,
muscle twitching (hyperreflexia), insomnia, headaches,
respiratory alkalosis, and heart palpitations.[103][104]
Furthermore, because caffeine increases the production of
stomach acid, high usage over time can lead to peptic ulcers,
erosive esophagitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Caffeine may also increase the toxicity of certain other drugs,
such as paracetamol.
CAFFEINE INTOXICATION :
An acute overdose of caffeine usually in excess of about
300 milligrams, dependent on body weight and level of caffeine
tolerance, can result in a state of central nervous system over-
stimulation called caffeine intoxication (DSM-IV 305.90), or colloquially
the "caffeine jitters". The symptoms of caffeine intoxication are not
unlike overdoses of other stimulants. It may include
restlessness,fidgetiness, nervousness, excitement, euphoria, insomnia,
flushing of the face, increased urination, gastrointestinal
disturbance,muscle twitching, a rambling flow of thought and speech,
irritability, irregular or rapid heart beat, and psychomotor agitation. In
cases of much larger overdoses, mania, depression, lapses in judgment,
disorientation, disinhibition, delusions, hallucinations, andpsychosis
may occur, and rhabdomyolysis (breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue)
can be provoked.

Extreme overdose can result in death.[110] The median

lethal dose (LD50) given orally, is 192 milligrams per kilogram in rats.
The LD50 of caffeine in humans is dependent on weight and individual
sensitivity and estimated to be about 150 to 200 milligrams per
kilogram of body mass, roughly 80 to 100 cups of coffee for an average
adult taken within a limited time frame that is dependent onhalf-life.
Though achieving lethal dose with caffeine would be exceptionally
difficult with regular coffee, there have been reported deaths from
overdosing on caffeine pills, with serious symptoms of overdose
requiring hospitalization occurring from as little as 2 grams of caffeine.

An exception to this would be taking a drug such as

fluvoxamine or levofloxacin, which block the liver enzyme responsible
for the metabolism of caffeine, thus increasing the central effects and
blood concentrations of caffeine dramatically at 5-fold. It is not
contraindicated, but highly advisable to minimize the intake of
caffeinated beverages, as drinking one cup of coffee will have the same
effect as drinking five under normal conditions. Death typically occurs
due to ventricular fibrillation brought about by effects of caffeine on
the cardiovascular system
CAFFEINE WITHDRAWAL A CASE STUDY :

The following symptoms were observed in common on

the 4 members of my society, I conducted the study on. I choose them
as they drink coffee twice a day i.e. in morning and in the evening
The symptoms observed were
The symptoms were observed roughly 12-18 hrs after
withdrawal. They get worst after 24-48 hrs and could last for a week.

• Irritable
• Restless
• Muscles stiffness
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Headache moderate to severe
• Chills &/or hot spells
• Causes more blood to gather in head causing
migraine like headache due to our body becoming over sensitive to
adenosine.
• Excessive sleepiness
WHAT THE EXPERTS SUGGESTED ?
To avoid uncomfortable withdrawal effects it is
wise to ease off caffeine over a period of 7-14 days to reduce
the discomfort. Reduce and then stop the richest sources
(especially coffee) first. It is unwise, particularly if you are a
heavy user, to suddenly stop caffeine altogether

When you stop caffeine you allow your body to

catch up on its lost rest. This takes some time. Using caffeine to
force yourself into activity is like flogging an exhausted horse.
For the first few weeks after stopping caffeine you may find
that you are sleeping deeper and for longer. For this reason it is
a good idea to allow yourself an extra hour per night for a few
weeks, increasing this if you continue to experience lethargy in
the mornings.

If you feel drowsy during the day use breathing

exercises preferably out of doors, to alert yourself.

And remind yourself that the drowsiness is a sign

that you are allowing your body to get back into a more normal
state and that your natural energy levels will soon return once
things have got back to normal after the onslaught of the
caffeine regime
CONCLUSION:

Though the effect of coffee or caffeine

on our body is debated many agree for it being
positive while many agree for it being negative. The
most accurate statement at such a debate will be
using it in a controlled way can be useful rather
harmful. As is well said Conscience keeps more
people awake than coffee

BIBLIOGRAPHY :
o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

o http://pegasusnlpblog.com/caffeine-induced-panics