Lecture 8 1Caffeine2

Apuntes

Lecture 8 (Caffeine) Learning Objectives What family of molecules does caffeine belong to? Describe the relative caffeine content of various foods and beverages. Describe caffeine’s pharmacokinetics in full. Describe the pharmacodynamic mechanism of caffeine. What if caffeinism? Describe the effects of caffeine withdrawal. Should caffeine be considered addictive? Are caffeine and nicotine neuroprotective? Discuss the available evidence presented. Caffeine Caffeine is a mild psychostimulant of the xanthine family Can be found in a number of plants Kola nuts Cocoa tree nuts Tea leaves Coffee beans The most widely used drug on Earth You can find caffeine in medications, because some pills cause drowsiness, so the caffeine will combat that side-effect. Dark roast is actually less strong than light roast The longer you roast the coffee, the more you degrade the caffeine molecules and the other xanthine molecules that might be in there To get decaf coffee, you essentially have to roast it for a long time Energy Drinks Even though energy drinks can only contain 75mg of caffeine, they get around it by putting in other xanthines into the drink Energy drinks are the fastest growing bever...