Caffeine, a psychoactive drug, is a central nervous system stimulant (Majithia, 2007). It stimulates the brain by blocking the effects of the adenosine, which is a neurotransmitter that relaxes the brain. Caffeine helps a person stay awake by connecting to adenosine receptors in the brain without activating them (Petre, 2011). This blocks the effects of adenosine, leading to reduced tiredness. Caffeine consumption is also very popular among students; they have become dependent on it in order to perform best in multiple facets of their hectic lives, either as a recreational supplement or as a study aid. Caffeine is consumed in one form or another, but mostly in beverages. It is usually found in coffees, teas, energy drinks, chocolates and even
…show more content…
Early people found that chewing the red beans of an evergreen bush had the effects of easing fatigue, stimulating awareness, and elevating mood (Berger, 2012). The history of caffeine in America starts with the introduction of coffees and teas to the United States in 1670, when the first American coffee trader was granted a license to sell coffee in Boston. After the Boston Tea Party, coffee became the caffeinated beverage of choice, as tea was looked upon as unpatriotic (Lumin Interactive, How Coffee changed America). In 1820, German chemist Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge first isolated a drug in the coffee bean and named it "caffeine," meaning something found in coffee. American per capita coffee consumption rose from three pounds per year to eight pounds per year between 1830 and 1859 (Hruby, 2012). Since then, caffeine was already a popular drink for many. By the year 1886, the first widely known caffeinated soft drink debuted in Atlanta, Georgia by the name of Coca-Cola ("The Coca Cola," 2011). Even so with this, Coffee still held the lead as the most popular beverage, especially with the invention of instant coffee and dehydrated coffee in the early 1900s (Lumin Interactive, How Coffee changed America). Coffee even surpassed beer as New York City’s most popular breakfast drink in
Early people found that chewing the red beans of an evergreen bush had the effects of easing fatigue, stimulating awareness, and elevating mood (Berger, 2012). The history of caffeine in America starts with the introduction of coffees and teas to the United States in 1670, when the first American coffee trader was granted a license to sell coffee in Boston. After the Boston Tea Party, coffee became the caffeinated beverage of choice, as tea was looked upon as unpatriotic (Lumin Interactive, How Coffee changed America). In 1820, German chemist Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge first isolated a drug in the coffee bean and named it "caffeine," meaning something found in coffee. American per capita coffee consumption rose from three pounds per year to eight pounds per year between 1830 and 1859 (Hruby, 2012). Since then, caffeine was already a popular drink for many. By the year 1886, the first widely known caffeinated soft drink debuted in Atlanta, Georgia by the name of Coca-Cola ("The Coca Cola," 2011). Even so with this, Coffee still held the lead as the most popular beverage, especially with the invention of instant coffee and dehydrated coffee in the early 1900s (Lumin Interactive, How Coffee changed America). Coffee even surpassed beer as New York City’s most popular breakfast drink in