Caffeine has been used all over the world for centuries, and today we consume caffeine on a day to day basis. Rather it be habitual or by accident it seems to be found everywhere in at least the average American’s diet. The main reason so much caffeine is consumed today is because of its ability to “put off exhaustion.” By definition caffeine is a drug that stimulates the central nervous system causing increased heart rate and alertness. Meaning that it is not necessarily giving you “energy” but instead it is blocking your body from telling you that you are tired, so you just do not feel it. How caffeine will affect someone is determined by how much caffeine a person consumes and the way their body metabolizes it. Caffeine affects everyone
…show more content…
The process of extracting caffeine is different than the way most alkaloids are extracted “…Caffeine, a purine derivative, does not precipitate like most alkaloids. It is usually detected by mixing with a very small amount of potassium chlorate and a drop of hydrochloric acid, evaporating to dryness and exposing the residue to ammonia vapour. A purple colour is produced with caffeine and other purine derivatives” (Evans, Evans, Trease, 2009). This method is known as the murexide test. For tea leaves, “Caffeine easily sublimes and may be extracted from tea by heating the broken leaves in a crucible covered with a piece of glass” (Evans, Evans, Trease, 2009), often times color tests can also be done to help identify the …show more content…
Some people/places are even known to mix alcohol and caffeine for a caffeinated alcoholic beverage. The United States Food and Drug Administration has classified caffeine being added to things such as, malt liquor beverages as an "unsafe food additive".[178] This can be considered dangerous because the caffeine will mask the effects of the alcohol on your body. So while a person may have had “a few too many” they will not feel the effects of having too many drunks, thus causing them to continue drinking and risk getting alcohol poisoning. “While moderate caffeine use is “generally recognized as safe” by the US Food and Drug Administration and the American Medical Association, this classification is largely based on studies conducted in adults,” (Temple). Yet there has been very little research done on the affects caffeine has on children. The effects of caffeine tend to be “…Moderate doses of caffeine (200 – 300 mg) often produce enhanced feelings of well-being, improve concentration, and increase arousal and energy” (Garrett and Griffiths, 1997; Griffiths et al., 1990b). While “High doses (>400 mg), however, lead to feelings of anxiety, nausea, jitteriness, and nervousness” (Garrett and Griffiths,
The process of extracting caffeine is different than the way most alkaloids are extracted “…Caffeine, a purine derivative, does not precipitate like most alkaloids. It is usually detected by mixing with a very small amount of potassium chlorate and a drop of hydrochloric acid, evaporating to dryness and exposing the residue to ammonia vapour. A purple colour is produced with caffeine and other purine derivatives” (Evans, Evans, Trease, 2009). This method is known as the murexide test. For tea leaves, “Caffeine easily sublimes and may be extracted from tea by heating the broken leaves in a crucible covered with a piece of glass” (Evans, Evans, Trease, 2009), often times color tests can also be done to help identify the …show more content…
Some people/places are even known to mix alcohol and caffeine for a caffeinated alcoholic beverage. The United States Food and Drug Administration has classified caffeine being added to things such as, malt liquor beverages as an "unsafe food additive".[178] This can be considered dangerous because the caffeine will mask the effects of the alcohol on your body. So while a person may have had “a few too many” they will not feel the effects of having too many drunks, thus causing them to continue drinking and risk getting alcohol poisoning. “While moderate caffeine use is “generally recognized as safe” by the US Food and Drug Administration and the American Medical Association, this classification is largely based on studies conducted in adults,” (Temple). Yet there has been very little research done on the affects caffeine has on children. The effects of caffeine tend to be “…Moderate doses of caffeine (200 – 300 mg) often produce enhanced feelings of well-being, improve concentration, and increase arousal and energy” (Garrett and Griffiths, 1997; Griffiths et al., 1990b). While “High doses (>400 mg), however, lead to feelings of anxiety, nausea, jitteriness, and nervousness” (Garrett and Griffiths,