Coffee and the Human Body: Effects and impact on daily life
Coffee is a beloved beverage, with around 65% of Americans and 76% of Canadians drinking it daily.
Coffee has been used for thousands of years as a medicine and a stimulant, but its effects on the human body are le o000o 0ss understood than other drugs like alcohol or tobacco.
In this article, we’ll explore how the caffeine in coffee affects your body when consumed regularly, how it interacts with the brain, what happens when you stop drinking coffee after long periods, and more!
What is Caffeine?
Caffeine is a stimulant that attaches to adenosine receptors in the brain, these receptors send signals to your body to regulate normal and pathological processes such as sleep, blood pressure, and heart rate.
In the brain, adenosine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. This means adenosine can act as a central nervous system depressant. In normal conditions, it promotes sleep.
We know coffee often keeps us going throughout the day (and sometimes at night), but now you know caffeine's power is behind your favorite drink.
So what is Adenosine?
Adenosine is a neurotransmitter, meaning it’s the chemical your brain uses to send information from one neuron to another. It’s produced in the brain, and it rises during the day as we get more active - and then falls when we’re asleep.
What does Caffeine do for us?
Caffeine consumption can make you feel more alert and focused on tasks, preventing your brain from getting too sleepy.
The stimulant of Caffeine attaches to adenosine receptors, blocking adenosine receptors in your brain and keeping them from slowing down your neurons. When coffee blocks these receptors in our cells, it makes it so they can’t bind with adenosine molecules - this results in higher concentrations of stimulants like dopamine and norepinephrine circling through our bloodstreams, making us feel more energized!
Caffeine also increases dopamine levels, which is associated with reward and pleasure. This means Caffeine can make you feel good, giving you a more positive outlook on life by making you more energetic and alert. Caffeine has also been shown to improve concentration and attention span.
What happens with too much Caffeine?
If you’re used to having lots of caffeine throughout the day, or you consistently drink coffee every morning, for example, your body can stop responding to it as well over fine. It may feel like you need more Caffeine, but in reality, less Caffeine is needed for the same effect.
So, how much coffee do you go through per month? Try our coffee calculator and find out.
Join us and begin making an impact with every sip. When you enjoy coffee from Road Coffee Co, you’re helping us create a sustainable supply chain with quality coffee bean farmers worldwide.
Taste our coffees today.
