Coffee Addiction

BIOLOGY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT 2019-20

Mohammad Imtesal Nassir | XII A

 Index
I. Introduction to Coffee 2
a. History 2
b. Species 4

II. Caffeine 5
a. Positive Effects 7
b. Adverse Effects 7

III. Coffee & Health 9

a. Advantages 9
b. Disadvantages 10

IV. Addiction 12
a. Case Study 13

V. Conclusion 15

VI. References & Sources 16

PAGE 1
What is Coffee?
To put it in simple words, Coffee is a brewed hot or cold
beverage enjoyed by the whole world in one form or the
other.
Coffea of the family Rubiceae, native to tropical regions of
Asia and the South Americas, produces seeds which are
widely known as coffee beans. These contain a large amount
of caffeine in them and have a distinct sweet taste and are
often juiced. Coffee is darkly colored, bitter, and
slightly acidic and has a stimulating effect in humans,
primarily due to its caffeine content. It can be prepared and
presented in various many ways. Coffee is usually served hot,
but serving it iced is also an alternative.

History

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While coffee is native to Ethiopia and Sudan, the earliest
credible evidence of coffee-drinking as the modern beverage
appears in modern-day Yemen in southern Arabia in the
middle of the 15th century in Sufi shrines. It was in what is
now Yemen that coffee seeds were first roasted and brewed in
a manner similar to how it is now prepared for drinking. But
the coffee seeds had to be first exported from East Africa to
Yemen, as Coffea Arabica is thought to have
been indigenous to the former. The Yemenis obtained their
coffee via Somali traders from Berbera, who in turn procured
the beans from the Ethiopian Highlands, began to cultivate
the seed. By the 16th century, the drink had
reached Persia, Turkey, and North Africa. From there, it
spread to Europe and the rest of the world.

Figure 1. Spread of Coffee

Rapid growth in coffee production in South America during

the second half of the 19th century was matched by growth in

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consumption in developed countries, though nowhere has
this growth been as pronounced as in the United States,
where a high rate of population growth was compounded by
doubling of per capita consumption between 1860 and 1920.
Though the United States was not the heaviest coffee-
drinking nation at the time (Nordic countries, Belgium, and
Netherlands all had comparable or higher levels of per capita
consumption), due to its sheer size, it was already the largest
consumer of coffee in the world by 1860, and, by 1920, around
half of all coffee produced worldwide was consumed in the
US.
Coffee has become a vital cash crop for many developing
countries. Over one hundred million people in developing
countries have become dependent on coffee as their primary
source of income. It has become the primary export and
backbone for African countries like Uganda, Burundi,
Rwanda, and Ethiopia, as well as many Central American
countries.

Species
All coffee plants are classified in the
large family Rubiaceae. They
are evergreen shrubs or trees that
may grow 5 m (15 ft.) tall when
unpruned. The leaves are dark green
and glossy, usually 10–15 cm (4–6 in)
long and 6 cm (2.4 in) wide, simple,

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Figure 2. Coffea Arabica

entire, and opposite. Petioles of opposite leaves fuse at the
base to form interpetiolar stipules, characteristic of Rubiaceae.
The flowers are axillary, and clusters of fragrant white flowers
bloom simultaneously. Gynoecium consists of an inferior
ovary, also characteristic of Rubiaceae. The flowers are
followed by oval berries of about 1.5 cm (0.6 in). When
immature they are green, and they ripen to yellow, then
crimson, before turning black on drying. Each berry usually
contains two seeds, but 5–10% of the berries have only one;
these are called pea berries. Arabica berries ripen in six to
eight months, while Robusta takes nine to eleven months.

Caffeine

Figure 3(a). Caffeine Line Molecule Figure 3(b). Caffeine Molecule 3D

Guaranine methyl theobromine 1, 3,7-trimethylxanthine

theine or in general, Caffeine, is a central nervous
system (CNS) stimulant of the methyl xanthine class. It is the
world's most widely consumed psychoactive drug. Unlike

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many other psychoactive substances, it is legal and
unregulated in nearly all parts of the world. There are several
known mechanisms of action to explain the effects of caffeine.
The most prominent is that it reversibly blocks the action
of adenosine on its receptor and consequently prevents the
onset of drowsiness induced by adenosine. Caffeine also
stimulates certain portions of the autonomic nervous system.
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline purine, a methyl
xanthine alkaloid, and is chemically related to
the adenine and guanine bases of deoxyribonucleic
acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). It is found in the
seeds, nuts, or leaves of a number of plants native to Africa,
East Asia and South America, and helps to protect them
against predator insects and to prevent germination of nearby
seeds. The most well-known source of caffeine is the coffee
bean, a misnomer for the seed
of Coffea plants. Beverages containing caffeine are ingested to
relieve or prevent drowsiness and to improve performance. To
make these drinks, caffeine is extracted by steeping the plant
product in water, a process called infusion. Caffeine-
containing drinks, such as coffee, tea, and cola, are very
popular; as of 2014, 85% of American adults consumed some
form of caffeine daily, consuming 164 mg on average.

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 Table 1. Caffeine content among Caffeinated drinks

Positive Effects
 Cognitive- Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that
reduces fatigue and drowsiness. It has variable effects on learning
and memory, but it generally improves reaction
time, wakefulness, concentration, and motor coordination.
Caffeine can delay or prevent sleep and improves task
performance during sleep deprivation. For some people,
discontinuing caffeine use can significantly reduce anxiety. In
moderate doses, caffeine has been associated with reduced
symptoms of depression and lower suicide risk. Increased
consumption of coffee and caffeine is associated with a decreased
risk of depression.

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 Physical- Caffeine is a proven ergogenic aid in humans. Caffeine
improves athletic performance
in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Moderate doses of caffeine
can improve sprint performance, cycling and running time trial
performance, endurance and cycling power output. Caffeine
increases basal metabolic rate in adults. Caffeine improves
muscular strength and power, and may enhance muscular
endurance. This is congruent with caffeine reducing perceived
exertion, because exercise-to-exhaustion should end at the same
point of fatigue. Caffeine also improves power output and reduces
time to completion in aerobic time trials, an effect positively
associated with longer duration exercise.

Adverse Effects
 Physical- Caffeine can increase blood pressure and
cause vasoconstriction. Coffee and caffeine can
affect gastrointestinal motility and gastric acid secretion. Caffeine
in low doses may cause weak bronchodilation for up to four hours
in asthmatics. Doses of caffeine equivalent to the amount
normally found in standard servings of tea, coffee and carbonated
soft drinks appear to have no diuretic action. However, acute
ingestion of caffeine in large doses (at least 250–300 mg,
equivalent to the amount found in 2–3 cups of coffee or 5–8 cups
of tea) results in a short-term stimulation of urine output in
individuals who have been deprived of caffeine for a period of
days or weeks. This increase is due to both a diuresis (increase in
water excretion) and a natriuresis (increase in saline excretion).
The acute increase in urinary output may increase the risk
of dehydration. However, chronic users of caffeine develop
a tolerance to this effect and experience no increase in urinary
output.

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 Psychological-Minor undesired symptoms from caffeine
ingestion not sufficiently severe to warrant a psychiatric diagnosis
are common and include mild anxiety, jitteriness, insomnia,
increased sleep latency, and reduced coordination. Caffeine can
have negative effects on anxiety disorders. According to a 2011
literature review, caffeine use is positively associated with anxiety
and panic disorders. At high doses, typically greater than 300 mg,
caffeine can both cause and worsen anxiety. Some textbooks
state that caffeine is a mild euphoriant, others state that it is not.
Caffeine-induced anxiety disorder is a subclass of the DSM-
5 diagnosis of substance/medication-induced anxiety disorder.

Figure 4. Impact of Caffeine

Coffee & Health
Advantages
Drinking coffee is generally safe within usual levels of intake
and is more likely to improve health outcomes than to cause
harm at doses of 3 or 4 cups of coffee daily. Exceptions
include possible increased risk in women having bone

PAGE 9
fractures, and a possible increased risk in pregnant women
of fetal loss or decreased birth weight.
Coffee stimulates gallbladder contraction and aids in the
contraction of the colonic and intestinal smooth muscles.
Because of its acidity, it can harm the lining of the stomach
and intestines, and as a result can cause gastritis, stomach
ulcers, and promote acid reflux. Recent studies, both in vivo
and in vitro, suggest that coffee suppresses the proliferation of
microbes, including bacteria within the micro biome.
Research have shown that higher coffee consumption was
associated with lower risk of death, and that those who drank
any coffee lived longer than those who did not.
Moderate coffee consumption is not a risk factor for coronary
heart disease. A 2012 meta-analysis concluded that people
who drank moderate amounts of coffee had a lower rate
of heart failure, with the biggest effect found for those who
drank more than four cups a day. A 2014 meta-analysis
concluded that cardiovascular disease, such as coronary artery
disease and stroke, is less likely with three to five cups of non-
decaffeinated coffee per day, but more likely with over five
cups per day. A 2016 meta-analysis showed that coffee
consumption was associated with a reduced risk of death in
patients who have had a myocardial infarction. Drinking four
or more cups of coffee per day does not affect the risk
of hypertension compared to drinking little or no coffee;
however, drinking one to three cups per day may be at a
slightly increased risk.

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Disadvantages
Bad quality coffee can have a lot of impurities in it, which can
cause sickness, headache or a general bad feeling. This can
happen if your coffee is made from beans that have been over
ripped or otherwise ruined. Even one ruined bean can make
your cup toxic. If you invest and buy high quality, specialty
coffee you don’t have to worry about this.
Yes, if you drink 80-100 cups (23 liters) in a short session. This
dose is lethal and will amount in 10-13 grams of caffeine
within your body. Before you reach this point, however, you'll
be vomiting most of it out since 23 liters of any liquid is a lot.
Even drinking 23 liters of water can kill you.
Again, it's the caffeine working here. Your recommended
maximum amount of caffeine is 400 milligrams, roughly the
amount that you’ll get from 4 cups of coffee. If you’re caffeine-
sensitive, be careful with coffee. You are probably already
aware what amount and what kind of coffee suits, or doesn't
suit you. The amount of caffeine that is safe for human
consumption is actually written in our DNA.

Studies on coffee's effect on a fetus have been controversial,

but one thing is sure: if you drink coffee when pregnant,
caffeine will also reach the fetus, and your baby is highly
sensitive to caffeine. So, if you’re a heavyweight coffee drinker
and can’t stop drinking it while pregnant, at least reduce your
coffee intake to one cup a day.

Coffee beans contain cafestol and kahweol, two ingredients

that appear to raise LDL cholesterol levels. Filtering the coffee
traps most of the LDL, but cafestol and kahweol are found in

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espresso, Turkish coffee, French press and Scandinavian style
“cooked coffee”.

Figure 5. Main side effects of Caffeine

Addiction
Caffeine's mechanism of action is somewhat different from
that of cocaine and the substituted amphetamines; caffeine
blocks adenosine receptors A and A2A. Adenosine is a by-
product of cellular activity, and stimulation of adenosine

PAGE 12
receptors produces feelings of tiredness and the need to sleep.
Caffeine's ability to block these receptors means the levels of
the body's natural stimulants, dopamine and norepinephrine,
continue at higher levels.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders describes four caffeine-related disorders
including intoxication, withdrawal, anxiety, and sleep.
Studies have demonstrated that people who take in a
minimum of 100 mg of caffeine per day (about the amount in
one cup of coffee) can acquire a physical dependence that
would trigger withdrawal symptoms that include headaches,
muscle pain and stiffness, lethargy, nausea, vomiting,
depressed mood, and marked irritability. Professor Roland
Griffiths, a professor of neurology at Johns
Hopkins in Baltimore strongly believes that caffeine
withdrawal should be classified as a psychological
disorder. His research suggested that withdrawals affects 50%
of habitual coffee drinkers, beginning within 12-24 hours after
cessation of caffeine intake, and peaking in 20-48 hours,
lasting as long as 9 days. Continued exposure to caffeine leads
the body to create more adenosine receptors in the central
nervous system which makes it more sensitive to the effects of
adenosine in two ways: It reduces the stimulatory effects of
caffeine by increasing tolerance, and it increases the
withdrawal symptoms of caffeine as the body becomes more
sensitive to the effects of adenosine once caffeine intake
stops. Caffeine tolerance develops very quickly. Tolerance to
the sleep disruption effects of caffeine were seen after
consumption of 400 mg of caffeine 3 times a day for 7 days,
whereas complete tolerance was observed after consumption
of 300 mg taken 3 times a day for 18 days.

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While caffeine users enjoy the increased energy and alertness
that caffeine gives them, unpleasant symptoms experienced
by many consumers, especially those who are addicted,
include:

 Restlessness
 Nervousness
 Excitement
 Difficulty sleeping
 Agitation
 Muscle twitching
 Rambling flow of thoughts and speech
 Flushed face
 Increased heart rate
 Stomach upset

Case Study
A recent survey conducted in just the Counties of Albany,
New York with approximately 300,000 populations. A sample
survey on 175,648 people was conducted about their relations
with Coffee in just the year 2015.

It was found out that about 78.3% of people took coffee and
out of those around 51% drink it regularly, which is staggering
half of the whole population, including all ages.

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 Census of albany county on the consumption of coffee
Twice or more times
a day Do not drink coffee
at all

Once a week

Everyday

Twice a week

3-4 times a week

Consumption Percentage Part of the

Level population
None 19.7% 34,602.65
1/week 9.5% 16,686.56
2/week 13.2% 23,185.53
3-4/week 14.6% 25,644.60
7/week 28.1% 49,357.08
14+/week 14.90% 26,171.55
Table 2. Case Study

PAGE 15
Conclusion
Caffeine addiction is so common we don't even notice it most
of the time. But the feeling of getting back in touch with your
own natural energy, and having the ability to relax when
night falls, is unparalleled when you able to greatly reduce or
quit caffeine.

If you feel you are using excessive amounts of caffeine to cope

with an ongoing emotional problem, such as depression or
anxiety, also talk to your physician about options for treating
these problems. The right treatment could make a huge
difference for you. Caffeine addiction often overlaps with
other behavioral addictions, such as sugar addiction, so you
might find that evaluating your caffeine intake opens up a
Pandora's Box of other behaviors that need to be addressed.

If you don't feel you are addicted to caffeine, but you do feel
you are consuming more than is healthy, you can choose to
either reduce your caffeine intake or cut out caffeine
altogether. The most common mistake, in either case, is to
cut down by too much too soon, causing you to relapse due to
an intense headache.

Instead of cutting your caffeine intake in half, try reducing

your regular intake by about 10 percent every two weeks;
reduce the strength of your last caffeinated drink of the day
by diluting it with an uncaffeinated drink.
So in a nutshell, Coffee is great for just a beverage with
small dosages but it can become a poison if you misuse
it.

PAGE 16
References & Sources
 Notes
o Introduction to Coffee-
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee
o Introduction to Caffeine-
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine
o Effects of Caffeine-
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine
o Coffee and health
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee#Health_effects
o Disadvantages of Coffee-
 https://blog.warriorcoffee.com/blog/12-health-benefits-and-6-
disadvantages-of-coffee-smashing-it
o Addiction-
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine_dependence
 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
o Symptoms-
 https://www.verywellmind.com/caffeine-addiction-4157287
o Conclusion-
 https://www.verywellmind.com/caffeine-addiction-4157287

 Images
o Cover-
 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/
2019/06/190624111622.html
o Fig. 1, History Route of Coffee-
 Seeds of Trade. Source, Natural History Museum
o Fig. 2, Coffea Arabica-
 Franz Eugen Köhler,
http://caliban.mpizkoeln.mpg.de/~stueber/koehler2/high/DS
C_3061.html
o Fig. 3(a), Caffeine(line)-
 www.pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

PAGE 17
o Fig, 3(b), Caffeine(3D)-
 Jynto (more from this user) - Own work

o Table 1, Amount of Caffeine-

 https://www.google.com/url?
sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi3r_D4-
o7kAhXIbX0KHVbZBHMQjhx6BAgBEAI&url=https%3A%2F
%2Forganic.org%2Fthe-health-benefits-and-drawbacks-of-
coffee%2F&psig=AOvVaw1QUKH9iZbkNCOoAiL-
wH6D&ust=1566304992903543
o Fig.4, Caffeine effects-
 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Caffeine-ingestion-has-acute-
effects-on-numerous-body-systems-including-the-
following_fig1_249646232
o Fig. 5, Main Side effects of Caffeine-
 https://www.positivehealthwellness.com/diet-nutrition/the-
15-terrible-coffee-side-effects-you-need-to-know-about/

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