Lentis/Caffeine Addiction

Introduction

Caffeine, chemically known as 1,3,7 trimethylxanthine, is a bitter substance that occurs naturally in plants, including coffee beans and tea leaves, and also synthetically, made for use in medicines, foods, and drinks. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, giving humans a boost of energy and a feeling of awakeness. Caffeine is also a diuretic, causing the body to dispose of extra salt and water by increasing urination. It can also increase the release of acid in the stomach, causing heartburn and an upset stomach, often causing an increase in blood pressure. Caffeine peaks in the blood 15 minutes to 2 hours after consumption, dissolving in the body’s water and fat molecules after entrance into the gut and crossing into the brain.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers 400 milligrams, or around 4 cups of coffee, a safe maximum amount of caffeine for healthy adults to drink in a day. Drinking coffee, in addition to giving an energy boost, can positively impact the health of adults by decreasing chances of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, specifically in women, and also help prevent heart failure. Caffeine has also been seen to reduce weight gain and promote weight loss. Studies have suggested that caffeine may also enhance some thinking skills and promote brain function.

History of Caffeine

While the exact origins of caffeine are currently unknown, an ancient Chinese legend proposes that the first use of caffeine was by Emperor Shen Nung in 2437 BCE when the wind accidentally blew leaves into his boiling water. The concoction’s pleasant taste and restorative properties established the drink as the first cup of tea. Coffee dates back to another legend from the native tribes of the Ethiopian Peninsula in the 9th century CE. When a herder noticed how jumpy and alert his goats were after consuming the berries of an arabica plant, he gave the berries to a local monk. The monk used them to create a drink for long prayer hours, thus creating the first cup of coffee. Coffee was widely popular across the Middle East and Europe by the 17th century, where it was consumed in coffee houses that quickly became hubs of social activity, entertainment, and information exchange.

This image depicts Jonathan's Coffee House, a London coffee house that opened in 1680 and became the original site of the London Stock Exchange.

The energizing and stimulating effects of caffeine transformed civilizations and changed the course of history. Caffeine has contributed to times of golden ages and enlightenment, the industrial revolution, capitalism, and even democracy. Before caffeine in hot coffee and tea, individuals turned to fermented drinks like beer and hard cider to avoid the risk of microbial infection from contaminated water. Alcohol was drunk daily, fogging the minds of workers and contributing to hazardous workplaces. The introduction of caffeine provided an energizing alternative to unsafe water, which promoted productivity and a more focused way of thinking.

Caffeine’s considerable impact on the rise of capitalism was initially due to the expansion of global trade. When caffeine in coffee, tea, and chocolate became beloved in 17th century Europe, the market for these products exploded, and countries flocked to become superpowers in their production and sale. Caffeine’s stimulatory effects meant that workers could work at all times of the day despite the body’s natural rhythms. The coffee houses that quickly rose in popularity became sites of shared interest in topics such as science, politics, and literature. They were spaces where men of all classes could mix, spreading democratic and liberal ideals. As a hub of people and ideas, they eventually brought forth important capitalist institutions like the London Stock Exchange.

Caffeine is the most used psychoactive drug in the world today, with nearly 90% of adults regularly consuming caffeine in any form. Its consumption is a fixture in most people’s lives, but there is a common lack of awareness surrounding its safety.

Culture of Drinking Coffee

Originating in Ethiopia and expanding towards religious ritual use in Yemen, the culture of drinking coffee has spread all over the world, influencing traditional tea drinking countries to become obsessed as well. Besides the chemical effects of drinking coffee on the body, coffee houses have grown in popularity due to their use of meeting places for businessmen in European countries in the 18th century and beyond. Cafes became popular in Europe due to their significance in the social sphere and ease of convenience. The small selections of coffee and affordable price allowed for people of all social classes to enjoy the sanctuary of coffeehouses. The working class was able to enjoy the community and exchange ideas and philosophy with one another with comfort.

Beyond allowing working class men to exchange ideas, coffeehouses also provided the public with unification of the community. As the shift from drinking regular coffee to specialty coffee drinks increased, chains like Starbucks and Tim Hortons became popular. The public enjoyed both the convenience and affordability of these fancy drinks, leading businessmen, students, and the general public to find appeal in these coffeehouses. The culture of drinking coffee has become more than enjoying the alertness that comes from it– it has become a social phenomenon.

Caffeine Addiction

Caffeine addiction is clinically known as Caffeine Use Disorder is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It is currently a Condition for Further Study because there is a lack of data on the prevalence and clinical significance of caffeine use disorder among the general population. Like other addictions, caffeine addiction is characterized by the continued use of caffeine and failure to control use despite negative physical and psychological consequences. Regular consumption of caffeine causes physical and psychological dependence. Dependence requires increasing dosing to achieve the same effects, which leads to caffeine intoxication, restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, and gastrointestinal distress. Many regular caffeine consumers are unaware of the risks of consuming large amounts of caffeine.

Currently, there is no criteria for the amount of caffeine that must be consumed to be considered an addiction. Instead, it is dependent on the subjective symptoms and psychological effect caffeine has on the user. Caffeine addiction is connected to brain interactions, genetic disposition, environment, and individual life experiences. For example, in an academic setting, many college age students tend to increase their caffeine intake as academic demands grow. The tendency to drink coffee is increased on college campuses with the social aspect of coffee shops being used as study spots. This behavior becomes a habit and is continued into adulthood, which can further develop into addiction if the user becomes dependent upon the substance.

People consume caffeine in the morning to increase alertness and boost mood in order to find motivation to work. Over 90% of adults regularly drink caffeine in the US, consuming an average of 200 mg of caffeine per day. Consumption of these beverages everyday causes chemical changes in the brain, leading to a dependency on caffeine. Caffeine tolerance develops similarly to tolerance of other drugs and alcohol. Increased consumption is often required to produce the same effects of alertness that was once produced during the start of the dependency. Abruptly halting consumption will lead to withdrawal symptoms and potentially causing users to relapse and continue drinking caffeinated beverages.

Caffeine’s effect on the brain is the main cause of becoming an addictive substance. Caffeine is absorbed through the small intestine and soon dissolved into the bloodstream, crossing the blood-brain barrier and entering the brain. Caffeine’s structure resembles adenosine, which is naturally present in the brain, which allows it to fit neatly into the brain cells’ adenosine receptors, blocking them off. Caffeine molecules blocking off these receptors allows for the sense of alertness and energy that replace the normal feeling of tiredness that comes from the adenosine receptors.

Withdrawal

In people with this caffeine dependency, their brain’s chemistry and physical characteristics change over time. The brain will begin to grow more adenosine receptors to maintain equilibrium, developing caffeine tolerance and requiring more chemicals to block the receptors. Caffeine withdrawal can cause headache, irritability, fatigue, anxiety, tremors, and depression. To overcome addiction, individuals with caffeine addiction often go through withdrawal. After discontinuing regular consumption of caffeine, some individuals experience withdrawal symptoms. These include headache, fatigue, irritability, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, and flu-like symptoms. Symptoms of withdrawal begin 12 to 24 hours after stopping caffeine consumption. Withdrawal symptoms peak between 20 to 51 hours after stopping consumption, and last for 2 to 9 days.

Economic Effect

The United States is the top coffee consumer by total thousands of 60-pound bags of dry coffee beans. Economically, the average American worker spends $14.40 on coffee per week, or $1100 annually. This is $2 per day on coffee, when calculated for home-brewing. In Washington state, the average cost of a cup of coffee from a coffee shop is $3.46, with 23.8 coffee shops per 100,000 people. Drinking coffee is a mixture of both a social experience and physical need/dependency supported by society and its culture.

Caffeine consumption is not isolated to just the United States. From a global perspective, many European countries consume large amounts of coffee. Finland is the top coffee consumer per person per year in the world. The average Finn consumes 4 cups of coffee per day, which equates to 12 kilograms per year. Coffee is so popular that 2-10 minute coffee breaks are legally mandated for Finnish workers.

Conclusion

Caffeine addiction is a disorder that develops from a physical, emotional, and psychological dependence on the substance that is perpetuated by the cultural and societal norms of caffeine consumption. Future work in the study of caffeine can include the effects of caffeine addiction on the culture of drinking coffee and the expansion of how the history of caffeine shaped the world today.