Why is coffee invigorating?
Vyacheslav Dubynin, Post-science
Coffee is an Ethiopian plant, and the original varieties of coffee, which we call Arabica, grow at an altitude of about 1000 meters. Ethiopian residents used coffee berries as an invigorating remedy. In the XII century, the Arabs who came to Ethiopia guessed that coffee should be ground into powder, poured with hot water and drink a decoction. In the XV century, there was a commercial explosion, coffee shops began to open (the first appeared in Istanbul). In the XVII century, the first coffee shops appeared in Europe. And at first some people thought that coffee was harmful, but gradually this drink began to play an increasingly important role in everyday life.
Coffee helps a person in emergency situations, although, if you look at it, caffeine itself does not carry energy. Caffeine only forces our body to use more fully and deeply (sometimes unreasonably deeply) the supply of ATP molecules present in cells, the decay of which leads to the release of energy.
Adenosine is a substance that is part of DNA, RNA and adenosine–3-phosphoric acid (ATP). Phosphates are attached to the adenosine molecule in the case of ATP (in the form of a small sequentially arranged chain). In the cytoplasm of cells, phosphates can break away from ATP, and each phosphoric acid residue is a portion of energy that is transferred to proteins. ATP can be imagined as a three-shot pistol with three phosphate bullets in it. Such a gun can fire a maximum of three times, each time hitting protein molecules and forcing them to do a certain job. If the gun is completely discharged, adenosine is obtained from ATP.
The appearance of adenosine in tissues and cells is a signal of their serious fatigue and depletion of energy reserves. And almost all cells of our body have adenosine receptors that inhibit intracellular processes. With fatigue and the appearance of adenosine, the heart muscle begins to work weaker, and many smooth muscles in the walls of internal organs, primarily blood vessels, relax. At the level of the nervous system, we also feel tired.
If you block the adenosine receptors, then you can remove the subjective feeling of fatigue. Adenosine receptor antagonists end up being one of the groups of psychomotor stimulants. The class of psychomotor stimulants includes both potent compounds like amphetamine and much milder drugs – adenosine receptor antagonists. The latter include caffeine, as well as a similar theophylline – a substance that is found in cocoa and chocolate.
The molecules of adenosine and caffeine are similar. When caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, the feeling of fatigue weakens, and the body begins to use those reserves of ATP that are usually stored for a rainy day. That's why, against the background of caffeine, most people become cheerful, there is an influx of strength. But the problem is that energy and psychomotor stimulants, like a cup of coffee, do not carry their own energy. They only make us tired to a deeper level. And this is fraught with the fact that a person will subsequently need to rest and recover longer, otherwise he will fall into a state of chronic fatigue, nervous exhaustion.
In addition to coffee, the sources of caffeine are plants such as guarana, as well as cola nuts. They contain about the same amount of caffeine as coffee beans. In a cup of coffee we find about 100 mg of caffeine, in a cup of strong tea – 2-3 times less. A whole milk chocolate bar, as well as 0.5 liters of Coca-Cola drink are approximately equal in effect to a cup of strong coffee. Caffeine is the most popular psychoactive drug in the world; there are no prohibitions on the sale of caffeinated products. Caffeine is actively involved in the life of mankind in the form of tea, coffee, chocolate. There are also drinks containing cola nut extract. The most famous brand is Coca-Cola, which in the original recipe contained not only caffeine, but also coca leaf extract (1886). But then the coca was taken out of the recipe, and the cola nuts were left. Therefore, now this most invigorating, "refreshing" effect of Coca-Cola is based on caffeine (and also on a huge dose of sugar).
The maximum reasonable amount of caffeine is 300 mg per day. If you cross this border, you risk overwork and get cardiovascular disorders. In addition, addiction and dependence are gradually forming. Caffeine is a competitor of adenosine, and if you constantly affect the cells with caffeine, they begin to increase the number of adenosine receptors. As a result, the feeling of fatigue arises more and more easily, and the dose of caffeine has to be increased ("addiction"), and when trying to abruptly abandon caffeine, the person's condition worsens noticeably ("addiction"; drowsiness, depression, headache). Thus, although caffeine seems to many to be a harmless substance, in large doses it behaves like a weak narcotic drug.
About the author:
Vyacheslav Dubynin – Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of the Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, specialist in the field of brain physiology.
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27.10.2016