How does caffeine affect your brain and body?

The vast majority of people on earth can not start their day without a dose of caffeine. According to a new scientific study, lovers of latte and cappuccino can be calm for their well-being. It turns out that coffee in moderate quantities prolongs life. But those who are used to getting cheerful from energy drinks, should be concerned about the high sugar content in each bank.

Negative and positive effect of stimulant

Caffeine in itself is a powerful stimulant, providing both positive and negative health effects. Having received the next "dose", the person becomes more alert, alert and focused. However, an extra portion of coffee can cause unpleasant consequences, especially if it is a nervous system.

Caffeine is the most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world

Caffeine is addictive, and, in fact, this substance can be attributed to drugs. But we do not think of this stimulant as some kind of evil. According to statistics, this is the most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world. The effect that this psychostimulator possesses changes the way of perception of the surrounding world. When you wake up in the morning, the first thing you see is sunlight. In winter, you turn on electric light. Tandem "caffeine and light" awakens you definitively, setting the natural rhythm of wakefulness.

Some time you will feel cheerful

There is nothing surprising in that our brain gets tired during the day. And the more molecules of adenosine produced, the more you want to sleep. The production of this chemical compound, which plays an important role in biochemical processes, occurs around the clock. And if during the day you begin to feel lethargic, the only salvation is seeing a cup of fragrant coffee or energy bank. Caffeine interferes with the natural process, imitating adenosine molecules in the brain. It seizes part of the adenosine receptors in the central nervous system, and then completely blocks them. As a result, after drinking a cup of coffee you feel vivacity.

The effect has a short-term effect

However, the stimulant has only a short-term effect. When its action ceases, the body is again taken to produce adenosine receptors. That's why for many people the morning cup of coffee suddenly turns into two. The more adenosine receptors in the central nervous system, the more caffeine is required for their binding and blocking.

Caffeine boosts your mood

The substance has one more, no less pleasant function. It's about improving the mood. Specialists also associate this effect with the ability to block adenosine receptors. When the number of adenosine molecules is reduced, other natural neurostimulants produced by the brain appear in their place: glutamine and dopamine. Thus, a coffee lover notices in the morning not only a rush of cheerfulness, but also a tangible uplift of mood. Note that several scientific studies have found a correlation between caffeine consumption and a reduced risk of depression. Some scientists have suggested that coffee lovers are less likely to think about suicide. At least, this statement can be true for men.

The effect of tea is less studied

If we talk about tea, then we have conflicting information about the beneficial effect of this drink on the central nervous system. Some studies have found a correlation between tea consumption and mood elevation, and some do not.

Caffeine increases the level of adrenaline

Caffeine stimulates the cells of the brain, causing them to produce more adrenaline. From the pituitary gland the signal is transmitted to the adrenal glands, which forces the department responsible for the production of hormones to work intensively. That's why too much coffee makes people irritable and aggressive. Adrenaline is responsible for the function of "fighting or flight", in which a person aspires to leave the threatening situation as soon as possible.

When you sit in your kitchen and sip a fourth serving of coffee, there is no threat to your life. However, the brain under the influence of psychostimulants thinks differently. He gives the command to "save" your body. That's why you are excited, irritable, anxious and even furious. That's why you are so emotionally charged. Vasya these qualities will help you cope with opponents in the event that you are threatened by a real danger. But in ordinary everyday situations, an additional surge of adrenaline is useless.

Coffee improves memory

It was proved that caffeine can improve some memory functions, in particular, the ability to memorize word lists and understand the information transmitted by other people. Some studies have discovered even more curious things. For example, caffeine helps the brain to make "hooks" in memory, through which in the future it is easy to extract old information on the surface of consciousness. However, all these improvements work for people who drink coffee quite infrequently and can not yet rank themselves as convinced coffee mates. It has also been proved that for a cup of extroverts the cup of coffee has a much greater effect than for the memory of introverts. Scientists explain this phenomenon by a different individual reaction to the substance.

For a short time caffeine reduces appetite

A cup of coffee dulls the feeling of hunger for a short time. That's why some people drink coffee with pleasure during the fasting days. Note that most of the research in this area has been carried out on animals. And this means that for the time being these conclusions are in the stage of assumptions and practical observations.

Coffee improves the effect of certain medicines

Few people will think of taking a pill from a headache with a cup of coffee. However, in the composition of popular drugs that reduce the symptoms of migraine, contains caffeine. By reacting with acetaminophen, the psychostimulant enhances the effect of suppressing pain.