Each night at work a favorite time amongst most of my co-worker is that ten o’clock hour when medications are complete, and someone starts brewing coffee. When a message goes out to all the nurses and techs that coffee is made, a group of excited co-worker huddle around the coffee maker. A drink that is consumed daily by millions, whether you are a night nurse, day nurse, student or indeed anyone else, chances are your routine starts with a caffeinated beverage. But how does caffeine work?
Caffeine enters your bloodstream quickly, the molecules enter via the mucous membranes. Caffeine is broken down into three chemicals in the liver; theophylline, theobromine, and paraxanthin (Caffeine, nd). Theophylline works as a mild muscle relaxer (caffeine, n.d.), for several people the smooth muscles of the intestines become relax and that where caffeine gets its laxative qualities. The theobromine increases the oxygen to the brain and muscles (caffeine, n.d.). In combination, these chemicals allow for vasodilation, which creates better blood flow and more oxygen. The majority of caffeine is broken down into paraxanthin. In the brain, this chemical attaches itself to the adenosine receptor sites (Watson, 2003). When the paraxanthine connects, this helps you stay awake, allowing dopamine to more effectively reach receptor-sites ( Watson, 2003). Dopamine is “the happiness” neurotransmitter (Dopamine, n.d.).
These chemicals have a half like of about four to six hours (Caffeine, n.d.). That means in about four hours half of the consumed caffeine would have been excreted from your body. For example, let’s say you drink an energy drink, a Monster UltraViolet, (only because it’s sitting in front of me as I write this), which has 140 mg of Caffeine per can. By drinking the whole container, in four hours only 70 mg would still be in my body. Now if you are someone who is sensitive to caffeine the half-life might be closer to six hours or longer. Your body metabolizes the chemicals slower. The metabolites, the theophylline, theobromine, and paraxanthin are filtered through the kidneys and excreted through urine. This creates a diuretic effect, it makes you have to urinate.
As the body metabolizes the caffeine, you may feel your body “crashing.” The “crashing” feeling is the increase of adenosine attaching to their receptors and a decrease of dopamine at their receptors. This causes tiredness and lethargy. (Caffeine, n.d.)
Caffeine is a worldwide stimulant, found in energy drinks, coffee, chocolate, sodas, and other daily consumed items. What’s your favorite caffeine fix?
Caffeine Metabolism. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-metabolism.
Dopamine. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2018. From http://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dopamine.
Watson. J. (2003). Caffeine. Encyclopedia of Food Science and Nutrition, 745-750. doi:10.1016/b0-12-227055v/00144-9
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