In 1818, the famous German poet J. W. Goethe expressed his desire to meet the young German chemist F. F. Runge, whose inventions and discoveries were main topic at the time. Runge visited Goethe and spent a whole afternoon demonstrating his discoveries before the poet. Before they parted, the thrilled Goethe gave the young scientist a few Arabian coffee beans as a token of his gratitude. Runge, naturally, didn’t use them to make coffee and drink it. A year later, he came out of the lab and entered the annals of history as the first chemist to have extracted the chemical compound known today as caffeine.

As of 1819 to this day, this compound still very much intrigues scientists worldwide. After nearly two hundred years of research, the folder labelled caffeine is so impressive that we can proudly open it.

Chemical properties of caffeine

Caffeine is a natural chemical compound from the group of alkaloids. It is found in over 60 plant species. Larger caffeine content is found in coffee beans, tea leaves, guarana plant and cocoa beans. It is obtained by complex process of decaffeination and named after the plant species from which it is extracted. Caffeine extracted from coffee plant is the same substance as tein (of tea) and guaranin (from guarana). In its isolated form, caffeine is a white crystal powder dissolvable in water, bitter and odourless. Molecular structure of caffeine is stable even at very high temperatures and doesn’t undergo changes during processes such as roasting coffee or brewing tea.

Impact and effects of caffeine

Caffeine remains in the human body for 3 to 4 hours on the average but it can vary depending on several factors. Nicotine accelerates the effects of caffeine and some medications slow them down. In pregnant women and women who use contraceptives the retention period is three times longer.
It takes 45 minutes for the caffeine to be fully absorbed from the digestive tract. Caffeine also works as a mild stimulant, stimulating the functions of the central nervous system. It reinforces adrenaline, serotonin and dopamine secretion, which results in enhanced vigilance, better mood and decreased fatigue.

At the same time, caffeine relaxes the respiratory organs. Caffeine has remedial effects in asthmatics, stimulating effects in smokers and also facilitates better oxygen supply to all parts of the body. According to the research performed in the United States a few years ago, the students who were drinking coffee while taking exams scored better results than the ones who didn’t consume it. It has recently been confirmed that, in a long run, caffeine significantly reduces impairment of mental functions in people over 65.

Caffeine stimulates muscle functions as well. Accelerating the oxygen, glycerol and fatty acids supply, the caffeine improves muscle function and enhances muscle stamina, making them more efficient, up to 30%. Many athletes use these advantages in their training and because of acceleration of the metabolism caffeine is a standard ingredient of most fat burning supplements.

Increase in blood pressure under the influence of caffeine occurs instantly and has its place in total body awakening. After a longer period of slandering, the research showed that there are no bad effects of caffeine on the cardiovascular system. On the contrary, caffeine increases heart muscle contraction power, which affects the oxygen supply and relaxes the respiratory muscles and, in a long run, results in cardiac enlargement.

Caffeine is an excellent tool for reducing the swelling caused by fluid retention in the body. It instantly accelerates the function of the kidneys to sift out extra water from the body tissues. The studies show that this doesn’t lead to dehydration for the quantity of removed fluid remains unchanged in the 24-hour period. Besides improving kidney function, caffeine enhances the digestive system function as well, reducing the risk of colon cancer. Another study, carried out under Prof. Peter Rogers at Harvard, shows that caffeine acts as prevention against ovarian cancer, especially in women who were never submitted to hormone therapy.

Finally, perhaps the most interesting discovery related to this topic: it was recently made known that caffeine blocks the negative impact of UV rays on skin cells. Caffeine not only protects you from radiation, it also makes your skin look more beautiful.