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Caffeine
Caffeine
is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine
alkaloid that is a psychoactive stimulant drug. Caffeine is
found in varying quantities in the beans, leaves and fruit of
some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes
and kills certain insects feeding on the plants. It is most
commonly consumed by humans in infusions extracted from the bean
of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush, as well as
from various foods and drinks containing products derived from
the kola nut. Other sources include yerba mate, quarana berries,
and the Yaupon Holly.
In
humans, caffeine is a central nervous system
stimulant, having the effect of temporarily warding off
drowsiness and restoring alertness. Beverages containing
caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks,
enjoy great popularity. Caffeine is the world's most widely
consumed psychoactive substances, but, unlike many other
psychoactive substances, it is legal and unregulated in nearly
all jurisdictions. In North America, 90% of adults consume
caffeine daily.
Caffeine
has diuretic properties when administered in sufficient doses to
subjects that do not have a tolerance for it. Regular
users, however, develop a strong tolerance to this effect, and
studies have generally failed to support the common notion that
ordinary consumption of caffeinated beverages contributes
significantly to dehydration.
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