Here you will find all sorts of interesting information and facts about Caffeine, the main ingredient in Coffee, Tea, and all different types of Energy Drinks. To understand caffeine lets examine its most common source first.
Coffee is a drink that is primarily made from the roasted beans of a coffee plant. The beans are a fruit of this plant and are harvested when ripened and then processed in a powdered form (or whole roasted beans if you prefer). The main chemical ingredient from this bean is "1,3,7-trimethylxanthine". You know is most commonly as Caffeine.
Where does this coffee plant grow? Well it can grow in almost type of soil as long
as it is given plenty of water and sunshine. The coffee plant requires temperatures ranging between
65 to 75 degrees fahrenheit (minimum). The coffee beans take on a slightly different
characteristic depending on the soil conditions, amount of sunshine, and even altitude.
That is why companies sometimes advertise their coffee as coming from a particular region
(like Arabica beans come from Arabia) because that will tell the consumer what kind of taste
to expect.
Caffeine is a bitter tasting alkaloid that exists naturally in certain products
like Coffee Beans or Tea Leaves. In it's purest chemical form it is a white powdery
substance that is extremely bitter. Coffee beans only contain about 1.1% to 2.2% of
this compound. Tea Leaves contain about 3.5% of this pure substance. Caffeine molecules
bind to neurotransmitter receptor sites which cause stimulation of nerve cells. This
stimulation is what causes the most common side effects which are mental alertness,
excitability, restlessness, etc...
For more questions on caffeine and its health effects, visit our
Caffeine Facts FAQ section. It has a plethora of information.