Toxic Food Additives: Part VI- Caffeine

Introduction-

Caffeine is found naturally in tea, coffee, and cocoa. It is also added to many soft drinks. It is one of the few drugs -- a stimulant -- added to foods.It is a bitter white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a psychoactive stimulant drug and a mild diuretic (speeds up urine production). Caffeine was discovered by a German chemist, Friedrich Ferdinand Runge, in 1819.
Caffeine is ingested often in cases of severe migraine headaches to quickly relieve pain (acts due to its dilating effects).

Pharmacology-

Caffeine acts as CNS stimulant. The mechanism of action of caffeine requires an elaborate explanation and may be best understood from the following webpage:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine#Mechanism_of_action

Metabolism-

Caffeine is metabolized to theobromine, theophylline and Paraxanthine. The details may be known from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine#Metabolism

Toxicology-

Usually, caffeine produces few adverse reactions; notably among them include:

1)Caffeine Intoxication-
Excess caffeine intake may produce over stimulation of Central Nervous System,thereby producing a condition named as Caffeine Intoxication. It includes restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushing of the face, increased urination, gastrointestinal disturbance, muscle twitching, a rambling flow of thought and speech, irritability, irregular or rapid heart beat, and psychomotor agitation. Larger overdoses might result in mania, depression, lapses in judgment, disorientation, loss of social inhibition, delusions, hallucinations, psychosis, rhabdomyolysis, and even death. Effects on Cardiovascular system includes Ventricular Fibrillation and hence possibility of occurance of arrhythmia.

2)Sleep and Anxiety Disorders-
Since caffeine is a CNS stimulant, its excess intake produces overstimulation of CNS and hence evoking the probability of insomnia; a condition that may further lead to Caffeine-induced--sleep disorder. Moreover, it may also arise the condition of abnormal anxiety cycles and the term called as Caffeine-induced-anxiety disorder.

3)Toxicity in Neonatal and Paediatric Patients -
Caffeine has been reported to cause stunted and retarded growth on children. Hence, neonatal and geriatric patients are not adviced to take coffee, tea etc. that contain caffeine.

4)Toxicity in pregnant women-
Caffeine may also interfere with reproduction and affect developing fetuses. Experiments on lab animals link caffeine to birth defects such as cleft palates, missing fingers and toes, and skull malformations.

5)Action on Cardiovascular System and Gastrointestinal System -
Caffeine promotes stomach-acid secretion (possibly increasing the symptoms of peptic ulcers) and temporarily raises blood pressure.

Reference Links-

1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine#Caffeine_intoxication

2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Caffeine_USP.jpg

3) http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/drugs/caffeine.html