Caffeine

Through the ages man has searched diligently for stimulants in his environment. His search has not gone unrewarded. But the reward has had its price. Man found the coffee bean in Arabia, the tea leaf in China, the kola nut in West Africa, the cocoa bean in Mexico, the ilex plant, which provides maté in Brazil, and the cassina or Christmas berry tree in North America. They all contain caffeine, which accounts for the enthusiastic acceptance of beverages brewed from these native plant products. The popular coffee beverage spread to Ethiopia from Arabia, Turkey, then to near Eastern and North African Regions, and finally to Europe and North and South America. When newly introduced, coffee was considered an intoxicating brew, dangerous to health. Despite medical warnings and efforts to suppress it, coffee became a welcome and socially acceptable drink. The controversy over the health aspects of coffee continues. Increasingly the debate has focused on caffeine. This report deals with caffeine — its chemical identity and dietary sources, its intake by individuals in the United States and its known biological effects.