The Low Down On Caffiene Essay Research

The Low Down On Caffiene Essay, Research Paper

THE LOW DOWN ON CAFFEINE

___A Statement of the Problem

Caffeine is on trial, I am the judge. My verdict. I do not know . but I will. I am determined to find truth, and accomplishing that task will be difficult, but very fulfilling. To determine whether caffeine is guilty of its charges, I will develop an intense experiment packed full of the scientific method. Accompanied by this experiment will be extreme background knowledge to guide me to my verdict. Strap in and enjoy the ride; here is caffeine.s story:

I grew up in an environment that was very hostile toward the compound caffeine. It was tough. I recall being in numerous situations where my buds would be sipping on a cold Mountain Dew., or another soft drink which obtained caffeine, and I would be sipping a warm glass of V8 Juice.. That stuff is terrible, it really is. I felt isolated, for I was limited to only so many beverages, none of them that were cool either. After awhile, my ashamed secret was let out to my entire school, and for 4 years my peers ostracized me for being the .square baby bottle boy. who could not drink the cool caffeine soda. My social life ceased to be; this forced me to deeply concentrate on the subject of caffeine and caffeine products.

I still do think about caffeine. I now question my father.s fervent belief that caffeine was a drug that chained its users into a lifetime of addiction; a tool used by greedy corporations to capture more consumers. I also question the horrible effects my dad claims caffeine has on the nervous and digestive system. I keep thinking, could this compound really be that bad.

By using the opportunity given to me by this project, I will fulfill my curiosity about caffeine and design a scientific experiment. With this experiment, I will answer the questions: 1) Does increased amounts of caffeine form dependency. 2) How does caffeine affect the speed of our bodies. 3) How does caffeine affect our system.s digestive process.

Many factors may influence this topic. My biased view which has generated from years of brainwashing by my father influence my interpretations of research and influence my hypothesis. Physiological biases may influence the way in which I shape my experiments. However I have researched and designed an experiment which reflect little to no bias by me, I have kept open minded in my quest for truth.

I am happy I chose this problem; I have learned not to blindly except the theories and ideas of my father but thoroughly investigate them myself and establish a closer truth through research and through the scientific method.

___Review of Literature

-Caffeine in its molecular form

The compound Caffeine (C8H10N4O2) is recognized by a plethora of other names, from 1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine and 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropurine to just plain No-Doz (Britannica 1999). Caffeine is a white powder substance or silky needle substance. The compound is very soluble in hot water, and when it cools, the solution deposits crystals of caffeine monohydrate (Britannica 1999). Caffeine is used as an additive in certain food products; it is a central nervous system stimulant and a diuretic (Powers SK). Caffeine is an alkaloid. There are numerous compounds called alkaloids, among them we have the methylxanthines, with three distinguished compounds: caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, found in cola nuts, coffee, tea, cacao beans, mate and other plants. These compounds have different biochemical effects, and are present in different ratios in the different plant sources. These compounds are very similar and differ only by the presence of methyl groups in two positions of the chemical structure. They are easily oxidized to uric acid and other methyluric acids that are also similar in chemical structure (Caffeine Blues).

Caffeine is consumed very often. An average cup of coffee contains about 100 mg (.003 ounce) of caffeine. Tea also incorporates caffeine into its solution. In a 12-ounce glass of carbonated cola beverage, there is about 40 mg of caffeine (Britannica 1999). Caffeine is present in many of our beverages and foods. People probably drink a lot more than they realize.

According to the National Soft Drink Association, the following is the caffeine content in mgs per 12 oz can of soda (Caffeine Consumed Miller):

1. Afri-Cola 100.0 (.)

2. Jolt 71.2

3. Sugar-Free Mr. Pibb 58.8

4. Mountain Dew 55.0 (no caffeine in Canada)

5. Diet Mountain Dew 55.0

6. Kick citrus 54 (36mg per 8oz can, caffeine from guarana)

7. Mello Yellow 52.8

8. Surge 51.0

9. Tab 46.8

10. Battery energy drink — 140mg/l = 46.7mg/can

11. Coca-Cola 45.6

12. Diet Cola 45.6

13. Shasta Cola 44.4

14. Shasta Cherry Cola 44.4

15. Shasta Diet Cola 44.4

16. Mr. Pibb 40.8

17. OK Soda 40.5

18. Dr. Pepper 39.6

19. Pepsi Cola 37.2

20. Aspen 36.0

21. Diet Pepsi 35.4

22. RC Cola 36.0

23. Diet RC 36.0

24. Diet Rite 36.0

25. Canada Dry Cola 30.0

26. Canada Dry Diet Cola 1.2

27. 7 Up 0

By means of comparison, a 7 oz cup of coffee has the following caffeine (mg) amounts, according to Bunker and McWilliams i

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