It's currently about 4:45 am.

I've been awake all of 15 minutes, and already, my brain and body desire the fuel they're so used to having this early. I'm talking about that wonderful brewed bean drink we call COFFEE!

I'm one of those people, who will drink coffee all day long sometimes. I have to have it first thing in the morning, and can drink a cup at 8pm, then drift off to sleep for the night around 9. Coffee has been around for hundreds of years, and for good reason, it stimulates the mind and body, and might even prolong your life! Today I want to talk about one of my very favorite things, and how it affects the mind and body.

Coffee's effects on the brain

The main psychoactive chemical in coffee is caffeine. Within 15-20 minutes[1] of your first sip of coffee, the effects of this drug can begin to be realized. Caffeine works by binding with receptors that are usually reserved for adenosine, a chemical that makes you sleepy. This makes you alert. It also affects the re absorption of dopamine, a chemical responsible for regulating emotions. This can last for hours, with the "half-life" of caffeine being about 5 to 6 hours. This means it takes about 6 hours for your body to eliminate half of what you put in.

Here's a video by AsapScience to help me explain it with more detail, and a lot more color.

As explained in the video, if you regularly drink coffee, your brain will build a tolerance to it, creating more receptors to take in the adenosine it isn't getting. This can lead to major crashes if you quit ingesting caffeine, because your brain will then be able to absorb much more adenosine. These withdrawal symptoms paired with the surge of energy and happiness you get from drinking coffee lead to a dependency, though caffeine is not inherently "addictive". It can also cause irritability, and exacerbate anxiety.

Coffee's effects on the body

Just like with the brain, coffee's effects on the body aren't all good. It gets absorbed in the stomach and small intestine, then is carried through the bloodstream to the rest of the body. Coffee is a diuretic, making those who drink it urinate more often than normal. This is probably the most widely known and most apparent effect.

A little less known; drinking caffeinated coffee increases pressure in the eyes[3], and a dilation of the pupils, which can actually make you see a bit better! This can last up to 90 minutes. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, and slightly increases blood pressure. It may also affect the rate of calcium absorption and metabolism.[4]

According to Harvard.edu[5], tobacco and marijuana can increase the rate of absorption, reducing the time required for it to take affect, as well as the amount of time your body needs to flush it out. Certain oral birth controls can have the opposite effect, apparently.

Coffee can actually be really healthy!

According to WebMD[3]:

Coffee is also used to prevent Parkinson's disease, gallstones, type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer. Other uses include treatment of headache, low blood pressure, obesity, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

That last one I can personally attest to, as someone who has suffered from ADHD since early childhood. One study even suggests that the drink may prolong your life.[6] They had to admit that such a study could have been altered by reversed causality, but it's still an interesting development.

Coffee is an amazing liquid, enjoyed by people around the world. I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed downing coffee while writing it. If you did, consider upvoting and/or resteeming it. I try very hard to deliver quality, original content, and often my posts fly under the radar. I'm still a growing minnow (actually just a redfish), and I could use all the help I can get! Now that I've gotten that out of the way, you have yourself a wonderful day!

Feel free to use the "coffee" page divider I made for this post. I only ask that you give me credit the first time, then it's yours to keep! If you're interested in getting some custom page dividers or graphics for your blog, check out my recent SteemGigs:

Custom Page Dividers & Custom Blog Graphics

Sources:

1. https://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-absorption
2. https://www.wikipedia.com
3. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-980-coffee.aspx?activeingredientid=980
4. https://www.healthline.com/health/caffeine-effects-on-body
5. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-is-it-about-coffee
6. http://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/2643435/coffee-drinking-mortality-10-european-countries-multinational-cohort-study