Beverages, stimulating

Modifying your evening activities — avoiding beverages, stimulating activities, and caffeine in the evening. 

Xanthines such as caffeine (1)> theophylline (aminophylline) (2), and theobromine (3) are a class of alkaloids that occur in numerous plants. The CNS stimulant activity of aqueous infusions containing these compounds has been recognized since antiquity. This has, of course, led to widespread consumption of such well-known beverages as coffee (Coffea arabica), tea (Thea sinesis), mate, and cola beverages (in part Cola acuminata). The annual consumption of caffeine in the United States alone has been estimated to be in excess of a billion kilos. The pure compounds have found some use in the clinic as CNS stimulants. In addition, caffeine is widely used in conjunction with aspirin in various headache remedies. 

At one time, Coca-Cola actually contained a form of cocaine. These days, the primary stimulant in Coca-Cola and many other beverages is caffeine. Other stimulants are less obvious. Chocolate contains theobromine, a caffeinelike stimulant. Nondrowsy cold remedies contain pseudoephedrine, a relative of ephedra, another plant-alkaloid stimulant. 

A sample thought to be caffeine, the stimulant found in coffee, tea, and cola beverages, gave the following elemental analysis 49.5 % C 5.2%H 28.8%N 16.5 % O Does this elemental... 

The organoleptic properties of black tea depend to a considerable extent on the astringency resulting from the interaction of caffeine with the oxidized galloyl ester of the flavanols. The aroma components of black tea also constitute a unique flavor profile that blends well with the taste of the nonvolatile materials. The caffeine provides a moderate level of stimulation, which adds further to the appeal of the beverage, although tea has been shown to provide relaxation as well as revival of character.119... 

Figure 6.2 Guarana, shown here, grows as a shrub in the Amazon. The Maue Indians initially made this herb into a beverage that they used as a stimulant to keep them attentive on hunting trips. The Maue Indians also believed guarana had medicinal purposes. Today, guarana is still a popular stimulant beverage, especially in Brazil, and is used in dietary supplements to help people lose weight.

After the nucleic acid purines adenine and guanine, the next most prominent purine in our everyday lives is probably caffeine. Caffeine, in the form of beverages such as tea, coffee, and cola, is one of the most widely consumed and socially accepted natural stimulants. Closely related structurally are theobromine and theophylline. Theobromine is a major constituent of cocoa, and related chocolate products. Caffeine is also used medicinally,... 

Mucous airway obstruction. Mu-colytics, such as acetylcysteine, split disulfide bonds in mucus, hence reduce its viscosity and promote clearing of bronchial mucus. Other expectorants (e.g., hot beverages, potassium iodide, and ipecac) stimulate production of watery mucus. Acetylcysteine is indicated in cystic fibrosis patients and inhaled as an aerosol. Whether mucolytics are indicated in the common cold and whether expectorants like bromohexine or am-broxole effectively lower viscosity of bronchial secretions may be questioned. 

Three xanthines are pharmacologically important caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine. All three alkaloids, which occur naturally in certain plants, are widely consumed in the form of beverages (infusions or decoctions) derived from these plants. Coffee primarily contains caffeine (about 100-150 mg per average cup) tea contains caffeine (30-40 mg per cup) and theophylline and cocoa contains caffeine (15-18 mg per cup) and theobromine. Cola drinks also contain significant amounts of caffeine (about 40 mg/12 oz). The CNS stimulation associated with these beverages is predominantly due to the caffeine. 

In low and moderate doses, the methylxanthines—especially caffeine—cause mild cortical arousal with increased alertness and deferral of fatigue. The caffeine contained in beverages—eg, 100 mg in a cup of coffee—is sufficient to cause nervousness and insomnia in sensitive individuals and slight bronchodilation in patients with asthma. The larger doses necessary for more effective bronchodilation commonly cause nervousness and tremor in some patients. Very high doses, from accidental or suicidal overdose, cause medullary stimulation and convulsions and may lead to death. 

Figure 5.1 Stimulants are most often used to counteract sleepiness, whether taken in the form of coffee, carbonated beverages, candy bars, diet pills, or medications.

The xanthines caffeine (40 R1 = R2 = R3 = Me), theophylline (40 R1 = R2 = Me, R3 = H) and theobromine (40 R1 = R3 = Me, R2 = H), which are the stimulants present in tea, coffee, cocoa and many other beverages, have a number of therapeutic uses. They were formerly used as diuretics, theophylline being the most potent, and caffeine is a powerful CNS stimulant useful in treating cases of poisoning by CNS depressants. Caffeine has also been... 

Caffeine (40 R1 = R2 = R3 = Me) is a powerful CNS stimulant, and the other xanthines theophylline and theobromine have rather less activity. The popularity of beverages containing xanthines depends on this stimulant effect. Caffeine is useful in morphine poisoning. 

This research involves the testing of human response to odors they detect sniffing whole foods (cola beverages and cheeses), synthetic models of foods or extracts of foods. Standardized sets of odorants designed to stimulate all odor receptors in the subjects will be used in a device called a GC/O to test for sensory acuity. You will be asked to sit in front of a gas chromatograph combined with an olfactometer and sniff purified humidified air in an isolated environment. The experiment will consist of four sniffing sessions conducted on different days. The maximum number of samples you will be asked to sniff in any one day is six. Each session will take 30 to 45... 

Phenolic compounds are important components of many fruits, vegetables, and beverages, to which they contribute to flavor, color, and sensory properties such as bitterness and astringency. Recent interest in functional foods and the medicinal use of phenolic compounds have also stimulated interest in their chromatographic separation. 

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