How Caffeine Works in Coffee and Yerba Mate

Caffeine and its Side Effects

Caffeine is one of those things that can be so good if used correctly, but can cause some problems when overused or used incorrectly. By itself, a cup or two of coffee per day probably can't hurt you. Ten cups of coffee per day might be pushing it, though. Even if the long term negative health effects of caffeine are controversial, if you drink too much of it you will probably notice negative effects on your day-to-day life. If you have trouble sleeping, if you find that you are stressed out too much or for no reason, if you have heart palpitations, or if you sweat excessively, too much caffeine might be the culprit. All of these are side effects of the basic mechanism that makes caffeine do what it does.

How Does Caffeine Work?

In the most basic sense, caffeine works because it is chemically similar to a naturally occurring brain chemical called adenosine, or ado. Adenosine is responsible for many energy-related functions in the body. Although it is imperfectly understood, it is widely thought that adenosine is responsible for making the body sleepy and preventing biological systems from becoming excited. Normally this is important because it allows us to get to sleep at night and prevents us from becoming too upset about little things. However, it is also present in large amounts first thing in the morning, especially if we didn't get a good night's sleep. Caffeine perks us up because it prevents the brain from using all of this adenosine to stay sleepy.

Caffeine as an Adenosine Reuptake Inhibitor

The similar chemical structure shared by caffeine and adenosine means that the receptors in the brain that are normally responsible for adenosine uptake will also accept caffeine molecules. The caffeine molecules have the effect of blocking these receptors so they can no longer uptake the adenosine. In other words, the chemical that would normally balance out the chemicals that make us feel energized can no longer work when enough caffeine is in the system.

Caffeine Addiction

Because caffeine changes the way the brain works, it can be habit-forming. The brain's functionality changes in response to the repeated presence of caffeine, and the brain comes to "expect" that caffeine will be present, adjusting its functions accordingly. The result is that individuals can develop a tolerance to caffeine, requiring more and more of the stuff to get the same effects that they experienced before developing a tolerance. Additionally, abruptly ceasing caffeine use can cause withdrawal symptoms as the brain readjusts to the lack of caffeine. This is similar to what happens in many cases of physical addiction.

Yerba Maté

Although there are many substances that contain caffeine, such as coffee and chocolate, the caffeine makeup of these substances is not always the same. One notable example of different chemical caffeine makeup is yerba maté, a plant in the holly family that is used to make tea. Very common in South America, yerba maté contains about half the amount of caffeine that coffee does, so for that reason alone those who drink the tea may experience fewer side effects than regular coffee drinkers. However, in addition to caffeine, yerba maté also contains other substances is the same family as caffeine, called xanthines. Another xanthine found in yerba maté is theobromine. The blend of xanthines in yerba maté may have different effects on the body than other caffeine-containing plants. Yerba maté enthusiasts claim that the beverage stimulates the mind without making the body jittery and overstimulated, and a small amount of research supports this. The caffeine in yerba maté is just as habit-forming as all caffeine, but it may have fewer negative short-term side effects.