A Stimulant & The Flap About Caffeine

A Stimulant and The Flap About Caffeine

The victory over fatigue that tea provides is a big reason for its popularity. Caffeine is what does it, and caffeine has been a matter of controversy. A stimulant, caffeine has been shown to speed reaction time, increase alertness, and improve concentration.

The original intake of caffeine causes the body to create stimulant chemicals, catecholamines, that relay nerve impulses to the brain. The height of this effect lasts from 15 to 45 minutes. After six hours the body has eliminated half of the caffeine.

If this can be described as a spiritual benefit, then the physical effects include stimulation of digestive juice, metabolism, and the kidneys in ways that possibly help eliminate toxins. Also, stimulation of the heart and respiratory system brings more oxygen to the brain, thus increasing mental alertness, shortening reaction time, and improving efficiency of muscle action.

Because there has been mush concern in the United States about possible dangers of caffeine, it should be noted that all types of tea contain less caffeine than coffee. Green tea has less than black.

Caffeine tolerance, however, varies greatly among individuals, and an excess of it is toxic. Of greater concern is the fact that some research has shown a possibility that caffeine can interfere with fetal development, including lowering birth weight and contributing to skeletal and other abnormalities. Babies cannot get rid of caffeine metabolites until they reach the age of seven or eight months and traces of caffeine can appear in breast milk, also. In light of these concerns, pregnant and nursing mothers should limit or avoid any beverage with caffeine, including tea.

Caffeine content is also affected by the length of the infusion in water: Black tea infused for 5 minutes yields 40-100 milligrams, whereas a 3-minute infusion produces 20-40 milligrams, or milligrams per cup, according to Chen Binfan of the Fujian Tea Society.

Tea bags, which contain broken leaves of smaller size, produce an infusion with more caffeine than does loose tea. This is also true of very fine loose tea.

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