Technically, a drug is a chemical substance used to prevent or cure disease or
to enhance a person's physical or mental welfare. In fact, people use caffeine for all
of these purposes and caffeine can do all of these things, but usually in a very
limited way. The actual source of caffeine is the coffee bean, tea leaf, kola nut and
cacao pod. When isolated in pure form, caffeine is a white crystalline powder that
tastes very bitter. Despite it's less than savory flavor, caffeine is the most popular
drug in the world. Females metabolize caffeine 20-30% more quickly than males.
However, in general men seem to consume more caffeine than women and often
caffeine consumption increases for people in their early 20s and decreases for people
over the age of 65. Though caffeine is a chemical used for both medical and non-
medical reasons, most often it is used non-medically for its stimulating effect on
mood and behavior. Medically, caffeine is useful as a cardiac stimulant and also as a
mild diuretic (it increases urine production). Recreational, it is used to provide a
"boost of energy" or a feeling of heightened awareness. Some studies show that
caffeine causes physical dependence. However it has become so well integrated into
our culture that most barely give it's health effects a second thought. It's a central
nervous system stimulant and an the most widely consumed psycho-active
The most common medicinal use of caffeine is as a part of headache
preparations and other pain relievers. Caffeine is added both for its specific ability to
relieve headache, including that caused by caffeine withdrawal, and for its ability to
help analgesics do their work better. The ability of caffeine to stimulate breathing is
used in the treatment of apnea (cessation of breathing) in newborn babies, and as an
antidote against the depression of breathing by overdoses of heroin and other opiate
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