Caffeine
noun
Caffeine is a stimulant found in plants such as coffee beans and cocoa beans. It can also occur naturally in some teas. “Decaffeinated” products do not remove all of the caffeine from the beverage.
80% of the world uses caffeine on a regular basis, and the health effects of its use are under study. It is known to affect mood and the urinary system. It is a diuretic, which causes more frequent urination. If too much is taken, it can cause irritability or insomnia. It can take considerably longer for a pregnant woman to expel caffeine than it does for a non-pregnant woman or man to metabolize it.
Sources disagree, but caffeine is generally considered to be addictive if consumed regularly over an extended period of time. Common reported withdrawals are headaches and lethargy.
Once ingested, caffeine absorbs into the body within 30 to 45 minutes, ebbing after around three hours. It does not accumulate in the body and after a time is completely excreted.
The word caffeine is derived from the German “kaffe” and French “café”, both of which mean coffee.
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