ABSTRACT

 “As long as there was coffee in the

world, how bad could things be?”

Diksha Choudhary

ARE YOU A
COFFEE
ADDICT?
 Biology
Investigatory
Project

Submitted by:
Diksha,
11th Medical
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Diksha of class 11th

medical has successfully completed their
biology investigatory project on coffee
addiction under the guidance of
Mrs.Usha Yadav.

___________________________________________

Mrs. Usha Yadav

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 I would like to express my special thanks of
gratitude to my teacher Mrs. Usha Yadav as
well as our principal Mrs. Saroj Choudhary
who gave me the golden opportunity to do this
wonderful project on the topic “Coffee
Addiction” , which also helped me in doing a
lot of Research and i came to know about so
many new things I am really thankful to them.
Secondly i would also like to thank my parents
and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing
this project within the limited time frame.
 INDEX

I. Introduction to coffee
a. History
b. Species
II. Caffeine
a. Positive effects
b. Negative effects
III. Coffee and Health
a. Advantages
b. Disadvantages
IV. Addiction
a. Case study
V. Bibliography
VI. References and Sources
 INTRODUCTION

by Unknown Author is licensed under

Do we love coffee because we are addicted to it, or because

coffee’s chemical makeup makes sense for our body? Coffee
is not a pleasant tasting experience for almost anybody on the
first try. Many people just hate the taste. However, coffee
contains a lot of antioxidants, and caffeine, the much needed
“pick-me-up”. Could this be the reason we end up “loving it”?
Or is just the addiction?
 What is coffee?
Coffee, the beverage, is the result of brewing the roasted and ground coffee
beans.

Coffee beans are the pits of the coffee tree fruit.

The coffee tree, (Coffea), is an evergreen, a small tree or a shrub, that grows in
the tropical climate region. The coffee beans are actually not beans, they are the
pits removed from the coffee cherries.
Coffee is a natural stimulant creating a mild addiction and is associated with
many health benefits. However, the abuse of coffee can result in many health
problems.
The beverage brewed from the coffee beans is one of the most appreciated in
the world and it makes an important export percentage of many countries.
Caffeine is a coffee extract and it is very widely used in the pharmaceutical
industry.

History
Coffee was birthed in the Ethiopian highlands. The legend goes that 9th century
goatherder Kaldi noticed how “spirited” his goats became after eating berries
from a certain tree, so he ran to the local monastery to let those guys know. A
monk created a brew from the berries and was able to stay up much later
praying.

Eventually news of this new brew spread into Egypt and

into the Arabian Peninsula, where coffee travelled east and west, finally landing
in southeast Asia and the Americas. And it’s been popular ever since.
 Species

First of all, there are 3 main types of coffee beans.

 Liberica: Liberica is a low yield type of coffee compared to Arabica and

Robusta.
 Robusta: This type of coffee, which contains 2.5% more caffeine than
other types, has a pretty strong taste.
 Arabica: This coffee bean with low caffeine and a smoother taste is
aromatic and delicious. 80% of the coffee in the world is produced from these
types of beans.

We have covered so far three main types of beans. Now it’s time to learn the
characteristics of these coffee beans according to countries. Because tens of
factors, such as temperature and height, affect the flavour of the coffee beans.

Vietnam - Robusta

We can say with some degree of confidence the only thing not affected
by the war in Vietnam was coffee. In Vietnam, people prefer the Robusta
 coffee bean with a strong taste. In fact, Vietnam can be said to be the
native land of Robusta. Vietnam is among top coffee exporters in the
world.

Indonesia - Robusta & Arabica

Indonesia, which we frequently hear associated with interesting coffee

types, produces 660,000,000 kg of coffee per year. Although quality and
taste pale in comparison to Brazil and Colombia, it has an important place
in global coffee production.

Brazil - Arabica

As you know, Brazil is one of the top coffee producing countries. In

Brazil, 2,594,100 tons of coffee was produced in 2016. Among the
reasons for the coffee grown in Brazil being so tasty are the wide
production areas and the premium quality of the product. The coffee
produced in Brazil is often preferred because it has low acidity.

India - Arabica & Robusta

Arabica and Robusta coffee beans are grown abundantly in India. The
much renowned coffee beans grown in the south region of the country are
known for their soft taste and high levels of acidity.

Colombia - Arabica

Colombia, which claims a fair share of coffee production with

810,000,000 kg per year, is just behind Brazil in terms of taste with its
Arabica coffee bean. Among the delicious coffee types of Colombia are
Extra and Supremo.

CAFFEINE
Positive effects

It Makes Us More Alert

Let’s take a look at the most obvious benefit people experience from
drinking coffee and that is it does help to give us a jolt of energy and
make us feel more alert and awake. Caffeine has also been shown to
improve response time and accuracy. So there really is something to
people saying, “I can’t even think until I’ve had my first cup of coffee!”

It Puts Us in a Better Mood

Beyond making us more alert, caffeine can actually perk up our mood

and flood us with positive feelings. Health experts believe this positive
impact on our mood is what gets most people hooked on caffeinated
drinks.

May Improve Memory

While more human studies are necessary, caffeine has been shown
to improve long-term memory. In fact, worldwide studies have found that
moderate caffeine consumption reduces the risk of developing dementia
and Alzheimer’s. In Finland, where coffee consumption is higher than
anywhere else in the world, people have the lowest risk of Alzheimer’s
and dementia.
 Negative effects

Disruption of Normal Sleep Patterns

When we drink caffeinated beverages later in the day, they can interfere
with us getting a good night’s sleep. This makes us feel sleepy the next
day, which then makes us reach for more and more caffeine, and the
vicious cycle continues.

Increased Production of Stress Hormones

Caffeine prompts our adrenal glands to produce more of the stress

hormones norepinephrine, adrenaline, and cortisol. This is really bad
because cortisol release contributes to both fatigue and insomnia.

On top of this, the increase of stress hormones in our bloodstream can

cause us to have an exaggerated reaction to everyday stressful events. A
traffic jam can send us reeling, as can our neighbour’s barking dog and a
telemarketer calling at dinner.

Heart Health

Health researchers have found a link between the habitual use of caffeine
and inflammation. Now when you combine this with caffeine’s tendency
to raise blood pressure (thanks to those stress hormones!), you have an
increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Of course, how caffeine will affect you will have much to do with your
own genetic makeup and how much you drink. Your best option when it
comes to caffeine consumption is to use moderation and to monitor how
caffeine makes you feel and go from there!
 Coffee and Health

While past studies hinted that coffee might have a dark side, newer research
suggests that it may actually have health benefits.
Why the reversal? It's hard to look at just one aspect of diet and connect it to a
health condition because so many other factors that could play a role. For
example, early research on coffee didn't always take into account that heavy
coffee drinkers also tended to use tobacco and be sedentary.

Pros:
Coffee may offer some protection against:

 Parkinson's disease
 Type 2 diabetes
 Liver disease, including liver cancer
 Heart attack and stroke

Cons:

 Stress Levels
 Dehydration
 Heartburns
 Stomach ulcers
 Headaches & Hallucinations

COFFEE
 ADDICTION

Caffeine is addictive because of the way that the drug affects the human
beings and produces the alert feeling that people crave. Soon after caffeine is
consumed, it’s absorbed through the small intestine and dissolved into the
bloodstream. Because the chemical is both water- and fat-soluble, it’s able to
penetrate the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain.
Structurally, caffeine closely resembles a molecule that’s naturally present in
the brain, called adenosine. Caffeine resembles the molecule so much so that it
can fit neatly into the brain cells’ receptors for adenosine, and effectively block
them off. Normally, the adenosine produced over time locks into these receptors
and produces a feeling of tiredness. When caffeine molecules are blocking those
receptors, they prevent this from occurring, and generate a sense of alertness
and energy until the caffeine is metabolized. Additionally, some of the brain’s
own natural stimulants are released, such as dopamine, and work more
effectively when the adenosine receptors are blocked. The surplus of adenosine
cues the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline, another stimulant, and this further
increases alertness and reduces feelings of tiredness.

In people who drink caffeine regularly, the brain’s chemistry and physical
characteristics actually change over time. The brain cells will begin to grow
more adenosine receptors in an attempt to maintain equilibrium. This is how
tolerance to caffeine develops; because the brain has more adenosine receptors,
it takes more caffeine to block a significant proportion of them and achieve the
same desired effect.

Signs of a Caffeine Addiction

Rather than the actual amount of caffeine consumed per day, caffeine addiction
is characterized by the way that the substance affects an individual’s day-to-day
functioning. The severity of the addiction is calculated based on how distressed
someone feels when they want caffeine and can’t get it, and how much of a
disruption this causes in their daily life.

According to the DSM-V, problematic caffeine consumption is characterized by

at least three of the following criteria:

 A persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control caffeine

use
 Continued caffeine use despite knowledge of having a persistent or
recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been
caused or exacerbated by caffeine
 Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following:
 The characteristic withdrawal syndrome for caffeine
 Caffeine (or a closely related substance) is taken to relieve or avoid
withdrawal symptoms
 Caffeine is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was
intended
 Recurrent caffeine use resulting in a failure to fulfil major role
obligations at work, school, or home
  Continued caffeine use despite having persistent or recurrent social or
interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of caffeine
 Tolerance, as defined by either of the following:
 A need for markedly increased amounts of caffeine to achieve
desired effect
 Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount
of caffeine
 A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain caffeine, use
caffeine, or recover from its effects
 Craving or a strong desire or urge to use caffeine

Caffeine Withdrawal

Caffeine withdrawal is a medically-recognized condition that occurs when

people experience significant symptoms after abruptly quitting caffeine
consumption. These symptoms typically appear within a day of quitting and can
last a week or more.

Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal include:

 Headache
 Irritability
 Fatigue
 Anxiety
 Difficulty concentrating
 Depressed mood
 Tremors
 Low energy
 A Case study investigation the
behavioural intervention to reduce
coffee consumption

Abstract
This case study investigated a behavioural intervention to reduce caffeine
consumption in a 50-year-old female with a 35-year history of consuming
>350 mg caffeine per day. The participant completed a behaviour diary
for 10-weeks, recording amount of caffeine consumed, type of caffeinated
drink, time, location, who she was with and the activity in which she was
engaged. She also completed a 10-point performance scale, and recorded
tiredness and headaches. Baseline data was recorded for one week, and
then Functional Behavioural Analysis of the diary data was used to design
an intervention. A graduated intervention was implemented: Stage 1 (1-
week), caffeine<=160 mg/day; Stage 2 (1-week), caffeine<=80 mg/day;
Stage 3 (7-weeks), caffeine<=35 mg/day. Caffeine was reduced to planned
levels during the intervention period. Perceived performance ratings were
significantly improved during the three stages of the intervention relative
to baseline. Frequency of daily tiredness increased during Stage 2 and
decreased overall during Stage 3 relative to baseline. Headaches were at
least as frequent during the intervention as they were during baseline.
Findings suggest that the intervention was successful over this 2-month
period. Further monitoring is recommended in order to ascertain whether
headaches and tiredness (possibly symptoms of caffeine withdrawal)
persist.
Results
Average baseline caffeine consumption was 353 mg/day (maximum daily
consumption=425 mg) in 4.8 caffeinated beverages per day. Caffeine was
primarily ingested through coffee (65% of caffeinated drinks during
baseline were instant coffee or cappuccino), but also in tea (17.5%) and
cola drinks (17.5%). Caffeinated beverages were primarily consumed
alone (70%), and of these, 58% were connected with studying and
attending lectures, 33% with breakfast and the remainder with housework
or dinner. The 30% of caffeinated beverages consumed with family or
friends were during meals or while out socialising. During the 9-week
intervention period, the average number of caffeinated and substitute
beverages decreased to 1.7 per day. In Stage 1 (Week 2), the participant
consumed two cups of coffee per day (instant or cappuccino). In Stage 2
(Week 3), the participant consumed one cup of coffee and one instant
cereal beverage per day. In Stage 3 (Weeks 4-10), 64% of the beverages
were green tea, with 22% cereal beverages and the remainder peppermint
or chamomile tea. Throughout the intervention, the majority of caffeinated
beverages or substitutes were consumed alone (86%). Of these, 27% were
connected with studying and attending lectures, 62% with breakfast and
the remainder with housework. The 14% of beverages consumed with
family or friends were while out socialising. Caffeine was reduced to
planned levels during the intervention period. Proportion/frequency
analysis indicated that this caffeine reduction was significant .
Frequency of daily tiredness increased during Stage 2 and decreased
overall during Stage 3 relative to baseline. Tiredness was reported more
frequently than baseline levels (4/7 days) in Week 3 (6/7 days) and Week
5 (5/7 days), and during these weeks, short naps were required (on 5 days
in Week 3 and two days in Week 5) (Figure 2, upper panel). Headaches
were at least as frequent during the intervention as they were during
baseline (Figure 2, lower panel). The participant also reported that
cravings for caffeine, which were frequent during weeks three to five, had
subsided by the end of the study period. Figure 3 illustrates results of
fasting lipid studies tests conducted five months apart. The first test was
conducted approximately two months prior to beginning the intervention.
Clinical comment on the pre-intervention results indicated that such a
profile might represent “risk factors for coronary heart disease”. Post-
intervention, there was a 39% decrease in triglycerides and a 10% increase
in HDL cholesterol, with an associated 13% drop in total cholesterol/HDL
ratio. Postintervention, clinical notes indicated that the profile was
considered “satisfactory”.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 https://www.academia.edu/40153811/Cof
fee_Addiction_BIOLOGY_INVESTIGATORY_P
ROJECT_2019_20

 https://www.scribd.com/document/39855
6594/Coffee-Addition-Project-Report

 https://www.slideshare.net/seelan1984/c
offee-addiction-justified

 https://www.education.com/science-
fair/article/coffee-addicts-miss-coffee-for-
one-day/

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

 NCERT biology class 11th textbook

 Reference articles from various blogs

REFERENCES & SOURCES

 https://www.academia.edu/40153811/Coff
ee_Addiction_BIOLOGY_INVESTIGATORY_PR
OJECT_2019_20
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine
 https://www.addictioncenter.com/stimulan
ts/caffeine/
+&cd=14&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in

For images:
 https://www.1000sciencefairprojects.c
om/Biology/Coffee%20Addiction.jpg
 https://images.lifealth.com/uploads/2
017/09/coffee-addiction-2.jpg
 https://www.academia.edu/40153811
/Coffee_Addiction_BIOLOGY_INVESTIG
ATORY_PROJECT_2019_20
 https://www.education.com/science-
fair/article/coffee-addicts-miss-coffee-
for-one-day/