CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE AND THE STUDY OF THE STIMULATING EFFECT OF COFFEE ON THE HUMAN BODY

Abstract

Subject. Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid found in coffee beans, tea leaves, mate, guarana berries, and small amounts in cocoa and kola nuts; central nervous system activator, component of tonic drinks and medicines to facilitate breathing. In plants, caffeine is important as a natural pesticide that binds and kills parasitic insects. Caffeine is a colorless crystalline substance with a bitter taste, structurally a heterocyclic alkaloid of the purine series. It was first extracted from a coffee hood in 1821. In nature, caffeine occurs in various concentrations together with the other xanthine alkaloids theophylline and theobromine, which are cardiac stimulants. Caffeine can have a different effect on the body, depending on its origin, which is explained primarily by the different concentration of other pathogens and the rate of absorption. According to the International Coffee Organization, about 1.6 billion cups of coffee are consumed in the world every day. The US Food and Drug Administration states that the average amount of caffeine consumed in the US is about 300 mg per person per day – the equivalent of between two and four cups of coffee. This is considered a moderate consumption of caffeine, which, according to many studies, can even bring health benefits. At the same time, high doses of caffeine speed up the heart rate and can increase blood pressure, in some cases cause spastic pains in the abdominal cavity, contribute to the formation of kidney stones. Purpose. Analysis of data from literary sources devoted to scientific research on the chemical properties and use of purine alkaloids in the food industry and medical practice and the impact of these substances on the organs and systems of the human body. Methods. When writing the article, analytical research methods were used. Results. Literary scientific data on the chemical properties and use of alkaloids of the purine series have been analyzed and summarized. A conclusion was made about the expediency and safety of the use of purine alkaloids in the food industry and medical practice. Scope of results. Studies of the multifaceted effect on the human body of various doses of purine alkaloids, there is a possibility of their use in the food industry and medical practice in safe quantities that would not cause a dangerous effect on the human body.