Understanding Caffeine: A Biobehavioral Analysis

Caffeine is the most popular psychoactive substance in the world, and one of the widest-traded commodities in the forms of coffee, tea and cola soft drinks. But is consumption of caffeine safe in terms of physical and mental health? Addressing this question, the author of this volume traces how caffeine consumption evolved as well as how caffeine is absorbed, distributed and metabolized in our bodies. He then discusses the effects of caffeine on: psychomotor and cognitive performance; psychological well-being; blood pressure and cardiovascular health; carcinogenic potentials; pregnancy and perinatal health; athletic performance; and diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The book concludes with an examination of the issue of whether or not caffeine is a drug of abuse, and whether or not there is a safe level of caffeine consumption.