Caffeine and other drugs

[David Baxter PhD]

One Donut, Hold The Coffee
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
by Dr. Deborah Serani

Doctor Robert Bohannon, a Durham, North Carolina, molecular scientist, has come up with a way to add caffeine to baked goods.

"Buzz Donuts" and "Buzz Bagels" aren't on the market yet, but will soon be. According to Bohannon, each piece of pastry is the equivalent of about two cups of coffee.

Caffeine is the only drug classified as a safe and effective stimulant and allowed to be included in over the counter stimulant products.

Some of the benefits of caffeine are:

• increased sense of well-being
• elevated mood
• decreased fatigue
• increased alertness

Caffeine also has some undesirable side effects:

• insomnia
• restlessness
• agitation
• increased blood pressure

As someone who experiences depression, there are some days that I grab a weak cup of tea or a piece of chocolate to help elevate my mood. BUT, I know that a moderate level of caffeine leaves me anxious, irritable and dampens my thinking. I'm careful to watch the caffeine intake. So, I'd be one to pass on the fuel-injected donut or bagel.

Check out the outcome from a NASA study on webs spun by common house spiders dosed with several drugs. The more toxic the drug, the less organized the web the spider created (see attachments).

It's important for mental and physcial health to not only know what's in the foods you ingest, but also your tolerance level for synthetic and organic additives.

 

[braveheart]

I read about this in the Metro [free London newspaper]

I have to say that I've never drunk coffee, or tea. A cappuchino once or twice, but that is all. And then I didn't sleep properly the whole night. It didn't mix well with efexor either.

If I do hot drinks, which isn't often, I go for hot chocolate or fruit/herbal tea.

[not that I'm claiming to be perfect. I find comfort in a chocolate bar now and again...]

 

[David Baxter PhD]

As I understand it, chocolate contains caffeine too. As with most things, I don't think a little bit is going to seriously hurt the average person. But when I think about how much caffeine I used to intake in my 20s, it's borderline scary.

 

[Into The Light]

those spiderwebs sure drive home the point, don't they?

why on earth would they add caffeine to bagels and pastries? i figure people take in enough caffeine with coffee as it is

 

[Into The Light]

it says the more toxic the drug, the less organized the spider web is. this photo suggests a spider on marijuana is better off than a spider on caffeine. i wonder if the drugs were given in equal amounts.

 

[Serenity]

That's the way I feel on both Caffeine and Marijuana. They both affect me VERY much. CRAZY.

 

[Halo]

While I find the article quite interesting even the pictures of the spider webs, I have to admit that I will probably be one of the people to try the "Buzz Bagel".

For me personally, I don't do mornings very well (actually never have) and I don't function until I have had at least 3 cups of coffee so instead of having to have the usual 3 cups I can just have a bagel and coffee all at once and be done with my caffeine fix....perfect

 

[David Baxter PhD]

why on earth would they add caffeine to bagels and pastries?

For the same reason they add it to soft drinks - because caffeine is addictive and if you're addicted you'll buy more bagels and pastries.

For me personally, I don't do mornings very well (actually never have) and I don't function until I have had at least 3 cups of coffee so instead of having to have the usual 3 cups I can just have a bagel and coffee all at once and be done with my caffeine fix....perfect

Don't rule out the caffeine IV drip... why waste time digesting it? Pump it right into the bloodstream.

That's the way I feel on both Caffeine and Marijuana.

That's actually not uncommon with panic disorder.

 

[Halo]

Don't rule out the caffeine IV drip... why waste time digesting it? Pump it right into the bloodstream.

What a brilliant idea.....the IV drip, I love it Do you think that I can order one online? :lol:

 

[Into The Light]

david, why did i not figure that one out on my own? of course.. get ppl addicted to the product!

 

[Heather]

yeah I was going to say why not a drip or a needle I know of someone who used to do that with wine (don't ask).

mmmmmmm it is a worry!

I had actually seen those pics b4 of the spiders but not heard of this.

Heather...

 

[sidony]

I'll probably have to try one of these buzz donuts at some point. what a funny idea!

I used to drink coffee almost constantly. Now I've cut down to 2 cups a day during the work week (maybe a little more on weekends). I noticed that after I cut down, it was easier to wake up in the morning. I'm not groggy and headachy when I first wake up any more. So I guess I was a pretty serious caffeine addict. I'll never cut it completely since I love that energy rush, but it's definitely better in moderation.

Sidony

 

[HotthenCold]

I recently had to cut my self off from coffee. I drinkn green and sometimes black tea, but coffee always just makes me unable to concentrate, sit still or really do anything productive other than sit there and shake my leg. I wonder if we'll eventually find out that coffee is as bad as cigarettes?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Green tea contains quite a bit of caffeine as well so if you were drinking both you may simply have been overdosing on caffeine.

Also look for other sources of caffeine, including regular tea, many soft drinks, and chocolate.

 

[lallieth]

Black tea has approx half the caffeine of coffee @45 mgs of caff per 5 oz serving,green tea has 20mg