Caffeine: Uncomplaining Companion

I usually start my day with coffee, any kind of coffee, with sugar. Yes, I love coffee, and I adore sucrose. I know there are so many people everywhere doing the same thing as me, taking coffee daily. Indeed, coffee is the second largest commodity traded, outnumbered by oil. If you’re wondering about coffee, here is a real nice comic about coffee from The Oatmeal (oh I love this web!).

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The “man” behind the popularity of coffee is caffeine. Many people associate caffeine with coffee alone, but caffeine is also found in a bunch of other plants. The intimate relation between coffee and caffeine is derived from the fact that the first caffeine was isolated from coffee. Its IUPAC name is 1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6(3H,7H)-dione, or often called as trymethylxanthine. Ah pardon me for mentioning this.

Caffeine is a stimulant, and works on nervous system, thus categorized as psychoactive stimulant. As you can see from the comic, it prevents drowsiness by imitating the action of adenosine, plus bumping the adrenaline. I personally like having coffee for the sake of that particular function, and thus sometimes change the coffee with tea or chocolate, or sometimes energy drink, as I don’t like cola. In plants, coffee is contained in coffee beans, tea leaves, and cocoa beans. In synthesized products, it can be found widely, from Root Beer to Panadol Extra.

I take caffeine as companion, as it is readily available literally almost anywhere. When I feel stressed, I make tea. When I am a bit hungry, I eat chocolate. My favorite drink in A Shui Tea House is chocolate milk tea (even the waiter/waitress never asks me what to drink, because I always order the same chocolate milk tea =p). I keep a bottle of Nesquik chocolate syrup on my desk.

It comforts me, in a way; and drives me focus. In my lonesome, I would like to sip a cup of sweet chocolate or chamomile peppermint tea. In my busy day, I start the morning with hot vanilla coffee latte. In between lunch and dinner, there is chocolate milk tea in my desk. I keep Pepperidge Farm’s Milano in my drawer (I am a fan of  Pepperidge Farm!). Yes, I take caffeine daily, in any forms. It is me who’s loyal, or the caffeine?

In several occasions, I avoid caffeine too, particularly in my monthly period. Though it is a very great companion, but I know well it affects my body system, and worsen my dysmenorrhea. An advantage of knowing a bit about chemicals and how it works. But again, the more you know something (or someone), and the longer you are in touch with it (or people), the better you are with (at) it.

So, my final words: I do love caffeine!

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Cheers (with a cup of coffee),

-Citra

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