Caffeine is HOT – People Want to Know About It.
By Dr. Patricia A. Broderick
Dr. Broderick is medical professor of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education and director of the Pharmacology course at the School’s Physician Assistant Program, in conjunction with Harlem Hospital. Dr. Broderick holds an adjunct professorship in Neurology and also in the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at NYU Langone Medical Center.
Several prestigious awards have come came her way. In yet another scientific accolade for City College, she received the 2014 Continental Lifetime Achievement Award for her internationally recognized scholarly and teaching work. Among the best known of these achievements is her development of the BRODERICK PROBE® nanobiosensor, a miniature carbon-based camera which images neurotransmitters throughout the brain,
and thus diagnoses a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
These events led to her invitation from the managing editor of the “Journal of Caffeine Research” to become the publication’s editor-in-chief.
I explain in this article that caffeine does indeed have “neuroprotective effects,” providing concrete medical benefits for Parkinson’s disease patients, for cocaine users and for people suffering with a variety of brain and peripheral disorders. In fact, benefits have been seen for acute migraine headache given the caveat that rebound headache occurs about two hours after the relief from the original headache has dissipated.
Scientists are reporting an in-depth analysis of how the caffeine in coffee, tea, and other foods seems to protect against conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease on the most fundamental levels. The report, which describes the chemistry behind caffeine’s antioxidant effects, appears in the American Chemical Society’s “Journal of Physical Chemistry.”
Annia Galano and Jorge Leon-Carmona of UNAM (the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City) have described evidence suggesting that coffee, containing caffeine, is one of the richest sources of healthful antioxidants in the average person’s diet. Their theoretical conclusions show excellent consistency with the results that other scientists have reported from animal and other experiments, bolstering the likelihood that caffeine is, indeed, a source of healthful antioxidant activity in coffee.
Caffeine is reported to have beneficial effects on ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, a disease of the brain and spinal cord motor neurons. This is an important finding because ALS is an orphan disease and scientists are now in a serious quest to find some alleviation of its dreadful, undignified consequences on the motor system that may and most likely will, occur as ALS progresses.
For purposes of concentrating on the reports from the Internet’s “Daily Mail” that specific neuroprotective effects of caffeine within the realm of cocaine dysfunction occur and that caffeine may be a strategic treatment for Parkinson’s disease symptoms, I will note that it is the biochemically-based behavior, enabled for study by the BRODERICK PROBE®, that is a primary focus for this article.
In the words of the Greek physician, Hippocrates, “There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the latter begets ignorance.” In the case of caffeine, a substantial food source, and its relationship to cocaine misuse and/or Parkinson’s disease, it is critical to understand what caffeine is, what it does and how it acts on the brain’s rewarding center to reach the pivotal point at the intersection of these two brain disorders. How can they be the same or even similar?
In fact, these two diseases are similar because the same neurotransmitter in the brain, dopamine, is affected in both cases and because both diseases exhibit movement disorders that come from the biochemistry in the same parts of the brain—the movement centers.
Is Caffeine a Stimulant?
Thus, some questions about caffeine in coffee, or in other foods and beverages, that really deserve an answer are: Is caffeine a stimulant? What kind of a stimulant? Does it benefit? Does it harm? Indeed, two of the principle proverbial answers frequently sought after, are, “What is caffeine? Isn’t caffeine the same as coffee?”
Why is it that some people will swear by their Cup o’ Joe and others say it is poison? Some say their morning coffee is better than sex! “I don’t feel good until I have my coffee. I’m downright cranky till I have it.” And, first thing, “How about picking me up a nice hot cup of coffee and a bagel with poppy seeds, toasted with butter.”
In contrast, other people are concerned that caffeine in coffee may be addictive. “I should not be drinking this coffee,” they’ll say. “I can stop whenever I want it.” Oh my, as Shakespeare phrases it, in “Hamlet,” “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” Some go so far as to say “People will likely go on to become addicted to hard drugs.” Some may even want to call the innocent caffeine molecule, “immoral.” So, qué pasa? What is the story anyway? Let us get down to brass tacks.
Caffeine, in the vehicle of coffee, is not psychoactive nor is it a psychostimulant. It is a “stimulant” that benefits the brain directly by giving us energy and an increased ability to “move.” Yes, coffee is a stimulant, actually excellent for facilitating a much-needed increase in energy. Yes, caffeine has reinforcing properties and one wants to enjoy the feeling again. This is true.
However, actually, coffee is comprised of several constituents. The main components are chlorogenic acids and yes, caffeine. To people who are worried about the gastrointestinal effects of coffee, unpleasant for some, look toward the chlorogenic acids for the answer.
But importantly, although chlorogenic acids are the culprits for causing the gastrointestinal upset, chlorogenic acids are not really “bad guys” either. These acids are reported to be neuroprotective for heart disease, diabetes, and weight loss. Chlorogenic acids come from green coffee beans that have not yet been roasted. The roasting process of coffee beans reduces this class of chemicals. Therefore, green coffee beans have a higher level of chlorogenic acids compared to regular roasted coffee beans. The good outcome that chlorogenic acids bring to coffee drinkers is seen in the reduction of high blood pressure because these acids affect blood vessels to reduce high blood pressure. Indeed, for weight loss, chlorogenic acids are thought to also help the body handle blood sugar to relieve the effects of diabetes.
The Caffeine Dose Curve
Let us look at the unusual dose response that caffeine exhibits. The “caffeine molecule myth” that one should drink just so many cups a day is fascinating. “One should cut down,” we often hear. Not true. In fact, the higher the dose of caffeine, the less stimulatory effect this molecule has on the rewarding centers of the brain which happen to be in the same place as the movement centers of the brain.
Figure 1, shows how caffeine works in the brain when used in different amounts. Note that the highest dose shows the least effects on the neurotransmitter, dopamine, what is called the “rewarding chemical.” Interestingly, as emphasized in this graph of the actual in vivo and on line, in real time, empirical data, the highest dose is least effective in producing brain reward, least effective in increasing dopamine. So, cutting down on your coffee, may or may not be the answer.
Now let us look at the brain in Figure 2 to figure out why caffeine can increase dopamine to increase reward feelings and also play a part in Parkinson’s disease to increase dopamine for movement benefits as well. All these effects occur in the reward centers of the brain which are in the same place as the movement centers in the brain. These centers in the brain are dubbed, “basal ganglia.” Dopamine neurons in the part of the brain called the basal ganglia provide feelings of reward and dopamine increases movement as well. Brain neurons for reward and movement are in the same place. These neurons can help to block unwanted movement effects of cocaine and also help to alleviate the movement disorders typical of Parkinson’s disease.
The neurotransmitter dopamine resides in the basal ganglia to provide us reward feelings, a joie de vivre and moreover, to motivate and activate movement. When dopamine is in the correct concentration for any particular person’s brain there are feelings of reward, likely from interaction with family, friends, colleagues, travel, sex, companionship, prayer and the like. These are normal feelings that we must have in order for physiological and biochemical reactions to provide health and happiness and proper ability to move, get
going, so to speak.
Most interestingly and sadly, it is this same dopamine molecule that, when deficient in the basal ganglia, causes the disorder named after Dr. James Parkinson, called Parkinson’s disease, which harms movement. Increasing dopamine helps patients by stimulating the movement centers.
Cocaine, on the other hand, produces too much dopamine. Caffeine blocks the unwanted movement effects of cocaine.
“It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has.” Hippocrates said this, a long time ago, in the age of Pericles. A dose is important; the makeup of the person is important. The specific neurotransmitter milieu of a given person’s brain is important when treating brain dysfunction of any sort. Individuality comes into play. A person must learn what makes him or her feel better. This is how the brain works and this is how caffeine works.
In conclusion, on live-streamed Internet Radio on “Doctor Talk” with NYU’s gastrointestinal expert, Dr. Ira D. Breite, I gave this advice. “If you like coffee, drink it.” I will give the same advice to all the alumni and all of our readers. ”If you like coffee and it is beneficial to you, then, drink it.”
I will stop and enjoy my cup of tea now (which contains caffeine) because this is MY cup of tea. I enjoy it and find it beneficial. We each know what works for us.