Effects of Coffee on the Central Nervous System

Historically, coffee was first consumed as a .medical nutrient. because of its stimulatory effects on digestion. These virtues of coffee were described by Razes, a Persian of the late 9th century and Avicenne, an Arab living in the 11 century. Then, Prosper Albin, an Italian botanist and medical doctor studied coffee during a trip to Egypt in 1580 and mentioned that .Arabs and Egyptians use it to make a kind of infusion that is popular and that they drink in place of wine.. The first citations of coffee are from Antoine de Jussieu in 1713 and Carl von Linné in 1753. The Encyclopedia by Diderot and d.Alembert (17511752) described the virtues of coffee in .obesity or headaches. And mention that .it can be harmful to people who consume it in large quantities. The main psychoactive component in coffee is caffeine. Caffeine was isolated from coffee beans in 1820. It is considered as the most widely used psychoactive substance in the world. Most of the caffeine consumed comes from dietary sources such as coffee, tea, cola drinks and chocolate. Caffeine is also present in many non-prescription drugs such as cold remedies, analgesics, slimming drugs and stimulants. The most notable behavioral effects of caffeine occur after low to moderate doses (50-300 mg) and are increased alertness, energy and ability to concentrate. Moderate caffeine consumption leads very rarelyto health risks (Benowitz, 1990). Higher doses of caffeine rather induce negative effects such as anxiety, restlessness, insomnia and tachychardia, these effects being seen primarily in a small subset of caffeine sensitive individuals. In the present paper we will review the available and most recent data on caffeine consumption and the known effects of caffeine on the central nervous system.