LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Caffeine
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Caffeine is the reason that many people just can't function in the morning until they've had that first cup of coffee. It's a mild stimulant that occurs naturally in coffee and cocoa beans, tea leaves, and kola nuts (the basic ingredient in colas). While long-term, heavy coffee drinking has been shown not to harm the heart, too much caffeine can goose your heart rate and make you anxious for a few hours until the drug has had a chance to work its way out of your system. Though people who take caffeine regularly are generally less sensitive to its effects and it won't sober you up if you've been drinking, this buzz may keep you awake at night. Caffeine ... stimulates the flow of stomach acid, so avoid it if you're susceptible to ulcers.
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Caffeine is the common name for 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine. When purified, caffeine produces an intensely bitter white powder that provides a distinctive taste in soft drinks. The word "caffeine" came from the German word kaffee and the French word café, each meaning coffee. After ingesting caffeine, it is completely absorbed within 30 to 45 minutes, and its effects substantially diminish within about three hours. It is eventually excreted so there is no accumulation in the body. Caffeine has been shown to affect mood, stamina, the cerebral vascular system, and gastric and colonic activity.
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Caffeine can have negative effects on pregnant women or on women who would like to become pregnant including an increased risk for difficult conception and miscarriage. Caffeine is transmitted through the placenta and through breast milk to the baby. Therefore, if you're pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, the FDA recommends that you stop taking caffeine or cut back to 1 cup per day.
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Adrenal Function Caffeine has many effects upon body function. One of the major effects is to stimulate the adrenal glands to secrete epinephrine and norephinephrine, resulting in an immediate boost of energy. However, in time, the adrenal glands become exhausted (Feldman).
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Caffeine is ... a common ingredient of soft drinks such as cola, originally prepared from kola nuts. Soft drinks typically contain about 10 to 50 milligrams of caffeine per serving. By contrast, energy drinks such as Red Bull contain as much as 80 milligrams of caffeine per serving. The caffeine in these drinks either originates from the ingredients used or is an additive derived from the product of decaffeination or from chemical synthesis. Guarana, a prime ingredient of energy drinks, contains large amounts of caffeine with small amounts of theobromine and theophylline in a naturally occurring slow-release excipient.[18]
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Caffeine gets across the placenta very easily and if the mother continues to ingest her coffee or caffeine-containing beverage the foetus will end up having as much caffeine as the mother. If the mother stops drinking then within 24 hours the foetus may experience withdrawal symptoms. The same thing may happen immediately after birth when the baby is suddenly cut off from the maternal supply of caffeine, although it should be pointed out that this isn't common. The withdrawal from caffeine has been described as similar to what is seen in babies born to heroin addicts. These babies will cry, they don't sleep, they are agitated and restless, they wriggle and abrade the skin on their hands and knees, and they sweat.
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Caffeine