Common Chemical Species

Common chemical species found in coffee (coffea Arabica) and their Beneficial and Toxicological issues associated with human health.

Coffee is an infusion of ground roasted coffea Arabica beans and is believed to be one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world (Higdon & Frei 2006). Coffea Arabica beans contain a complex chemical mixture of carbohydrates, lipids, nitrogenous compounds, vitamins, minerals, alkaloids and phenolic compounds (Higdon & Frei 2006). The most abundant chemicals within coffee are caffeine and chlorogenic acid (Higdon & Frei 2006). Recently there have been concerns for the potential health risks associated with these chemicals and regular coffee consumption. Although, studies have shown these chemicals to prevent the risk of several chronic diseases (Higdon & Frei 2006).

The effects of certain molecular components in coffee have currently undergone research studies. One of the chemicals in which has been studied is caffeine (Belay 2011). Caffeine is a common alkaloid found in many types of beverages. The most common source of caffeine is coffee. The amount of caffeine present in coffee beans varies between different species (Belay 2011). Belay (2011) states that when comparing the coffee species Robusta and Arabica, Robusta generally has a caffeine content of 2.2% whereas Arabica consists of 1.2%.

Caffeine is related to a group of chemical compounds called xanthenes (Stoker 2012). How caffeine effects the human body is dependent on the amount that has been ingested. Consuming high amounts of caffeine can cause numerous psychological and physiological reactions (Belay 2011). Examples of psychological and physiological effects include relaxation of bronchial muscle, stimulation of central nervous system, gastric acid secretion and increased urine production (Belay 2011). Caffeine is readily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract and spread throughout the body via the bloodstream (Higdon & Frei 2006). Within 1 hour of consumption caffeine reaches its highest level in blood plasma and readily crosses the blood-brain barrier (Oestreich-Janzen 2010). In approximately five to six hours caffeine levels in the body decrease by half through excretion (Belay 2011) and metabolism in the liver (Higdon & Frei 2006).

Higdon and Frei (2006) suggest that caffeine intake through the consumption of coffee is associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson's disease. Several large observational studies have discovered that people whom did not drink coffee were 3-5 times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease in comparison to those who did not (Higdon & Frei 2006).

Caffeine mainly affects the central nervous system through the antagonism of adenosine receptors. This is turn increases the activity of the central nervous system thus increasing alertness and cognitive control (Oestreich-Janzen 2011). Therefore it can be suggested that it is this mechanism on the central nervous system that reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease.

Although caffeine poses many positive effects on the human body, there are also potential adverse effects when consuming caffeine. Adverse effects from caffeine most likely occur from consuming a large quantity resulting in acute toxicity (Higdon & Frei 2006). Caffeine overdoses can be potentially fatal, although generally occur from caffeine containing