Caffeine 101
Transcript
For morning coffee to afternoon tea, caffeine is so thoroughly entrenched in our daily routines and has become the worlds most widely used psychoactive substance.
Caffeine is a chemical compound that stimulate the central nervous system.
It accomplishes this by attaching itself to adenosine receptors in the brain.
In doing so, it blocks adenosine molecules, which are responsible for slowing down the central nervous system before we sleep.
The result?
Adenosine cannot regulate and neurons start firing.
This results in a person’s reduced fatigue and increased alertness and cognitive performance.
Side effects many seek by consuming caffeine.
Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao beans and some tree nuts.
People have been consuming it for centuries.
But daily consumption took off sporadically at different times in different places around the world.
Coffee became popular in the 15th and 16 centuries.
But Cacao was used among early Mesoamerican civilizations hundreds of years earlier.
Tea became popular by the 14th century in China during the Ming dynasty, but didn’t catch on in Britain until almost 400 years later.
Today, caffeine can be found nearly everywhere and more and more caffeine-infused products are hitting the shelves every day.
In the United States, nearly 90% of the population has at least one caffeinated beverage every day.
Up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day or about four cups of coffee is considered safe for an adult.
Too much caffeine for any one person can cause side effects, such as migraines, insomnia, nervousness and muscle tremors.
One tablespoon of pure caffeine equivalent to drinking 75 cups of coffee at once can have lethal consequences.
Due to this risk of caffeine overdoses, in 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration banned the bulk sale of products containing pure or highly concentrated caffeine.
While caffeine may provide great benefits, such as increased focus, alertness and energy, it comes with considerable risks just like any other substance.
Vocabulary List
thoroughly
(adverb) completely
entrenched
(adjective) established strongly
psychoactive
(adjective) affecting the mind or mood
substance
(noun) a type of solid, liquid or gas that has particular qualities
compound
(noun) a substance formed by the combination of two or more elements or ingredients
stimulate
(verb) to arouse the interest, attention, or curiosity
accomplish
(verb) to achieve or successfully complete something difficult or challenging
regulate
(verb) to control or maintain the rate, speed, or volume of something
fatigue
(noun) a state of tiredness
alertness
(noun) the state of being alert
cognitive
(adjective) relating to the mental processes involved in knowing, understanding, and learning
seek
(verb) to try to find or obtain something
occur
(verb) to happen or take place
take off
(verb) to become popular or successful
sporadically
(adverb) happening or done at irregular intervals
catch on
(verb) to become popular or fashionable
caffeine-infused
(adjective) containing caffeine
caffeinated
(adjective) containing caffeine
beverage
(noun) a drink, especially one other than water
tremor
(noun) an involuntary (suddenly and cannot be controlled), rhythmic shaking of a part of the body
lethal
(adjective) capable of causing death
bulk
(noun) a large amount or quantity
considerable
(adjective) large in amount or extent
Grammar Point
We will observe the countable nouns and uncountable nouns used in the video.
Remember:
– Countable nouns have a singular form and plural form.
– Uncountable nouns do not have a plural form.
– We use singular countable nouns with singular verbs.
– We use plural countable nouns with plural verbs.
– We use uncountable nouns with singular verbs.
– We must use singular nouns with a determiner (a/an/the/my etc.).
– We can use plural nouns with a determiner or not.
For morning coffee to afternoon tea, caffeine is so thoroughly entrenched in our daily routines and has become the worlds most widely used psychoactive substance.
caffeine = uncountable noun
We use uncountable nouns with singular verbs (in this case “is” and “has”).
Caffeine is a chemical compound that stimulate the central nervous system.
compound = countable noun
We use a singular noun with a determiner (in this case “a”)
It accomplishes this by attaching itself to adenosine receptors in the brain.
receptors = plural countable noun
In doing so, it blocks adenosine molecules, which are responsible for slowing down the central nervous system before we sleep.
molecules = plural countable noun
Adenosine cannot regulate and neurons start firing.
neurons = plural countable noun
Side effects many seek by consuming caffeine.
effects = plural countable noun
Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao beans and some tree nuts.
beans = plural countable noun
leaves = plural countable noun
nuts = plural countable noun
People have been consuming it for centuries.
centuries = plural countable noun
But daily consumption took off sporadically at different times in different places around the world.
consumption = uncountable noun
places = plural countable noun
But Cacao was used among early Mesoamerican civilizations hundreds of years earlier.
years = plural countable noun
Today, caffeine can be found nearly everywhere and more and more caffeine-infused products are hitting the shelves every day.
products = plural countable noun
shelves = plural countable noun
In the United States, nearly 90% of the population has at least one caffeinated beverage every day.
beverage = singular countable noun
Up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day or about four cups of coffee is considered safe for an adult.
cups = plural countable noun
adult = singular countable noun
Too much caffeine for any one person can cause side effects, such as migraines, insomnia, nervousness and muscle tremors.
migraine = can be countable or countable noun
insomnia = uncountable noun
nervousness = uncountable noun
tremors = plural countable noun
One tablespoon of pure caffeine equivalent to drinking 75 cups of coffee at once can have lethal consequences.
tablespoon = singular countable noun
coffee = can be countable or uncountable noun
consequences = plural countable noun
Due to this risk of caffeine overdoses, in 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration banned the bulk sale of products containing pure or highly concentrated caffeine.
risk = singular countable noun
overdoses = plural countable noun
While caffeine may provide great benefits, such as increased focus, alertness and energy, it comes with considerable risks just like any other substance.
benefit = singular countable noun
focus = singular countable noun
alertness = uncountable noun
energy = can be countable or uncountable noun
Common Expressions
in doing so
In doing so, it blocks adenosine molecules, which are responsible for slowing down the central nervous system before we sleep.
The phrase “in doing so” means “while doing that” or “as a result of doing that.” It is often used to introduce a consequence of an action. For example, you might say “I ran out the door, in doing so I slipped on the ice outside.” In this sentence, the phrase “in doing so” tells us that the speaker slipped on the ice while they were running out the door.
The phrase “in doing so” can also be used to emphasize the action that is being done. For example, you might say “I carefully climbed the ladder, in doing so I avoided falling.” In this sentence, the phrase “in doing so” emphasizes the speaker’s carefulness when climbing the ladder.