PLANT STIMULANTS- CAFFEINE Flashcards
6 questions
before the 1500s there were very few psychoactive substances in Europe (alcohol had a major influence, because it was one of the only ones available)
following European oceanic global explorations, what were some main examples of plant stimulants brought to Europe?
tobacco (SA), coffee (Arabian), tea (China), chocolate/cocao (SA)
how much caffeine is in coffee? where is it found?
seeds
1-2%
how much caffeine is in tea? where is it found?
leaves
1-4%
how much caffeine/theobromine is in cola? where is it found?
seeds
2-3% caffeine
1-2.5% theobromine
how much caffeine is in mate? where is it found?
leaves
0.8-1.3%
how much caffeine is in guarana? where is it found?
seeds
4-6%
how much theobromine is in cocoa? where is it found?
seeds
3%
_____: trimethylxanthine alkaloid
mild diuretic/stimulant
caffeine
_____: trimethylxanthine alkaloid
stronger diuretic
theobromine
____ may be an important calming agent, 250-300 mg calms a hyperactive child (many children in SA drink mate and show low-no hyperactivity)
caffeine
how many north american adults drink coffee? regularly
70%
can explain low levels of hyperactivity in adults
_______: small African trees
arabica is native to highlands of Ethiopia
robusta is native to west-central Africa
fruit= two-seeded red berry, seeds are extracted, fermented, dried, and roasted to give final flavour/aroma
most widely consumed caffeinated beverage (with tea)
grown commercially outside its native range (in Brazil, Vietnam)
coffee
_______: large shrub
native to Southeast Asia
long cultivated in China
grown most widely in China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka
evidence as a beverage plant in China dates back at least 3000 years
introduced to Europe by Portuguese, Dutch monopolized its trade… then British
- over 20 million pounds shipped to England annually and exported to other countries
tea
what is tea produced from?
new, young leaves of plant (hand-harvested)
what is the difference in preparation between green tea and black tea?
green tea: partially shred and quickly dry fresh-picked leaves
black tea: slowly dry fresh-picked leaves for a day (initiates enzymatic processes), then shred (to oxidize) and dry under cool and damp conditions, quick-dried or fired to produce dark colour of tea
________: medium-sized tree
member of Holly family
native to sub-tropical SA
tea-like beverage from leaves of tree
young, newly emerged leaves are clipped, dried, and ground into a powder
caffeinated beverage
large plantations in southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina
sam cultural status in SA as coffee/tea in NA and Europe
yerba mate
what is yerba mate served in?
traditional cup made from dried gourd (mate)
how do you make yerba mate?
one third of gourd cup is filled with powdered leaf, hot water added. liquid is then drawn through a metal straw-strainer called a “bombilla”
T/F: drinking yerba mate is a social affair
true! usually leisurely consumed with friends
______: large holly tree
native to Amazonian forest of Eastern Peru and Ecuador
closely related to yerba mate
highest known caffeine content (by dry weight)… reaches 7.6% in some trees!
used ritualistically by Achuar Jivaro people
Jivaro men drink up to 2L a day, women much less
can lead to severe headache, bloodshot eyes, mild hallucinations
Achuar Jivaro men avoid this by vomiting 45 mins after binge drinking _______
guayana
which peoples drink guayana?
Achuar Jivaro people, used ritualistically
______: small understory tree
native to tropical SA, mostly cultivated in West Africa today
flowers & fruit are produced on main trunk and large branches
seeds inside pulp of fruit is where “beans” are found
2-3% theobromine
small amounts of cannabinoid neurotransmitter ananadamide (releases dopamine)
earliest use dates back 5300 years ago
cocoa/cacao/chocolate
explain the process of making chocolate:
beans are extracted from mature fruit and fermented
dried
stored and shipped to NA or Europe for processing into chocolate
beans are roasted, grinded into oily mass where cocoa butter and cocoa powder are separated
chocolate is produced by blending cocoa liquor and adding cocoa butter with sugar, milk, flavouring agents
what neurotransmitter is found in chocolate?
anandamide
affects mood, appetite, perception of time
promotes release of dopamine
