What are the effects of caffeine and what are some viable
alternatives? I need something to replace coffee, but it needs to wake
me up as effectively.

Thanks

kwftide..

As one who can't seem to make it in the morning without my morning cup
of coffee, your question peaked my curiousity to see if there was a
substitute for that jolt of caffeine.  So, I poured myself a cup and
went to work.

Caffeine is classified as a stimulant.  Caffeine has many effects on
the body, starting with the effects on the brain. Adenosine is a
substance used to balance neurotransmitters. When caffeine binds with
the adenosine receptors in the brain it acts as a stimulant to the
central nervous system by altering messages delivered by adenosine
receptors. It alters the functioning of blood vessels in the head and
all muscles in the body. However, people are not bothered by it. They
enjoy the boost they get in their physical performance. Others use it
as an appetite suppressant or as a laxative. Although caffeine acts as
a mild and harmless diuretic, excessive levels of caffeine consumption
could lead to dehydration. Caffeine can also cause relaxation and
cause certain types of blood vessels to open. Habitual use however, in
certain people poses some unfavorable side effects such as
irritability, restlessness, tension and insomnia

There are several herbal drinks that state that they are all natural,
and claim to be caffeine substitutes:

Xtra Sharp
http://www.mistonmountain.net/index.htm

Ma-Tea
http://ma-tea.com/caffeine_substitute.htm


Hmmmm...Maybe I don't reallty need this second cup.

Thank you for your question and if you need any additional
clarification, please let me know.

-THV

Search Strategy:
"caffeine substitute"
"effects of caffeine"

You didn't specify whether you only want to stop drinking coffee or if
you also want to get rid of using caffeine.

If you just want to stop drinking coffee, maybe you could change to
caffeine pills. I don't know about USA, but here in Europe they are
widely available in drug stores and are also rather cheap (about 3-4
dollars/euros for 100 pills. One pill corresponds to 1-2 cups of
coffee.). The effect of caffeine pills is the same as of drinking
coffee. Yet the pills are easier to use because you can always carry
them with you and use them wherever and whenever you want.

Caffeine and stimulants are easy to find in the US in pill form. The
most popular is No-Doz. After that there are hundreds of weight-loss
supplements that use Mu-Huang or Ephedrine, which is the herbal
extract from which caffeine is derived. My personal favorite (when it
comes to liquid caffeine) is Green Tea.