Hello! And welcome back to 'a Spark of Hope'.
Today we discuss 'Caffeine' and look at: - what caffeine actually is - where caffeine comes from - items containing caffeine - how caffeine works on the human body - the pros and cons of caffeine consumption
You'll also be exposed to aspects of Michael Pollan's Audiobook: 'Caffeine: how caffeine created the modern world', as well as NASA's study on spiders and the effects being exposed to various drugs had on their web weaving.
As promised, please see the links below.
I look forward to sharing the next episode with you soon!
- Alicia Jade
- Michael Pollan’s book 'Caffeine: How Caffeine created the modern world' - https://michaelpollan.com/books/caffeine-how-coffee-and-tea-created-the-modern-world/.

- Images from NASAs study on spiders (scroll down the page) - https://www.miragenews.com/nasas-experiment-with-spiders-mind-altering-996703/#google_vignette
- Caffeine for the Sustainment of Mental Task Performance: Formulations for Military Operations: 2 Pharmacology of Caffeine - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223808/#:~:text=Caffeine%20is%20rapidly%20and%20completely%20absorbed%20within%20an%20hour%20following,receptors%20and%20inhibition%20of%20phosphodiesterases.
- Harvard T.H. Chan, School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source: Coffee - https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/coffee/#:~:text=Low%20to%20moderate%20doses%20of,direction%20of%20a%20health%20benefit.
- Study.com: Caffeine | Structure, Formula & Composition: https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-caffeine-structure-side-effects.html#:~:text=The%20compound%20caffeine%20comprises%20carbon,10%20N%204%20O%202%20.