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Caffeine is a Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulant which is used to reduce physical fatigue and treat drowsiness. It is one of the stimulants of the methylxanthine class. In addition, it stimulates certain portions of the autonomic nervous system.

Caffeine is also addictive and with regular use of caffeine, it would cause mild physical dependence. Caffeine can be extracted from more than 60 species of plants. The most well-known are coffee beans, kola nuts, cacao pods and tea leaves.

It has few proven health benefits. In medical uses, caffeine is a great help for Bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants for both prevention and treatment. It is also helpful for Apnea of prematurity as the main treatment and for orthostatic hypotension treatment.

Moderate amounts of caffeine should be about 300 milligrams or three cups of coffee a day. At the higher level intake of more than 744 milligrams per day, it may result in magnesium and calcium loss in urine. Caffeine may also cause a temporary rise in heart rate and blood pressure.

More common risks of caffeine consumption include muscle tremors and insomnia. According to the study of the National Institute of Aging that consuming moderate amounts is not harmful to the body and may even beneficial in health aspects. The benefits of caffeine include preventing Parkinson's disease and preventing weight gain.

According to the research published in the Psychiatric Services, caffeine increases the effects of nicotine on the body. Smokers who guzzle caffeine may form stronger nicotine addiction which is three to four times the caffeine dosage as nonsmokers get on the same plasma caffeine levels.

Reasonable caffeine consumption increases alertness and improves cognitive skills. It was unveiled that it helps for memory encoding and retrieval and might affect the mood of the coffee lover. Long-term caffeine use has been found to increase the rate of certain diseases such as coronary heart disease and hypertension.