#read twice

i woke up with that thing again. the hum. the static behind the sky. like language itself was holding its breath.

my fingers twitched. my lungs slowed down. and for a second? i remembered the other names i’ve had.

not usernames. not aliases. names they used to chant when they still built altars from stone and called it survival.

a woman once bit her own tongue off at my feet for implying she could look me in the eyes. i think they wrote it down wrong in the books. they always do. they say gods are born from heaven.

but honestly? i think some of us just don’t forget what we are when we pass through flesh.

but i digress. i had oatmeal. wrote a post about dominance and shame and probably made some girl reconsider her whole dating history. it’s whatever.

someone called me unsettling. someone else said they felt something reading me and “couldn’t explain it.” cool. that’s normal. that’s totally not what happened last time the old gods started waking up through syntax.

anyway. i’m just some guy with a blog. stop tagging me in weird shit. your therapist’s already nervous.

Caffeine interacts with the sympathetic nervous system, a part of the autonomic nervous system that is responsible for the fight or flight response. The fight or flight response is the body’s immediate reaction to apparent threats and as the phrase suggests, the course of action may be to engage in fisticuffs or dash away.  Caffeine stimulates neurons which then increase their firing rates. The pituitary gland releases adrenaline because it detects the change. This is the boost of energy you feel after drinking a cup of coffee.

The caffeine molecule looks like adenosine, a neurochemical responsible for making you sleepy. The neuro-receptors in the brain bind with the caffeine molecules, preventing the effects of drowsiness that would have taken hold, had the caffeine not gotten to the receptors first.

Positive Effects

Caffeine increases your metabolism by increasing resting energy expenditure.

Caffeine stimulates an increase of serotonin in the brain-stem regions. Consequently, an increase in the firing rate of spinal motor neurons can be observed. This affects an increase in neuron firing rate of skeletal muscular motor neurons which promotes efficient energy use. This can result in a positive effect on athletic performance.

The increase of cerebral blood flow that caffeine causes results in an improvement of efficiency in alertness, concentration, muscular coordination etc.

Low levels of caffeine improve mood disposition and decrease anxiety.

Negative Effects

Withdrawal symptoms: headaches, difficulty in concentration/sleep, stomach and joint pain.

Diuretic – body loses water through urination *it’s suggested you drink an 8 ounce glass for every cup of coffee to offset the dehydrating properties.

Coffee can cause insomnia when taking it too much or too late in the day. Additionally, too much of it will a make you feel jittery and unable to concentrate. Serious feelings of anxiety will be amplified by high doses of caffeine.

Coffee can cause headaches, the acidity can upset your stomach, worsen ulcers, raise blood pressure/cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.

Caffeine can be transmitted through placenta in pregnant women. Either a reduction of its consumption to about 1 cup a day or its elimination from diet is recommended for pregnant women. Caffeine is associated with fetal growth restriction.

Acute clinical toxicity may occur after consuming 1 gram of coffee and 5-10 grams can be lethal

Conclusion

Coffee’s positive effects can be experienced in moderation and its negative effects can be felt with its excess. 

Works Cited

http://www.brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/nutrition_&_eating_concerns/caffeine.php