Caffeine is a substance that causes pharmacological changes in the human body. It is one of the most frequently ingested substances in the world, strongly ingrained in cultures around the world in different forms. It is found in drinks such as coffee, tea and soft drinks, in chocolate and in medicines. The fact that it is widely consumed has sparked interest in the scientific community to study its effects on human health and functioning. Many people depend on a cup of coffee in the morning, so much so that some people call themselves coffee addicts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay So what effect does this cup of energy have on our cognitive function? Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that noticeably alerts when ingested. This makes a person feel more awake, less tired and increases their energy levels within minutes. This is ideal for Monday mornings, for those who struggle to shake off sleepiness once they wake up in the morning, and for times when you need to work through the night. However, research has shown that habitual morning coffee consumption replaces the production of cortisol, a hormone naturally produced in large quantities early in the morning to provide the body with a morning energy boost. It has been proven that it is better to delay having a cup of coffee until 9 or 10 a.m. as cortisol levels would have dropped. Caffeine can therefore now step in to boost a person's energy again. Besides inhibiting cortisol production, caffeine consumption is also associated with hyperactivity and feelings of anxiety. Research shows that in excess amounts, caffeine overstimulates the brain. Alertness and energy turn into restlessness, which negatively impacts cognitive function by causing the person to lose focus on what needs to be done. This happens when caffeine is ingested in very large quantities. In a study done on the effect of black tea on human performance (Rizwan 2017), the conclusion drawn was that drinking black tea “accelerated performance, improved memory and reduced the number of errors in different cognitive tasks ". . . Even in small amounts, drinking black tea can speed up cognitive processing. "The subjects were put through a battery of cognitive tests and the results revealed that drinking black tea improved delayed memory recall, which may be explained by caffeine's ability to increase alertness levels. In addition, subjects who consumed caffeine were faster in the visual search task than their counterparts who took a placebo, because caffeine increased their alertness and short-term memory. also supported by a study by McLellan TM et al (2016) which claims that low to moderate caffeine consumption increases alertness, attention, reaction time and focus. However, they did not note. no improvement in memory, however, another study showed that regular consumption of coffee and black tea had a correlation with the prevention of cognitive decline, thereby reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. only if taken in reasonable quantities, within the daily consumption limit, as excessive coffee consumption can overstimulate the brain and lead to confusion. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our writers..