Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: smart on 27/01/2016 13:58:31

Title: What's your take on smart drinks ?
Post by: smart on 27/01/2016 13:58:31: Does high levels of caffeine contained in smart drinks induce any psychostimulant effects? Is caffeine and B-vitamins are neuroprotective ? According to recent studies, caffeine intake and B-vitamins may decrease the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22419558

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17679672
Title: Re: What's your take on smart drinks ?
Post by: Edmonn on 19/02/2016 09:44:50: Caffeine have both positive and negative health effects. It has several survival and health benefits. They confer a modest protective effect against Parkinson's disease and certain types of cancer. The side effects are that they increase blood pressure and cause vasoconstriction. Long term use can associate with chronic arterial stiffness.
Title: Re: What's your take on smart drinks ?
Post by: smart on 19/02/2016 10:25:45: Quote from: Edmonn on 19/02/2016 09:44:50
Caffeine have both positive and negative health effects. It has several survival and health benefits. They confer a modest protective effect against Parkinson's disease and certain types of cancer. The side effects are that they increase blood pressure and cause vasoconstriction. Long term use can associate with chronic arterial stiffness.

Thanks for the info.

I agree, caffeine may not be good for nocturnal hypertension. However, I believe the neuroprotective effect of caffeine on dopaminergic neurons is worth the negative issues with the blood pressure.
Title: Re: What's your take on smart drinks ?
Post by: smart on 19/02/2016 11:09:20: Caffeine increases striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability in the human brain

"The DA-enhancing effects of these drugs underlie their arousing5, 6 and reinforcing effects.7, 8, 9, 10 In contrast, preclinical studies indicate that caffeine’s pharmacological effects are mediated by its antagonism of adenosine receptors (A1 and A2A subtypes).11 In particular, its antagonism of A2A receptors (A2AR) in striatum has been implicated in its dopaminergic effects."

http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v5/n4/full/tp201546a.html
Title: Re: What's your take on smart drinks ?
Post by: alancalverd on 19/02/2016 11:37:06: US Federal Aviation Administration used to have a rule (which I think may still be in force) that if you are a habitual tea or coffee drinker - essentially everyone over the age of 5 apart from Mormons - you may not fly for more than 5 hours without a caffeine recharge. Whilst longterm effects are pretty harmless, it seems we become habituated to the stimulus and short-term deprivation produces significant loss of performance.

That said, ordinary tea and coffee are considered entirely adequate for aircrew - we get high enough just sitting in the office!
Title: Re: What's your take on smart drinks ?
Post by: smart on 19/02/2016 12:41:53: Adenosine A2A and dopamine D2 heteromeric receptor complexes and their function.

"In striatal neurons there are probably A2A-D2 heteromeric complexes, together with A2A-D2 homomeric complexes in the neuronal surface membrane."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16012194

Can allosteric modulation of adenosine-dopamine heteromeric receptors toggle neuroprotection of striatal neurons?