Caffeine and the Parking Lot Brain
My family has a caffeine divide. You could even call it a schism.
My dad and I will never like coffee, in any form, with any creamer, or made any magic way. My mom, sister, and brother love coffee. They drink it every day. They’ve tried to push sweeteners and flavors on us but as it stands my dad and I won’t budge. We stick to our tea. Regardless of what we do drink we all have our caffeine of choice. Even in our most adamant arguments of which beverage tastes better, is healthier or simply works better the science of caffeine is the same. What happens when the caffeine does reach your body?
We have in our body some key sleep-inducing molecules. When our body tries to feed its constant need for energy it breaks down something called ATP and what’s left is adenosine. This is a molecule that will make us sleepy. The neurons in our brain have receptors in the perfect shape of this sleep-inducing molecule. When adenosine parks itself in the receptors its slows the release of other brain signaling molecules and we get tired. You can imagine your brain like a busy parking lot. There are only so many parking spots to be had and most people aren’t good at parking so with what space is left it’s hard to fit into. Adenosine is like a smart car, they can make those crooked double-parked spaced areas work to their small car advantage.
Caffeine, however, resembles the adenosine molecule in such a way that it fits in the receptors without activating the parts of the brain that make us tired. It’s as if suddenly, through the congestion of the parking lot adenosine saw those perfect small parking spaces, but before they could turn to park a Vespa flew in. Even if the parking spot looks a little ridiculous compared to the size of the bike the spot is taken until the driver leaves. Adenosine must go somewhere else.
Caffeine’s imperfect shape is just close enough to get to the receptors without actually making them do anything. Thus we are protected from feeling tired. We feel alert and ready to take on the day.
Even though I know caffeine works the same in either tea or coffee, I can’t say it’s changed my mind. All I know regardless of the beverage of choice I appreciate caffeine’s parking job.