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Androgenetic Alopecia From A to Z pp 205–210Cite as

Caffeine

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Abstract

Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline purine, a methylxanthine alkaloid, chemically related to the adenine and guanine bases of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). Caffeine is found in different concentrations in seeds, leaves, and nuts of more than 60 different plant species. It acts as a naturally occurring pesticide since it can paralyze and kill predator insects feeding on the plant [1]. Humans consume caffeine as a stimulant, mainly in coffee beans, tea extracts, in products containing kola or guarana seeds, in the form of soft drinks or energy drinks, or even in everyday food. Caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive compound or central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, and in the USA, more than 90% of adults consume an average of 2.4 mg/kg of caffeine daily [2].

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  1. Athens, Attiki, Greece

    Konstantinos Anastassakis

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Anastassakis, K. (2022). Caffeine. In: Androgenetic Alopecia From A to Z . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08057-9_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08057-9_19

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