Caffeine Alternative
It is common to reach for your coffee in the morning to get a boost of energy to kick off the day. Many people also reach for an energy drink in the afternoon or even in the evening for another pick-me-up. Caffeine is a daily staple for many people and it makes sense.
People are very concerned with high performance, the daily grind, and the success we all seem to be chasing. In a fast paced culture, we feel like we need energy at all times so caffeinated drinks seem like an obvious go-to. Many people, however, are unaware of the drawbacks of caffeine.
Caffeine, though not inherently unhealthy, overconsumption can hinder health. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system which is where the energy spikes and jitters come from but it also can interfere with your sleep. Your brain releases adenosine which connects to adenosine receptors that basically tire you out slowly throughout the day so that you will rest at night. Caffeine competes with adenosine and connects to the receptors blocking out the adenosine. Thus why you don't feel sleepy. Caffeine has a half life of about 6 hours. Your brain realizes something is off, so it makes more receptors. So with more receptors available, more caffeine is needed to get the same energy boost, thus what makes caffeine moderately addictive. And when you dont drink caffeine, you now have more receptors connecting with more adenosine making you more sluggish than ever. So you reach for more caffeine of course! And the cycle continues. In more sever consumptions caffeine can cause insomnia, and heart palpitations.
Luckily there is a wonderful alternative to caffeinated drinks - Téo! Our cacao brews and blends contain theobromine. Theobromine is also an alkaloid from the same family as caffeine, though not as aggressive. Theobromine also attaches to adenosine receptors but not as well as caffeine. So it only blocks some adenosine, giving you a more gentle energy. It also has a longer half life of 7-12 hours but delivers no energy spikes or drops because it doesn't completely flood the adenosine receptors. Theobromine is also known to benefit heart and respiratory health and increases blood flow.
In addition to that, cacao brew is full of antioxidants and flavanols which have nootrpic benefits, as well as mood enhancing compounds:
- Anandamide - a endocannabinoid fatty acid neurotransmitter that plays a role in mood, pain, and appetite regulation
- Phenylethylamine - a chemical naturally occuring in the body that is known to play a role in mood improvement, weight loss, and focus.
Caffeine is not detrimental in moderate dosages, and has its place in nutrition and performance. However for those looking to curb their caffeine intake, or switch to an alternative, Téo offers the benefits you're looking for in caffeine plus all the additional health benefits cacao brings to the table!