Category Archives: Methylxanthines

Chocolate / Cocoa (Theobroma cacao)

Phytochemistry: Chocolate / Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) contains a group of phytochemicals called N-acylethanolamines (NAEs). These can include N-linoleoyl ethanolamide, N-oleoylethanolamide and palmitoyl ethanolamide (PEA). These phytochemicals inhibit the breakdown of natural cannabinoid chemicals in the brain by inhibiting an enzyme … Continue reading

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Caffeine: Consumption Across the Pond

Caffeine is an alkaloid chemical derived from plants, but also produced synthetically by man. Caffeine belongs to the methylxanthine group of alkaloids, which also includes theobromine found in chocolate and theophylline found in tea. The most common dietary sources of … Continue reading

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Adenosine Receptors and Caffeine

Adenosine is a predominantly inhibitory neurotransmitter located in the central nervous system of animals. Adenosine acts of adenosine receptors which include a number of subgroups. While evidence suggests that adenosine can have excitatory effects in some neurones, generally activation of … Continue reading

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Caffeine and Sleep

Sleep problems are common for many following Western lifestyles. Studies have investigated the reasons contributing to this widespread insomnia and a number of possible theories have been suggested. However, taken as a whole the scientific evidence suggests that insomnia is … Continue reading

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Methylxanthines in Plants

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Green Tea Fights Fat

Posted in Caffeine, Catechin, Epicatechin, Flavan-3-ols, Flavonoids, Green Tea, Methylxanthines, Weight Loss | Comments Off on Green Tea Fights Fat

Green Tea Reduces Body Fat

Epidemiological evidence suggests that those who consume relatively large amounts of tea are protected from a number of diseases. This disease protection may relate to the observed fat loss effects of tea, as weight gain increases the risk of many … Continue reading

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The Effects of Caffeine On Sleep

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Theobromine Raises HDL

Cocoa contains a high concentration of proanthocyanidins, phytonutrients belonging to the flavonoid group. Proanthocyanidins are biologically active in humans, and evidence suggests that they may protect from cardiovascular disease. Chemically, proanthocyanidins are polymers of the catechins found in green tea, … Continue reading

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Pyridoxal Phosphate Inhibited By Theophylline

Pyridoxal phosphate is the activated version of pyridoxal, part of the vitamin B6 group of vitamins (here). The vitamin functions in a large number of reactions as a cofactor for amino acid metabolism. Low plasma levels of pyridoxal phosphate are … Continue reading

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