Caffeine consumption slows down brain development, rat study shows
Sep. 24, 2013 — Humans and other mammals show particularly intensive sleeping patterns during puberty. The brain also matures fastest in this period. But when pubescent rats are administered caffeine, the maturing processes in their brains are delayed.
Share This:
This is the result of a study supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
Children's and young adults' average caffeine consumption has increased by more than 70 per cent over the past 30 years, and an end to this rise is not in sight: the drinks industry is posting its fastest-growing sales in the segment of caffeine-laden energy drinks. Not everybody is pleased about this development. Some people are worried about possible health risks caused in young consumers by the pick-me-up.
Researchers led by Reto Huber of the University Children's Hospital Zurich are now adding new arguments to the debate. In their recently published study conducted on rats, the conclusions call for caution: in pubescent rodents, caffeine intake equating to three to four cups of coffee per day in humans results in reduced deep sleep and a delayed brain development.
Peak level during puberty
Both in humans and in rats, the duration and intensity of deep sleep as well as the number of synapses or connections in the brain increase during childhood, reaching their highest level during puberty and dropping again in adult age. "The brain of children is extremely plastic due to the many connections," says Huber. When the brain then begins to mature during puberty, a large number of these connections are lost. "This optimisation presumably occurs during deep sleep. Key synapses extend, others are reduced; this makes the network more efficient and the brain more powerful," says Huber.
Timid instead of curious
Huber's group of researchers administered moderate quantities of caffeine to 30-day-old rats over five days and measured the electrical current generated by their brains. The deep sleep periods, which are characterised by slow waves, were reduced from day 31 until day 42, i.e. well beyond the end of administering caffeine. Compared to the rats being given pure drinking water, the researchers found far more neural connections in the brains of the caffeine-drinking animals at the end of the study. The slower maturing process in the brain also had an impact on behaviour: rats normally become more curious with age, but the rats consuming caffeine remained timid and cautious.
The brain goes through a delicate maturing phase in puberty, during which many mental diseases can break out. And even if the rat brain differs clearly from that of humans, the many parallels in how the brains develop raise the question as to whether children's and young adults' caffeine intake really is harmless or whether it might be wiser to abstain from consuming the pick-me-up. "There is still need for research in this area," says Huber.
Welcome to SUV System Ltd!
SUV System Ltd is ISO 90012008 Certified electronics distributor with 10 years of experiences.
We have built up long term business relationship with about many companies which are stockers and authorized agents. we have a steady and reliable supply to meet customer's demands to the greatest extent .Confidently, we are able to lower your cost and support your business with our years of professional service.
SUV System Ltd is Electronic Components Distributor Supplies,Find Quality Electronic Components Supplies Products IC(Integrated Circuits),Connectors,Capacitor,Resistors,Diodes,Transistors,LED at Suvsystem.com. Sourcing Other Energy, Environment, Excess Inventory Products from Manufacturers and Suppliers at Suvsystem.com
Electronic Components distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com
Connectors Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/Connectors-1.html
IC Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/IC(Integrated-Circuits)-1.html
LED Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/LED-1.html
Capacitor Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/Capacitor-1.html
Transistor Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/Transistors-1.html
Resistor Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/Resistors-1.html
Diode Distributor:http://www.suvsystem.com/l/Diodes-1.html
SUV System Ltd insists on the managing faith ofsincereness,speciality,foresight, win-win,so we build up stable-relationship customers located all over the world, including the States, Europe, Argentina, UAE, Malaysia, Australia,and India etc
we are focus on the following fields,and hope we can help you.
Chip Ferrite Beads Atmel IC Ligitek LED LED NXP Diodes ON Diodes VISHAY IC ST Diodes TOSHIBA Transistors TI IC LINEAR IC Texas Instruments(TI) IC Transistors Freescale chip Filter saws Other Parts ROHM Resistors MURATA IC Thick Film Resistors Schottky Diodes MOTOROLA IC Chip Inductors Vishay resistors TDK IC IR Diodes IR transistor High Precision Resistors Transistors Microchip IC NEC Transistors Fast Recovery Diodes BB IC Metal Can Packages Transistors Low Ohmic Resistors Bipolar Transistors FAIRCHILD diodes INFLNEON Diodes Switches LITTELFUSE Diodes TOSHIBA Diodes PANASONIC Resistors
http://www.suvsystem.com/a/6138.aspx
