Why do we use natural caffeine?
When we first think of caffeine, most of us merely think of coffee. But caffeine is also the largest, least regulated and most misunderstood drug trade in the world [1]. We underestimate nearly everything about caffeine and the negative impacts it has on our body patterns.
Did you know that most energy drinks sold today contain synthetic forms of caffeine?
However, XITE's caffeine is extracted from the green coffee bean, as opposed to being 'made' artificially with different chemical compounds in a laboratory. We opt for natural caffeine rather than synthesised caffeine as it is absorbed through the digestive system at a much slower rate.
One of the most common traits of synthetic caffeine is that it leads to a much sharper, quicker spike, but also, a quicker crash which introduces side effects such as; insomnia, raised blood pressure, headaches, anxiety and nausea. We believe that using natural caffeine in our ingredients is advantageous as it gives you a more sustained sense of alertness throughout the day. Natural caffeine has proven a less sharp crash and often has added effects such as increased creativity. Because there is a slower release, natural caffeine doesn’t instigate side effects such as nervousness, difficulty sleeping and a flushed face nearly as much as synthetic caffeine [3].
What is Natural Caffeine?
Overall, there is hardly an indistinguishable difference between synthetic and natural caffeine; both are chemically identical. However, the main difference is that synthetic caffeine is produced from urea and chloraceic acid rather than extracted from plant products like our natural caffeine from the green coffee bean.
Natural caffeine is rarely found on its own; it is usually presented with a range of vitamins and methylxanthines also found in the plant. These vitamins and methylxanthines balance the lift and fall of the caffeine in your system and assist in delivering it to your body in a steady manner [2]. This maintains a more sustainable energy boost than synthetic caffeine does, enabling mental clarity and focus for a longer period of time.
Written for XITE by Meg Fisher.
References
[1] Juntti, M. (2020). Mens journal: 7 Worrisome Facts About Caffeine. American Media Inc. Available: https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/7-worrisome-facts-about-caffeine-20140310 [Accessed 27th February 2020]
[2] Frary, C.D., Johnson, R.K. & Wang, M.Q.Food sources and intakes of caffeine in the diets of persons in the United States. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 105, 110–113 (2005)doi:10.3402/mehd.v26.26191.
[3] https://purelyft.com/blogs/blog/dangers-of-synthetic-caffeinedoi:10.3402/mehd.v26.26191.
[4] https://www.organicauthority.com/health/need-a-lift-or-a-jolt-the-important-differences-between-natural-and-synthetic-caffeine-natural-caffeine-vs-synthetic-why-the-difference-is-importantdoi:10.3402/mehd.v26.26191.