How Does Caffeine Affect Your Neurons? The main effect of caffeine comes from blocking a brain chemical called adenosine. When adenosine attaches to a neuron, it decreases the excitability of the neuron and decreases the release of stimulating brain chemicals like dopamine in the cerebral cortex...
Dopamine is the brain’s “motivation molecule” and an integral part of the pleasure-reward system. It’s the same brain chemical responsible for the feel-good states brought on by eating chocolate, orgasm, and runner’s high. When listening to a playlist, you can further increase dopamine ...
Whenever you find yourself feeling sad, don’t grab the nearest bar of chocolate or rush to the ice cream shop around the corner. Instead, opt forwhole grain foods.These foods make you feel full, but are also just sweet enough to give you that hit of serotonin you’ve been craving! An...
Nash, “How Visual Images of Chocolate Affect the Craving and Guilt of Female Dieters,” Appetite, Vol. 48, No. 2, 2007, pp. 211-217. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2006.09.002Fletcher, B.C.; Pine, K.J.; Woodbridge, Z.; Nash, A. How visual images of chocolate affect the craving and ...
Your caffeine intake depends on the caffeine-containing products you prefer. A cup of tea only has 14 to 60 milligrams of caffeine in it, depending on the type of tea, while coffee has up to 200. You also take in caffeine if you enjoy energy drinks, colas, or chocolate products. ...
While there is no conclusive evidence regarding how badly cell phones affect a child’s brain, some studies have shown worrying findings. Preliminary data from an Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study found that increased screen time, including time spent on cell phones, is not just...
So tell us: How does food affect your sleep? Research shows that consuming food close to bedtime can disrupt sleep and increase the likelihood of weight gain. Also, there is a natural cleansing of the brain that happens during sleep, and it needs a certain amount of blood flow to do that...
When quantifying caffeine intake, it’s important to include not just coffee and tea but also sodas, energy drinks, and caffeine-containing foods like chocolate. Another surprising source of caffeine? Medications. “Caffeine is acommon ingredient in many prescriptionsand over-the-counter headache drug...
Music can affect your brain in the same way chocolate or sex does. And when you sing along -- it doesn’t matter how well -- your brain makes natural painkillers that can give your mood a boost. 5/15 Laugh This can help ease tension in your muscles, and when you breathe in quickly...
Cocoa beans are the essential ingredient in chocolate, requiring extensive processing before they can be transformed into the sweets we love. Becausecocoaonly grows in specific climatic conditions, mainly in West Africa, which accounts for about 60% of global production, the supply is particularly vu...