18 replies to this topic

[guyledouche]

I have read a lot of stuff about how caffeine gives people irratibility, anxiety, etc. I have noticed that for me it makes me much more chatty and social. Whenever I take caffeine pills or drink coffee I feel a relaxing kind of energy/power and a sense of well-being and I dont care what anyone thinks when Im on it. Has anybody ever felt this way from caffeine or heard of anybody feeling like this from caffeine?

[ajnast4r]

yes, ive posted about this before.

caffeine has an incredibly strong effect on my mood... im not the same person without it.

the caffeine in coffee hits me too hard, too fast... makes me buzzy. it destroys my digestions and its very much physically addictive. i find myself fatigued after a few months of daily coffee use.

i would avoid caffeine pills altogether, if you must have a caffeine pill... get a guarana extract.

the caffeine in green tea, black tea, and yerba mate is much nicer... its 'smoother'. i believe its absorbed more slowly. still gives me that same social kick, and well being + they have a ton of good health benefits.

if you need some recomendations on good tea/yerbamate brands, let me know.

[guyledouche]

yeh ajnast, what are some brands that I should try for the black tea and yerbamate? It sounds like it could help a lot. You are right about coffee, it hits pretty hard and fast, maybe thats why I do it, though its not good for you.

[ajnast4r]

for black and green, try:

http://www.choiceorganicteas.com/


for yerba mate try:

http://www.pixiemate.com/
http://www.guayaki.com/


one of my favs is to mix a bag of yerba mate, with a bag of this:

http://www.yogitea.c...asp?Tea_ID=CH03

[guyledouche]

The only tea I drink as of now is Salada green tea and Celestial Seasonings green tea. Those teas look really good. I like how that choiceorganic site has bulk tea bags. I should order some black tea on there. the yerba mate looks real good too. What does the yerba mate taste like?

[ajnast4r]

crap lol...which is why i mix it with a bag of chai

its actually not bad, its a little bitter. the caffeine content is alot higher than tea tho, which is why i like it.

i would defintly get some higher quality tea than salada of celestial seaonings...

[guyledouche]

yeh, i know the salada and celestial are cheap stuff but Im kinda on a budget. I would like to switch over to the teas that you suggested though. they look really good.

[ajnast4r]

well you can only get what you can afford! if your budget is tight, celestial is just fine.

[jerebaldo1]

Caffeine is good for most people. Obviously its not good for people with anxiety, but it is positively noxious to people with bipolar disorder. I should know, I resemble it. It is not actually ADHD per se that is my mental weakness. Coffee made me a neurotic mess when I tried replacing adderall with either 200mg or 400mg of Nodoz per day. Doesn't matter where I get the caffeine from, I still get mildly euphoric for 2 hours and then paranoid or suicidal afterwards until its effects wear off and I'm left tired. It does the partial opposite of what Depakote does to the brain. Depakote decreases and regulates NMDA receptor sensitivity while caffeine stimulates it. Depakote decreases AMPA while caffeine increases it.

[brizzadizza]

I've been told about a substance similar to caffeine found in some teas, the name sounds like may-deen. I've had a tea with the substance and it seems to be an awesome study aid. It keeps you awake without the nervousness that too much caffeine does, and it seemed to me to be especially powerful. Has anyone heard of a similar substance? My neighbor actually grows the tea so I can't tell you any brand names. But I do know it is available commercially.
Brandon

[brizzadizza]

I found the name its mateine. Worth looking into, most of the sites that talk about it seem a little wishy washy.



Upon further investigation, most sources suggest mateine is just a south american name for caffeine. So well, good tea anyway. Not the mate' I had my friends blend.
Brandon

[ajnast4r]

its caffeine in mate. matteine is just another name for caffeine.

some sites say its a sterioisomer of caffeine, but thats BS because caffeine is not capable of having a sterioisomer.

the caffeine in tea/mate doesnt give you the jitters because its absorbed more slowly.

[guyledouche]

ajnast, is guarana the same as caffeine? I was reading some reviews a while back on energy drinks and they said that the guarana extract was sorta like caffeine.

[sentinel]

As far as I understand guarana is an herb that contains a form of caffeine called guaranine, which is stronger than the caffeine found in coffee, etc. but it is slow-release due to the seed being fatty/containing oil. So although its pretty much the same thing it doesn't have the roller coaster ride of regular caffeine a bit like comparing sugars with complex carbs, its a smoother, longer curve.

I used to take guarana "recreationally" when going out clubbing etc having tried pro-plus varients only to feel somewhat [:o] whereas guarana let me dance and talk nonsense for hours without the jaw clenching palpitations that (can) accompany high levels of regular caffeine.

Like caffeine (and most stims) it also suppresses your appetite and have some positive effects on prioritising fat metabolism which may be of interest depending on your overall goals.

Sentinel

[ajnast4r]

guarana contains caffeine. again, people say it contains guaranine... but thats incorrect, it is caffeine that is absorbed slower because of other co-factors in the seeds.

[guyledouche]

that sounds very interesting. I would really like to get some guarana extract. A 200-300mg dose of caffeine usually last me about 8-12 hours. I have noticed that a lot of people have to take caffeine several times throughout the day so that it doesnt wear off. I only need caffeine once in the morning and Im set for the whole day. Approximately how long would guarana last for me?

[sentinel]

Fair play, caffeine is the active component of Guarana, the only reason I called guaranine is because when it is in guarana seed form it is absorbed more slowly and lasts longer due to the fat content. Guaranine, like theine and other synonyms, can be misleading but they do point to the origin and subsequently allow some explanatory differentiation.

But we digress, Guarana is like regular caffeine but is lasts longer, builds more gradually so shouldn't make you so edgy.


Sentinel

[variance]

Aren't they all xanthines.. so basically the same as caffiene in terms of functional mechanism. the only difference being source and absorption method.

I've heard people try to refer to guaranamine as like a stereoisomers or enantiomers of caffiene.. which is kind of funny because last time i checked.. it had an achiral structure..

[sentinel]

yup, Caffeine is a xanthine (like theophylline and theobromine) but getting back to what guyledouche was asking, Guarana, like most things only more so, is individual in effect and tolerance. Many people go for a meal, finish with a coffee, go home and go to bed. I would be awake all night! I am very caffeine/guarana sensitive. Sounds like caffeine gives you a good sociable buzz so perhaps try 2 x 500 mg Guarana seed caps early in the day before/with breakfast and see how you get on. It generally last 5-8 hours so you might want another hit later but proceed cautiously ie try and keep it pre 4:00pm as you may have trouble getting to sleep. This is based on my experience so, like everything on the forum, start low and build up if you have to, there's no hurry.

Sentinel