Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Many people choose to drink coffee not only because of its unique flavor but also because of the caffeine in coffee that can extend life. It is widely believed that when coffee is consumed, our central nervous system is activated, which increases alertness, sharper thinking, and improves concentration. However, this is just the effect of coffee on people. For other plants and animals, coffee may have more magical or dangerous effects.
Investigating the effects of caffeine on animals is cumbersome, observing their behavior, measuring physiological characteristics, etc., especially for small invertebrates. However, there is one animal that has a unique advantage in the eyes of scientists, and it is the spider. Wanting to observe the condition of the spider after drinking coffee, the scientist suggested that you can directly look at the pattern of the spider web!
In 1948, pharmacologist Peter Witt let spiders drink 10 μg of caffeine and found that the webs made by spiders became smaller and the radius became uneven. And when the spiders drank 100 μg of caffeine, the shape of the web changed dramatically and looked quite irregular. This shows that caffeine has an effect on spiders, and the higher the dose, the more pronounced the effect may be. And using the spider web pattern as a statistical tool has also become a simple drug detection method.
For invertebrates like spiders, coffee's effects on the nervous system can be fatal. When the scientists gave the larvae of a ubiquitous moth (Manduca sexta larvae) a strong drink of tea or coffee, the larvae were killed within 24 hours. When the mosquito larvae drink the coffee, they become uncoordinated and eventually drown because they cannot swim to the surface.
Might be a good thing for plants, though. The roots of some plants contain caffeine, which can be used as a "natural pesticide" to kill some insects. Moreover, caffeine also inhibits the growth of other plants, giving them a chance to survive. In addition, plants can actually drink coffee. A moderate amount of coffee or coffee grounds is a source of nitrogen for plants (approximately 2% nitrogen) and also provides them with trace elements such as calcium and magnesium.
However, don't forget to dilute the coffee before watering the flowers, otherwise, your flowers will look like the picture below. After all, high-concentration coffee, no matter whether it is an animal, plant, or human, can't stand it!
People who keep pets may know that for dogs and cats, coffee can significantly change the heart rate and breathing rate, which can be life-threatening in severe cases; it can damage the digestive system for parrots; coffee can also cause heart attacks in frogs and inhibit eating for snails... It seems that while coffee means more sobriety for humans, for animals, caffeine is difficult to metabolize and can easily be life-threatening.
Is coffee only a human drink? This perception quickly proved to be one-sided, as there are also animals that enjoy the positive effects of coffee. The study found that when the horses drank the coffee, their heart rates increased significantly and they displayed extraordinary stamina, jumping ability, and speed. And, like people, horses were less fatigued after drinking coffee.
But precisely because of this, caffeine has also become a "stimulant" in horse racing. Because of its ability to alter the performance of racehorses, it has been banned by the authorities. And the same situation also appeared in pigeon racing. Bees also taste the buff given by caffeine. Scientists have found that bees that taste caffeinated nectar, such as citrus flowers, seem to improve memory.
Those who drank the coffee honey were three times better at remembering the smell of the flower after 24 hours. This means that the bees can find their way to pollination, and those flowers reproduce more successfully, However, the effects of coffee are often not that simple. Further research by the University of Sussex found that coffee-drinking bees also performed a waggle dance in the hive to tell other bees where to find food and get everyone to drink caffeinated nectar. Does it seem that bees are as obsessed with the taste of coffee as humans are? Whether this has a positive or negative impact on bees is still debated.
Today, scientists don't really understand the effects of caffeine on various animals, plants, or even humans. As far back as the Stone Age, people have found chewing on some unique bark or leaves to refresh their minds. In the development of coffee for thousands of years, it has also experienced various changes in medicine, commodity, and beverage. At present, the chemical reaction of caffeine in the human body is still very complicated.
Even if it helps relieve fatigue, it's only temporary. And everyone's body type and caffeine tolerance are different, and the performance of coffee also varies from person to person. Although coffee is a delicious drink for some people, about will experience a series of physical and psychological related adverse reactions after drinking coffee. So what does coffee mean to you?
Note: For most adults, the normal dose of coffee is 400 mg per day. Coffee is good, but don't be greedy