In the spirit of the holiday season, we’re offering 12 Days of Plant Medicine. Get to know some of the natural adaptogens and herbs that come together to create our incredible experiences.
WE GIVE YOU…CAFFEINE
Caffeine is the most popular psychoactive drug in the world. But how much do you really know about it? Did you know that the coffee plant evolved an extraordinarily complex biochemical process to synthesize caffeine in order to manipulate bees and other pollinators? It’s true—insects get a little buzz from the nectar of the coffee flower, and come back often, efficiently pollinating the plants.
Many drinks containing caffeine have been outlawed at one time or another: King Charles II of England attempted to ban coffeehouses in 1676 and federal authorities seized barrels of Coca-Cola in 1911 claiming that caffeine was “injurious to health.”
As most of us know intimately, caffeine boasts remarkable properties as a stimulant. It combats drowsiness, speeds up reaction time, boosts alertness, and enhances concentration. It also amps up athletic performance, fortifies muscular strength, and prolongs endurance. Yet dosage is critical – too much caffeine can produce tremors, anxiety, and sleeplessness. And we all know the caffeine crash, which is exactly why at 1906, we combine caffeine with theobromine to make an infallible “energy stack.”
Caffeine has been the subject of intense research, with more than 35,000 articles in the scientific literature investigating its role in everything from neuroprotection to use in cosmetics, and it shows no sign of slowing down yet.
On the first day we gave you L-theanine.
On the second day we gave you Damiana.
What’s coming for the fourth day? It’s also known as “the food of the gods.”