This is according to a study in rats, which suffered from a lack of deep sleep - the time in adolescence when the right connections are formed in the brain
Humans and other mammals show particularly intense sleep patterns during adolescence. The brain matures at an extremely rapid rate during this period. But when adolescent rats were given large doses of caffeine, the maturation processes in their brains were delayed. This is according to a study supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
The average caffeine consumption of young adults has increased by over 70% in the last thirty years and there is no end in sight to the increase. The beverage industry is one that constantly increases advertising for caffeinated energy drinks. Many are now concerned about the possible health risks of excessive caffeine consumption during adolescence.
Researchers led by Reto Huber from the Children's Hospital in Zurich have now added new arguments to the debate. As part of the recently published study conducted on rats, they call for caution, because consuming more than caffeine at a level found in 3-4 cups of coffee per day will cause a lack of deep sleep and delay brain development.
In both humans and rats, the duration and intensity of deep sleep, as well as the number of synapses or connections in the brain, build during childhood, reach a peak in adolescence and decline again in adulthood. "Children's brains are very flexible thanks to the many connections" Hoover said. As the brain begins to mature, a large number of connections are lost. This optimization occurs during deep sleep. Important synapses lengthen, others shorten. This makes the network more efficient and the brain stronger," says Huber.
Shyness instead of curiosity
The researchers provided moderate amounts of caffeine to thirty-day-old rats for five days and measured the electrical current generated in their brains. The periods of deep sleep, characterized by slow waves, decreased from the 31st day to the 42nd day, i.e. well beyond the caffeine consumption. Compared to rats that received pure drinking water, the researchers found the most connections in the brains of the rats that drank caffeine in the study supplement. The slow maturing process in the brain also affected their behavior: rats became more curious with age, but the caffeinated rats remained sleepy and cautious.
"During adolescence, the brain goes through a delicate process of maturation, in which mental illnesses may erupt. Even though rat brains are very different from human brains, there are many parallels in how the brain develops. This raises the question of whether the caffeine consumption of children and young adults is not dangerous or whether they would be wise in not consuming the stimulant. That should be left to other studies," said Huber.
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In the past, studies were published on a similar negative effect of nicotine on the fetal brain
Hanan Sabat
What you want? It is explicitly written that the research raises questions.... No one extrapolated from the research to humans.
If this is true then we have probably already lost a lot.
For example, the famous mathematician Ardosh defined the mathematician as a machine for turning coffee into mathematical proofs.
You can imagine how much coffee he consumed and how many more mathematical proofs we would have if he hadn't.
Not critical. With the content that the younger generation watches during the day, not too many synapses are required at night.
And according to the data of the number of viewers of television programs for the retarded, being stupid today is considered more than being smart.
The coffee developed the caffeine to deal with pests from the rodent family. Rats are convenient laboratory animals, but do not simulate humans accurately.
I would not rush to throw from a rat's brain to the human brain, despite parallels here and there.
Therefore, as long as no research is conducted on humans, it is a study whose title should be "don't give your rats too much coffee"...