Browse: Home / Nootropics / caffeine / Living on caffeine alone is possible

Menu

Skip to content
  • About
  • Better Body Chemistry School
  • Book a health conversation
  • Speaking query
  • The “Big” Spoons
  • Donate
Header image

BBC

Small things can make a big difference to your health

advertisement

Menu

Skip to content
  • Home
  • START HERE
  • Free Resources
    • 31 days to Better Body Chemistry
    • Willpower Report
    • Better Body Chemistry for Expecting Moms
    • The ups and downs of insulin resistance
    • Candy Floss Boards
  • Meet the Team
  • Library
  • Lucky dip
  • Better Body Chemistry TV
    • Video gallery for Expecting Moms
    • Video gallery for people with metabolic syndrome
    • Video gallery of how to survive flu season
  • Sound bites
  • Contact

Living on caffeine alone is possible

Posted by Dr Sandy on in caffeine | 164 Views | 2 Responses

bacteria living on caffeine onlyAnd God said

“Man shall not live on coffee alone …. but Pseudomonas putida CBB5 can”

Okay, so I am paraphrasing a bit, but no matter how much you depend on coffee to keep you going, it will not keep you going indefinitely.

Caffeine energy

When you roll out of bed feeling like a flat tyre and stagger to the kitchen to swig down your first cup of coffee/caffeine, the caffeine energy boost comes due to a little neurotransmitter manipulation.

The energy lift has nothing to do with you actually burning the stuff for fuel to derive energy. To load up with fuel, you need to include some food along with the coffee.

But when Pseudomonas putida swallows a little java juice, it actually manages to turn it into fuel, squeezing biological energy (known as ATP) out of the caffeine molecule. So this little guy can get by on a caffeine only diet.

The caffeine enzyme package

The ability to survive on caffeine alone, comes courtesy of a special package of enzymes. The enzymes lob off the methyl groups (CH3 bits) and then smashes the complex nitrogen rings, in the process energy is released.

caffeineWe do a little caffeine chemistry as well, but our enzymes focus on popping things on, so we can pee it out.

Caffeine workaholics

Don’t covet that enzyme package too much. Caffeine really doesn’t taste too good on its own – it is quite bitter, the taste comes from the peripheral chemicals, only the oomph comes from caffeine.

The owners of this special package are unlikely to be spending their days sipping coffee at the local coffeeshop. The Iowa researchers have plans to keep the caffeine guzzling bacteria wired and working hard.

They will be staying up late, removing caffeine from coffee to create ala natural caffeine-free coffee, for the crazy people who believe drinking caffeine is an unhealthy past time.

Currently, getting the caffeine out of coffee is a very chemical reaction, but a little biotechnology could see caffeine-free coffee, being 100 % caffeine free and 100 % natural.

Caffeine guzzlers go local

Hopefully not too many species of bacteria are able to burn up caffeine.

Shushi eating encourages shushi eating bacteria to take up residence in your gut so, if you are a caffeine addict, you may already be sharing your daily caffeine fix with a few thousand friends.

Eish – I hope not. I can’t afford to be buying coffee for thousands.

American Society for Microbiology issued a press release about Pseudomonas putida coffee eating capabilities

Did you enjoy the post, subscribe to E-spoons  to keep up to date with the latest science tit bits


View previous E-spoons.

Close

Know someone who will find this post useful ? Share it on facebook, linkedin, twitter

Further reading

caffeine fiddling with the brain switches
coffee aroma switching on genes
nootropic medicine cabinet
Caffeine is the ultimate party killjoy Coffee aromatherapy can give the brain a bit of a buzz What can I take to  boost brain performance ?

The 7 Big Spoons™…. are master switches that turn health on.

balance eicosanoids rein in insulin dial down stress sleep vitamin D microflora think
Balance Eicosanoids Rein in insulin Dial down stress Sleep ! Increase Vit D Culivate microflora Think champion

Hire Dr Sandy from a Spoonful of Science to be the keynote speaker at your next event.

Did you learn something new or do you have a different perspective ? I’d love to hear from you so post me a comment below…..

Share Button
Posted in caffeine | Tagged bacteria, biotechnolgy, coffee, energy, enzymes

Connect with us

facebook you tube pinterest 40 google plus 40 Linkedin

FEELING….

sign posts then you need better body chemistry.

Grab our free E-course

“31 days to better body chemistry”

The advice is simple to follow and based on REAL science, not hype

Need more information ? Click here

  • Popular
  • Featured
  • Recent
  • oatmeal breakfast being beaten by egg

    Which is a better breakfast, egg or oatmeal ?

    16915 views / Posted
  • poop getting stuck

    The fix for constipation is to go on a low fibre diet

    16153 views / Posted
  • chewing gum relieving postoperative ileus

    A stick of chewing gum gets the gut going after surgery

    16108 views / Posted
  • carbonated water bubbles fill you up

    Fizzing up the water flattens your appetite

    14286 views / Posted
  • a see food diet

    It might be time to try the TRF see food diet – it works

    11507 views / Posted
  • sun extracting cholesterol

    Make sure you have your “annual” check-up in the summer time

    / Dr Sandy
  • sending your kid to bootcamp won't stop childhood obesity

    Moving more won’t stop your kid from getting fat

    / Dr Sandy
  • cholesterol at the scene of the accident

    Bone cells are stiffening up your arteries not cholesterol

    / Dr Sandy
  • brain size the problem in ADHD

    Are kids with ADHD just acting according to their brain age

    / Dr Sandy
  • plastering the blood vessel with calcium

    Calcium supplements are building bones and breaking hearts

    / Dr Sandy
  • compression stocking helping relieve sleep apnea

    A cheap way to breathe easier if you suffer from sleep apnea

    / Dr Sandy
  • fat cells creeping out while women is sleeping

    If you don’t include this in your diet – you won’t lose fat

    / Dr Sandy
  • muslce arriving at gym for an afternoon exercise session

    When is the best time to exercise ?

    / Dr Sandy
  • allergy belly

    Is your antihistamine making you fat ?

    / Dr Sandy
  • cholesterol number

    If your cholesterol number is a little high – DON’T WORRY

    / Dr Sandy

RSS Recent posts

Dr Sandy Dr Sandy Evans, PhD

Located in Johannesburg, South Africa

Book an appointment with Spoonful of Science using SetMore
Disclaimer : The stories and articles are provided as a service. Dr Sandy's opinions are for information only, and are not intended to diagnose or prescribe. For your specific diagnosis and treatment, consult your doctor or health care provider.
 
 

Connect with Dr Sandy

facebook 40
you tube 40
pinterest 40
google plus 40
linkedin 40
meetup 40
 

Categories

Featured posts

  • oatmeal breakfast being beaten by egg

    Which is a better breakfast, egg or oatmeal ?

    16915 views / Posted
  • poop getting stuck

    The fix for constipation is to go on a low fibre diet

    16153 views / Posted
  • chewing gum relieving postoperative ileus

    A stick of chewing gum gets the gut going after surgery

    16108 views / Posted
 

©2011-2019 Spoonful of Science

Menu

  • Meet Dr Sandy
  • Disclosure/disclaimer
  • Privacy policy
  • Comment policy
  • Contact
Redirect Stakk
Thank You

Beat your SUGAR CRAVINGS, using biology, NOT psychology

Download our FREE REPORT entitled, "How to get the Willpower you Need to Trump Sugar's Power"

  • Do you have a sugar gremlin ?
  • Discover the biology behind sugar gremlins
  • Learn about the 10 weapons you can use to TAME YOUR SUGAR GREMLIN

Get instant access