Getting to the Root </MCC HEAD>

Story last updated at 7:58 PM on Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Getting to the Root

By SERGE LECOMTE

Caffeine has many sources, coffee only one of them. Coffee originated in Ethiopia sometime in the 4th century AD. Cacao is another plant yielding caffeine. That’s where we get our cacao powder and butter to make our chocolate delights. Did you know Montezuma drank up to 50 glasses of cacao a day?

Tea is another plant that gives us a dose of caffeine.

Then, there’s the kola nut, which originated in West Africa. Without it soft drink (that includes Mountain Dew) manufacturers wouldn’t be where they are today.

The ilex plant also contains caffeine. It is used in South America, including Argentina and Brazil, to make a potent drink called “mate.”

Last, but not least, we have stimulants (No-doz, Vivarin), pain relievers (Anacin, Excedrin), weight-control pills (Dexatrin), cold remedies, diuretics and many prescription medications, all giving us our daily buzz.

Dr. Serge Lecomte graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in linguistics. He taught Russian and Spanish at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He has lived in the Homer area since 1999 and writes plays and novels for fun.

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