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2737 BC

Chinese emperor Shen

Nung is said to dis-

cover tea when leaves

blow into his cup o

hot water.

ca. 1000

Cofee, previously

eaten as beans, is irst

inused with water.

AD 350

The irst account o

planting and drink-

ing tea is published in

China.

1300s

The process o

roasting cofee is

discovered.

1511

Meccas governor

bans cofee, citing

ill health efects

and bad behavior in

those who drink it.

Th HistorHighlights oour 5,000-year addictionto cafeine.

THePRODUCTS

Hr ar just aractio o th quick

ixs o thmarkt toda.

Isid th ovrstimulatd, udrrgulatd, multiatioal idustr.caf

feine

caffein

e

35

208

160

149

200

54

47

60

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caffe i ne has go ne c r az y . It now comes in so many orms that its hard to keep up: sot drinks,

obviously, but also energy drinks, energy shots, chewing gum, sports gels, and nasal sprays. In all o

them, the marquee ingredient is a white powder, delivered to our bloodstreams by a sophisticated

global supply chain that ew o us know anything about. The scale o this industry is as eye-

opening as a NoDoz. Americans plow through more than 15 million pounds o powdered caeine

annuallyenough to ill a reight train 2 miles long, all 270 cars loaded to the brim. This

turbocharging might be taking a toll on our health. US emergency room visits related to energy

drinks spiked rom 1,100 in 2005 to 13,000 in 2009, and in November the FDA announced it was

investigating 5-Hour Energy ater 13 deaths were associated with the popular product. Through it

all, sales continue to jitter upward. We have become creatures that turn caeine into motion, and

the corner store is our illing station. Heres a graphical look at the drug that keeps America moving.

1734

J. S. Bach composes

the Cofee Cantata.

1886

Coca-Cola is

introduced.

1615

Venetian merchants

introduce cofee to

Europe.

1819

Friedlieb Ferdinand

Runge, a German

chemist, isolates ca-

eine rom cofee.

1895

Emil Fischer, another

German chemist,

synthesizes cafeine

rom urea.

1898

Pepsi-Cola is

introduced.

By MURRAy CARPenTeR ILLUSTRATIOnS By CARL DeTORReS

224

50

5069

80

100

320100

320

WIReD 077FEB 2013

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Sthtic CafiThese days, the majority o cafeine is made in

chemical actoriesand most o that happens in

China. According to Panjiva, which tracks global

trade, just three Chinese irms manuacture nearly

hal o the cafeine consumed in the US. Diferent

actories make cafeine in slightly diferent ways,

but heres how German irm BASF does it.

1909

Federal government

seizes shipment o

Coca-Cola over the

alleged ill efects o

cafeine.

1911

Coke hires psy-

chologist Harry

Hollingworth, who

demonstrates the

beneits o cafeine.

1938

Nesca instant cofee

is launched.

1980

Journalists at the

1980 Democratic

National Convention

are ofered emergency

NoDoz kits.

1985

Jolt Cola is introduced.

1992

Starbucks goes public.

THePOWDeRThr ar two was

to produc powdrdcafi: Ri it or

mak it rom scratch.

natural CafiAmericas largest natural caeine producer is

Maximus Cofee Group, which extracts it rom

more than 100 million pounds o beans per year.

Heres how.

Urea

MeThyLaMine

forMic aciD

TheoPhyLLine

caffeine

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THe PROBLeM

Cafi is addictiv; also, sic

its a diurtic, it ca caus dhdra

tio. But worst o all, i rar cass

a ovrdos o cafi ca kill ou,

tpicall b stoppig our hart.

Th FDA hast rlasd much data

about th 13 daths its ivstigat

ig, but i at last thr cass th

oficial caus o dath was hart

attack. Usuall it taks a lot o ca

i to gt thr. I April 2010,a Brito amd Michal Bdord

at two spoouls o pur cafi

powdr ad washd it dow with a

rg drik. H quickl vomitd,

collapsd, ad did. But Bdord

likl cosumd mor tha 5 grams

o cafith quivalt o

24 shots o 5Hour erg. Thats

mor tha v th biggst buzz

chasr would vr wat to swallow.

THePOWeR-UP

Cafi starts bcrossig th bloodbraibarrirth it crats

fcts throughoutth bod.

1997

Red Bull is launched

in the US.

2003

Stay Alert gum is

introduced.

2004

5-Hour Energy creates

the irst energy shot.

2009

Scientists and state

attorneys general

petition the FDA to

restrict alcoholic

energy drinks.

2012

The FDA investigates

claims o 13 deaths

related to 5-Hour

Energy; results are

still pending.

2011

LeBron James

introduces Sheets,

melt-on-the-tongue

cafeine strips.

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