What is Paraxanthine made of?

Paraxanthine is not known to be produced by plants and is only observed in nature as a metabolite of caffeine in animals and some species of bacteria. After intake, roughly 84% of caffeine is demethylated at the 3-position to yield paraxanthine, making it the primary metabolite of caffeine in humans.

What does Paraxanthine do in the body?

Paraxanthine (1,7-dimethylxanthine), a metabolite of caffeine, is a central nervous stimulant and exerts anti-inflammatory effects. Paraxanthine functions as the antagonist of adenosine receptors A1 and A2a and has lower toxicity and lesser anxiogenic effects than caffeine.

What foods contain Paraxanthine?

Methylxanthines are contained in several common dietary products, such as coffee, tea, soft and “energy” drinks, maté, cakes, candies, and chocolate. Caffeine is the most popular and consumed among the methylxanthines, therefore the vast majority of the research on these substances focuses on caffeine.

How is caffeine metabolized?

After perking you up, caffeine is ultimately broken down (metabolized) by the liver into three major metabolites: paraxanthine (84%), theobromine (12%), and theophylline (4%); all three of which are also active ingredients. After the liver metabolizes caffeine, the kidneys excrete what’s remaining into urine.

Is caffeine a xanthine?

The xanthine derivatives are agents that resemble natural occurring xanthines such as caffeine, theobromine and methylxanthines. These are plant alkaloids and components of coffee, tea and chocolate.

How is Paraxanthine metabolized?

Caffeine is metabolized in the liver by the cytochrome P450 oxidase enzyme system which produces the dimethylxanthines, paraxanthine (the major product), theobromine, and theophylline. Paraxanthine increases lipolysis, the process by which fats are split into glycerol and fatty acids.

Does caffeine damage your liver?

Over time, it can cause cirrhosis or scarring of the liver. That scarring can lead to liver cancer or liver failure. But research shows that people who drink a lot of coffee have a lower risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Is theobromine a stimulant?

It is a mildly stimulant drug found in tea, coffee, cocoa, and the kola nut and is usually associated with the alkaloids theophylline and theobromine, which are mild cardiac stimulants.