Naturally found in coffee beans, cacao beans, kola nuts, guarana berries, and tea leaves, around 80% of the world’s population consumes caffeinated products daily.
Caffeine is the common name for 1,3,7‐trimethylxanthine. It is derivative of the German word, kaffee, and the French word, café, which both mean coffee. The first discovery of coffee dates back to the 9th century in Ethiopia when an Ethiopian shepherd noticed that wild coffee berries gave his goats more energy.
However, historians disclaim this origin, saying that Chinese Emperor Shen Nung discovered caffeine as far back as 2737 BC when he boiled drinking water and leaves from a nearby bush. The result produced a delightful aroma and the first pot of tea.