Caffeine is the most popular psychoactive substance in the world and one of the widest-traded commodities in the forms of coffee, tea, and soft drinks. But, is consumption of caffeine safe in terms of physical and mental health? Aimed at addressing this question, author Jack E. James traces how caffeine consumption evolved as well as how caffeine is absorbed, distributed, and metabolized in our bodies. He then probes the effects of caffeine on psychomotor and cognitive performance, psychological well-being, blood pressure and cardiovascular health, carcinogenic potentials, pregnancy and perinatal health, athletic performance, and diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The book concludes with an examination of the issue of whether or not caffeine is a drug of abuse and whether or not there is a safe level of caffeine consumption. Examining an understudied topic, Understanding Caffeine is a groundbreaking volume that will interest both professionals and practitioners in the fields of psychology, social psychology, public health, behavioral medicine, and nursing.