Caffeine is a strong lure…even for bees

Would you be surprised if I told you that honeybees and humans have something in common? Turns out both are strongly motivated by caffeine.

Researchers at the University of Sussex started running tests on plants that lace their nectar with caffeine and its effect on the honeybee. According to Comunicaffe, the research shows nectar that contains caffeine, or sucrose solution with caffeine added, more often attracts honeybees and encourages the bees to return even after the source runs dry. Caffeine seems to have evolved in some plants as a way to attract these insects -- likely for pollination and increased seed production. “The effect of the caffeine is akin to drugging,” a researcher is cited as saying. I read that quote and it made me laugh. But then I considered why I started drinking coffee and how it is so very popular among humans.

Your brain on caffeine

From what I’ve read in CNET and other places, caffeine works in three ways. First, it makes you feel less tired. The caffeine connects to receptors in your brain, blocking adenosine – a chemical that would normally connect and make you feel sleepy. Then it increases the amount of adrenaline in your body – the fight or flight chemical that can make your mind sharp and muscles strong for a limited amount of time. Lastly, it releases dopamine, which is one of those chemicals that makes you feel really good. All this combines to make coffee one addictive and pleasant drink.

Ultimately, this reaction to caffeine isn’t great for bees. Honeybees are tricked into returning to a plant with caffeinated nectar even if the quality of the nectar is subpar. And the result is less honey. However, we humans fare a bit better. We have turned caffeine into a $30 Billion industry with a global impact.

It wakes us up in the morning, at least in the U.S., and keeps us energized and focused throughout the day. But more importantly, in the last decade it has evolved into an experience. It’s the daytime drink of choice for business meetings and social interactions. It’s a legal, fairly inexpensive and acceptable stimulant to drink with a partner, at work, in your car, anywhere with anyone. And the tantalizing aroma adds to the effect, at least for me. I liked the smell of coffee long before I liked drinking it. 

In the end, this industry does a great job of promoting coffee as more than hot colored water or an adaptation to encourage the proliferation of certain plants. The service part of office coffee service strives to elicit the positive feeling, branding and social aspect of drinking this caffeinated beverage.  We love what caffeine does for our bodies, but also our lives. That keeps us coming back for more and promises a future ripe for growth.