One of the reasons behind caffeine’s extensive consumption is its widespread availability in so many different beverages. Caffeine is not marketed strictly through coffee and coffee products; a plethora of popular soft drinks list caffeine as an ingredient. Many of these are not even advertised as energy drinks because the caffeine in them is a fraction of the amount contained in coffee. Gary McIlvain and his fellow researchers at the Health Science Department of Marshall University claim that energy drinks have been rising in popularity in recent decades due to their high amounts of caffeine and sugar. Both of these ingredients are stimulants and are used in varying amounts in different energy drinks. While a serving of Wired contains several …show more content…
Caffeine intoxication can occur from overconsumption and is characterized by dizziness, nausea, anxiety, and tremors (Nehlig). Caffeine quickens blood circulation, but in high amounts, it can overstimulate the heart and cause heart palpitations or cardiac arrhythmias (Cavendish). While overconsumption of caffeine may seem difficult, it is actually a fairly common occurrence. A study conducted among universities in the American Southeast found that the mean amount of caffeine consumed by the surveyed students was more than 840 milligrams per day, or “approximately three times the recommended amount of the Mayo Clinic” (McIlvain, et al.). What was most surprising about the study is that few of the students realized how much caffeine they were consuming. Obviously college students would more than likely consume more caffeine than other demographic groups simply for the purpose of studying, but their misconceived overconsumption was in part caused by the labeling, or lack thereof, of caffeine as an ingredient in many food items. Many of the college students were unaware of all of the effects of caffeine and how much of it they consumed, and this observation can be extrapolated to society as a whole. Despite caffeine’s extensive history, few people know of the long list of side effects it can cause …show more content…
New research has been unable to find any conclusive evidence that reasonable caffeine consumption is inherently detrimental to human health. Humans have been drinking it in coffee and tea for centuries because it elevated their mood and increased their ability to focus. The primary dangers regarding caffeine stem from its abuse in excessive amounts. Caffeine is addictive, and there will always exist the danger of overconsumption. However, when caffeine use is effectively monitored and regulated, it has many practical and positive purposes in everyday human functions. It is one of the most potent and least harmful stimulants available to the masses. It is quite effective for light use in dieting as an appetite suppressant and as a source of energy. All of these applications of caffeine have been discovered due to its widespread availability in a variety of different forms. The consequence of this ubiquity is that caffeine overconsumption is common as well and has its own list of negative side effects. Caffeine use should be monitored on a personal level to avoid harmful intoxication, but aside from that, caffeine is generally viewed as safe in rational
Caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant, is the main psychoactive ingredient in energy drinks, which enhances alertness and mood, and counteracts symptoms of sleep. There is no doubt ...
By this definition, and after knowing the effects of caffeine upon the human body, I have come to the conclusion that drinking caffeine is a sign of a lack of respect for oneself, and of an unappreciative attitude toward the life that each of us has been blessed with. Furthermore, it shows of either our inability, or unwillingness to learn to think clearly.
Prescription stimulant misuse can be defined as taking more of the medication than prescribed, or as taking the medication without a prescription. There have been many arguments on the reasons why there has been an increasing amount of college students who misuse prescription stimulants. Some psychologists argue that the misuse of prescription stimulants amongst college students is caused by stress brought upon by final exams and hard curriculum. However, other psychologists argue that the misuse of prescription stimulants is becoming more common amongst American college students for other reasons such as: differences amongst brain activity in college students, and misconceptions about the true risks of misusing prescription stimulants amongst
Caffeine raises your blood pressure when you drink/eat it, raising your blood pressure in general is not a good thing but imagine drinking and/or eating caffeine daily, and your blood pressure constantly rising. Another negative aspect is that caffeine can have a disruptive effect on your sleep. The most obvious effect of the caffeine is that it can make it hard for you to fall asleep. It can help you stay awake during the day but can also make you stay awake during the night when you are trying to fall asleep. You can also have withdraws from caffeine, going back to the story “Java Man” the author Malcolm Gladwell considered it a drug and remember you can get addicted to drugs (you can really get addicted to anything). There are plenty more negative ways caffeine can disrupt your lifestyle but you know what they say for every negative thing you can say there can be some
Caffeine is a mild stimulant that occurs naturally in at least 63 plant species. Caffeine can be found in the leaves, stems, seeds, and roots of these various plants. Caffeine is part of the methylxanthine family. It consists of a xanthine molecule with three methyl groups attached to it. Caffeine can be found in many products like sodas, tea, and coffee, but it also occurs in several other products such as prescription medications, diuretics, and pain relievers. Caffeine’s widespread use and popularity have caused many people to view the substance as an addictive drug. Thus making caffeine the most inexpensive and readily available drug known to man. Then on the other hand there are people who view caffeine as a helpful stimulant that increases the individual’s concentration and awareness as well as many other physical traits. The important thing to remember is that caffeine’s affects vary based on the person, the amount ingested, the frequency of consumption, and individual metabolism. (http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/kopykit/caffeine.html)
Caffeinate drinks and energy drinks are very common on amongst adolescents, and the consumption of alcohol is also a regular occurrence among adolescents (Rohsenow et. Al, 2014). At that age, they may consume caffeine or energy drinks to wake themselves up or stay up late when working on homework assignments. Which at times can be helpful when working on multiple assignments. When a person consumes a certain amount of alcohol, he or she begins to feel drowsy/tired. There is nothing wrong with having a drink on occasions, especially if you drink responsibly. Recently people have begun to mix caffeine with alcohol, resulting in Alcoholic Energy Drinks. People buy and consume these drinks to combat the drowsiness that comes with drinking, so if he or she is out partying, it won’t interrupt his or her drinking and the can consume more alcohol because they will not feel as tired as quickly as the normally would. Alcoholic Energy Drinks have been a trend in recent years, and this is especially true among college and high school students (Kponee, Siegel, & Jernigan, 2014). Do Alcoholic Energy Drinks represent responsible drinking? Should companies mix caffeine and alcohol and sell it in stores? To go even further, should the drinks be legal in the United States? Alcoholic Energy Drinks are harmful because they affect the person’s ability to judge his or her level of intoxication, it also influences people to drink more than he or she should because he or she feels less intoxicated, and because of those reasons, people who consume Alcoholic Energy Drinks are more likely to drive while intoxicated, among other dangerous risk-taking behaviors (Kponee, Siegel, & Jernigan, 2014). Because of the adverse effects, Alcoholic Energy Drinks should...
Does one drink caffeine? Caffeine is everywhere, it's in everything, it's apart of our daily lives. That’s what people doesn’t realizes; every soda drink, every cup of coffee, and every energy drink he or she gulps down before a thrilling game, all of that is caffeine. Caffeine is only completed when he or she get addicted. Caffeine can be an exceptional threat to the human body; energy drinks for example, it has enough caffeine to kill someone if he or she drinks enough. Energy drinks has been the number one drink high school students drink to stay awake in school; they even bring the drink in classrooms, and more than one energy drink. Soda has enough caffeine to destroy ones inner body. Soda is a everyday drink for some individuals, they
Scrutiny of caffeine and its effects has increased dramatically in the last 20 years, due in part to an increase in consumption of caffeine. In fact, coffee consumption among young adults rose to 3.2 cups per day in 2008 from 2.4 cups per day in 2005 (Rokerya 1). For instance, in a one hour period, on Richland College’s on-campus Starbucks, the author took note of how many customers arrived and purchased a cup of coffee. Between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, there were 51 customers, implying that – especially at college - many people are dependent on coffee in the mornings. However, the results from these studies are inconclusive and often somewhat contradictory – many studies (such as that by Tetsuya Ohara et al.) show that caffeine is a great boon to
Sara M. Seifert, BS, Judith L. Schaechter, MD, Eugene R. Hershorin, MD, Steven E. Lipshultz, MD, . “Health Effects of Energy Drinks on Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults." 127.3 (2011): 511-528. google scholar. Web. 11 Mar 2014.
Caffeine is the single most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the United States (Einöther & Giesbrecht, 2013). According to Einöther and Giesbrecht (2013), 80% of the world’s population consumes caffeinated products every day, with coffee and tea being the primary sources. In the recent years, the demand for
The following study will examine and provide research methods, results and conclusions about college students who consume caffeine energy drinks, alcohol or both to get an energy boost for one reason or another. Coffee which use to be the highlight of boosting energy and staying up late nights to complete homework assignments or study has taken a fall in the 20th century. The study will also point out the effects of the energy drinks and alcohol and the harm and health concerns that contribute to the students behaviors when consumed. The first study examines energy drinks and alcohol among college students and the fact that more students are consuming the product. The study is a web based questionnaire. The article “Caffeinated cocktails: energy drink consumption, high-risk drinking, and alcohol-related consequences among college students”, paints a good picture of the behaviors followed by drinking energy drinks and alcohol such as; heavy drinking, increased alcohol-related consequences, taken advantage of sexually, traveling with intoxicated drivers, getting injured or physically hurt, and those requiring medical attention. The second article “A survey of energy drink consumption patterns among college students” utilized a field research focus group of 32 to determine how much college students drink energy drinks including the benefits and the health issues. The energy drinks Red Bull, Amp, Monster, Rock Star, Rip It, Full Throttle, and Cocaine, just to name a few were created to give individuals a “Jolt” of energy with a combination of stimulants or “energy boosters” that include caffeine.
Energy drinks are thought to help enhance performance, boost mental alertness, improve endurance and energy, decrease fatigue, enhance metabolism, and improve overall performance. Energy drinks are also used because of short term health benefits, taste, energy boost, improved performance, and to justify or improve poor dietary habits (Rath). But, drinking energy drinks come with so much more along with a list of health problems and possibly
In the present society, people’s schedules tend to be extremely hectic due to either strenuous work schedules or keeping up with school and families. Due to this, numerous individuals do not obtain the recommended eight hours of sleep. On top of not getting enough sleep, they do not eat the proper foods to nourish their bodies. In return, they have a substantial lack of energy. Usually people who do not take care of themselves tend to eventually get more tired by mid-day and as their day goes on. A simple solution would be to go to bed earlier and eat better foods. However, our society has become very lazy, obese, and have started to take the easy way out over the years. Instead of eating better and trying to get more sleep, people drink energy drinks as an easy and fast way to get a boost of energy. Energy drinks have been around since the nineteen-sixties and have become increasingly more popular. There are hundreds of different brands of energy drinks that are sold in grocery stores and gas stations today, and worse than that billions of them are consumed every year. Even though multiple energy drinks are consumed every year, many people are uninformed about; what an energy drink is, what the benefits and non-benefits are, what different types of energy drinks there are, and how mixing them with alcohol can be seriously dangerous.
Scientists Ricardo Mora-Rodriguez and Jesus G Pallares executed a study observing the performance outcomes and side effects of energy drinks. They confirmed that due to their high carbohydrate concentration and lack of salts, energy drinks are not a good beverage choice when prolonged exercise in a warm environment is likely to require rehydration. They also found that ingestion of high doses of caffeine, although ergogenic, could result in negative side effects that could counteract the caffeine’s ergogenic effect. Even though energy drinks have the ability to increase a certain amount of energy, the energy would be short lived, due to lack of hydration. A similar study was performed by a team of scientists in Nepal. They tested on medical students at a Nepalese medical school. After the experiment, they concluded that energy drinks give energy and increase the stamina but they produce neurologic, psychiatric, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal complications on health. Certain students that participated in the study started to experience palpitation (increased or irregular heartbeat), nausea, constipation, and abdominal pain. These symptoms are just a few of the health risks that regularly consuming energy drinks can
Coffee is the first thing that people associate with instant energy on a groggy morning. “In the U.S., coffee is king of beverages” (Reinke) Research has been done that has named coffee as an addiction to the people who consume large quantities of it. Coffee was named the top source of antioxidants. This is partly because of the amount consumed each day. Some of the antioxidants that coffee has are quinines and chlorogenic acid. It also contains trigonelline, an antibacterial compound. This is where coffee acquires its delicious aroma. Now let’s step back for a minute and just think about how much caffeine people consume. In an 8oz cup of coffee it has about 85 milligrams of caffeine. This is about double the amount that tea contains. Studies have shown that caffeine stimulates the brain and nervous system. This is where you get that energized feeling. After about the third cup, knees start to bounce, pens are clicking and people start running laps around the office. Caffeine can become addicting if you drink too much. Coffee can become that addictive habit people are unable to shake.