The Effects Of Caffeine On Mental Health

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Caffeinated beverages have become a common part of daily life for the younger population; according to Aepli, Kurth, Tesler, Jenni, and Huber (2015), it is currently the most commonly used and abused psychoactive drug consumed globally. In fact, it is said that overuse of caffeine could be gateway to drug addiction in the future to stimulants like cocaine (Benko, Farias, A., Farias, L., Pereira, Louzada, & Cordeiro, 2011). There is no room for caffeinated beverages in any persons diet, especially children and adolescents. There is no nutritional value in these products, yet everyone is consuming them, especially the younger generations (Owens, Mindell, & Baylor, 2014). Research by Schnieder & Benjamin (2011) suggests that the recommended …show more content…

However, adverse effects of excessive caffeine on mental health have been reported as well. Higher levels of anxiety were described in moderate to high caffeine consumers paralleled with students who used no caffeine at all. Anxiety stemming from caffeine use, was found more commonly in the male participants than females, however both exhibited depressive …show more content…

(2011) states there is a potential correlation between caffeine consumption and depression. According to the study administered by Benko et al., the results report that out of the 51 participants, aged 6 to 12, 34 children were considered depressed by scoring higher than a 15 on the CDI. The mean score of the depressed children was 19. These kids also exhibited high intakes of caffeine consumption based on their scores on the Nutrition-Behavior Inventory (NBI), approximately 5 times more than the scores of the control group. The outcomes of these tests show a probable significant relationship between excess caffeine consumption and depression. Richards and Smith (2015) also note that depression was observed to correlate positively with caffeine consumption, particularly coffee, in middle- and high-school students as well. A connection with the CDI has been found in children and teenagers alike. The undesirable outcomes of caffeine use at any age in which a child or adolescent is developing should not be taken

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