Caffeine is one of the most popularly used psychoactive substance across the globe, easily found in various products in significant amounts, like coffee, tea, cola drinks and so on. The role of caffeine and its effects on one’s health can be described simply by the word, ‘psychoactive’.
This drug, mostly consumed for its positive effects like increasing alertness and boosting one’s energy has gained much popularity amongst various generations, from adults to children.
The most commonly used form of caffeine amongst adults is coffee, while the most popular source amongst children are soft drinks like coco - cola, pepsi, red bull etc. 70% of all soft drinks contain caffeine. [1]. Energy drinks are becoming very popular and young adults may be at a risk of
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While caffeine has significant number of positive effects, its negative effects usually go unnoticed. There have been some misperceptions related to the effects of caffeine.
• The early symptoms of acute caffeine poisoning are anorexia, tremors, followed by nausea, vomiting and tachycardia. It can cause rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure.
• Chronic high-dose caffeine intake may lead to “caffeinism” (irritability, anxiety, insomnia, palpitations, hyperreflexia and so on) [5].
A double-blind placebo-controlled cross-sectional study was undertaken to examine the performance, mood changes, headache, and sleep in over 30 healthy male and female habitual consumers of caffeine. This study revealed that participants were more alert and less fatigued after acute ingestion of caffeine, but felt less alert on chronic exposure. Performance was found to be impaired significantly on abrupt caffeine withdrawal following habitual use [6].
Several studies have shown that caffeine withdrawal or caffeine dependence has significant effects on one’s
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
Consuming energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster and the 5- Hour Energy Shot, which contains caffeine and other additives, is dangerous to an individual’s health and in some cases fatal. Manufacturers of energy drinks claim consumption of their products will improve athletic performance, concentration and reaction time, as well increase basal metabolism. However, manufacturers’ of energy drinks add additional energy-enhancing ingredients such as glucose, taurine, guarana and ginseng. Each of those ingredients has numerous adverse side effects, see table 1 on page 8. Yet, energy drink manufacturers are not required to list the amount or type of additive used in their products. According to the Food and Drug administration (FDA), approval of the FDA is required in order to use additives in conventional foods. Dietary supplements, is considered by the FDA as generally recognizes safe by qualified experts therefore not considered a food additive. Unfortunately, the FDA need not approve adding them to conventional foods such as drinks. Consequently, manufacturers of energy drinks are taking advantages of this by labeling their products as “dietary supplements. “ Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should be in a position to regulate the ingredients added to energy drinks. In addition, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), which regulates both dietary supplements and conventional foods does not require manufacturers of conventional foods to report serious adverse events (FDA, 2012).
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)
Caffeine (systematic name is 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine or 3,7-dihydro-1,3,7-trimethyl-1H-purine-2,6-dione) which is produced in many plants such as coffee beans, tea, cacao beans. On one hand, it is widely used all over the world not only in the human’s dietary such as tea, coffee and chocolate but also can be the pesticides which can be deadly to the insects. On the other hand, caffeine can also harm human’s health in several aspects such as the central nervous system, which is the most common one, the heart rate and the respiration. However, caffeine can also make people feel excited, focus on one thing easily, and have clearly thoughts. For adults, people can have no more than 250 mg caffeine per day. If people who take more than 13-19 grams caffeine per day may be cause to death finally. There has a wide range of analyse approaches to analysis caffeine’s application such as Nuclear magnetic resonance, Chromatography, Gas ...
Its 3AM in the morning and you still haven't finished your research paper. You are tired, tense and your caffeine addiction isn’t helping either. You're in need of coffee but at the same time, you're trying to evade it. You are stuck between either staying tired and tense or indulge caffeine and increase the tension. Caffeine and especially coffee became a very reliant drug by many to "perk-up" and stay productive throughout the day. Once it's excessively consumed, its effects on the human body are numerous and lead to an unhealthy lifestyle if not treated.
Waking up to a hot cup of coffee, relishing the cool tingling sensation of a cola with your lunch, or relaxing in the afternoon over a cup of tea, all have similar ingredient caffeine. Caffeine has been consumed ever since the 2700 BC, with its conjunction in tea, for the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. In 575 AD, the first use of coffee beans where in Africa where it was used as currency and food. Even more today, caffeine consumption has become an integral part of millions of people's daily lives. According to David Weaver, "Caffeine and theophylline are among the most widely consumed neuroactive substances. These drugs are consumed most frequently in beverages, but also are present in certain over-the-counter diet aids, 'alertness tablets' some analgesic preparations, and in chocolate, and are also administered for therapeutic effects." The problem with caffeine is that many students/adults are uneducated about this subject. Stereotypically, caffeine has been labeled harmless. However, most caffeine consumers have no idea how they react to their body chemistry, the chemical mechanism, the hidden side-effects, and the actual daily amount which they intake.
As America quickly become the most unhealthy nation with approximately sixty-eight percent of adults over twenty classified as overweight or obese, citizens still choose to not find out what they are consuming and how their eating choices can affect their bodies (United States, Behavioral Effects of Caffeine in Children). When examining health, aspects such as calories, weight, and fitness levels are all inspected. Other factors such as the everyday drug that up to ninety percent of people around the world consume in one form or another need to be addressed in an inspection of the national health (“Caffeine” Health Education). Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant than modifies mood and can be found addictive (“Caffeine” Health Education). American’s average daily intake of caffeine is two hundred and eighty milligrams (“Caffeine” Alcohol and Tobacco). Many people consume much more than that; they are addicted. Caffeine is a drug common in our society that brings negatively affects the the consumer both mentally and physically and the true facts of the substance’s affects stay concealed such as how it affects the heart, brain, and other organs of adults, children, and animals alike.
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.
Red Bull. 5 Hour Energy. Monster. These energy drinks are becoming increasingly popular not just for teenagers and college kids, but in the world of athletics as well. Athletes around the world are drinking these beverages for a boost in athletic performance and stamina to get an edge over their opponents. These drinks are even being promoted by professional athletes! This increasing popularity and consumption begs the question: are these drinks safe? I decided to dig into this question, and I have found some pretty startling answers. The drinks may bring enhanced performance and energy, but they also come with potential health risks. These health risks heavily outweigh the benefits the drinks could possibly bring.
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
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
Millions of Americans begin each day by consuming the most widely used drug in the United States: Caffeine. Over 90% of United States adults consume caffeinated food or beverages on a daily basis and over 50% take more than the recommended amount. Our innocent daily ritual can turn into an addiction for some because many do not realize that caffeine is even a drug let alone the effects it can have on their bodies. Its use it becoming more and more prominent in our society. It’s not uncommon to walk outside and see a Starbucks or coffee shop on each corner. Innovative foods are coming out infused with coffee, and energy drinks are being pushed at every angle. Caffeine to many is a necessity to wake up in the morning and for others to stay up all night. This is dangerous because people are not only becoming more and more dependent on coffee drinks and energy drinks but they are beginning to ingest more of it each day and are now mixing it with other drugs that can be life threatening. Proper knowledge is important when taking any drug including one that the FDA considers to be a safe multi-purpose food substance and education is the key.
As side from that, excess caffeine can also overstimulate the central nervous system, disrupting sleeping patterns. High amounts of caffeine produce negative effect on sleep onset and quality. However, there are large individual differences in the effects of caffeine on sleep. Many people consume coffee during the evening and have no problems falling asleep, while others find that the mild stimulation of caffeine consumed shortly before a bed time delays the time to fall asleep.
Energy drinks are most famous because of its dangers and health risks. However like most substances it can be risky in the event that it’s not expended with some restraint such as coffee. Even though the arguments against energy drinks are persuasive they don’t have enough legitimate negative effects to be considered harmful, therefore if consumed carefully it can be helpful to its users, despite the health risks. Most people are worried about energy drinks because of its supposed deadly ingredients and they’re effects once it’s consumed in the human body. If researched the ingredients in energy drinks chemicals such as inositol, guarana (plant), taurine, vitamins, niacin and more substances come up.