Caffeine--A Closer Look at America's Favorite Drug

Why all of the confusing caffeine reports? It should either be healthy or not, but it seems no one is clear on that. One day it’s the unhealthiest substance to put in our bodies, and the next its nature’s perfect stimulant. Some health experts say it increases appetite, some say it suppresses it. Some say naturally occurring caffeine is okay, but added caffeine is not. Others say all caffeine is bad. In order to prevent myself from drowning in my health concern woes, I intend to get to the bottom of all this caffeine “hype,” and deliver the facts.

History and Uses of Caffeine

Let’s start by examining the origins of caffeine. The source usually helps to understand the problem. Caffeine is classified scientifically as a “psychoactive stimulant drug” which means it chemically changes perception, mood, consciousness, or behavior. In caffeine’s case specifically, it stimulates the central nervous system and metabolism. Translation—it makes you feel less fatigued and more alert.

Caffeine is not just found in coffee and teas. It is contained in a variety of plant life including cocoa beans, coffee beans, tea leaves, guarana plants, and the yerba mate (used to make tea). Many of these plants contain caffeine as a natural pesticide. (Caffeine can paralyze some plant eating insects.) Our ancestors, living in the time of the Stone Age, ate seeds, bark, and the leaves of certain plants because they noticed that they felt energized and less tired with an elevated mood.

The Positive Benefits of Caffeine and Caffeinated Beverages

Caffeine itself has the aforementioned positive effects of mood elevation and increased awareness. The beverages we mostly get it from, coffee and tea, have their own specific health benefits as well. According to the British Medical Journal, coffee is now known to prevent Parkinson’s and depression.

Green tea is revered by the Chinese as a “cure all” drink. It can prevent esophageal cancer and inhibit the growth of cancer cells. It can also lower cholesterol and improve the immune system. However, the chemical compound known as EGCG, epigalocatechin gallate, is only found in green tea due to the process in which it is prepared. Black teas do not have the same health benefits but are known to contain anti-oxidants to help your immune system.

If there are positive benefits to caffeine and the beverages containing them, why are they publicized in the way that they are? If we drink coffee every day, are we bound to drop over from a heart attack? The answer is moderation.

Have a cup of coffee with a little soymilk to get you started in the morning. Residential brewers are relatively inexpensive and great for making organic coffee at home.

The Negative Effects of Caffeine in Beverages

Have to have that cup of coffee or Coca Cola first thing in the morning? Get a headache in the afternoon when you haven’t had caffeine? You may be addicted.

Hi, my name is (enter your name here) and I’ve been addicted to caffeine for (enter number of years here.)

Even though most experts agree that caffeine dependency is different than illicit substance addiction, the effects of caffeine withdrawal can cause headaches, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, depressed mood, and difficulty concentrating. If you consume caffeine daily, and notice that you get headaches when you don’t have any, you may have a caffeine dependency. Moderate the amount of caffeine you intake, and try decaffeinated coffees and herbal teas as replacements.

Energy Drinks

According to a recent survey conducted by The New York Times one third of America’s youth drinks energy drinks on a daily basis. Young adults and teenagers between the ages of 12-24 account for 3 billion dollars annually of energy drink sales. Since energy drinks have been on the market for less than twenty years, many worry about the potential side effects not yet explored.

The dreaded “caffeine monster” became glued to the hands of a few tween pop celebrities a few years ago, and it seems to have become a fashion statement. Or maybe there are that many fifteen year olds who need energy supplements. Either way, energy drinks have been creeping their way into our culture since the first utterance of “Red Bull—it gives you wings.”

The problem with energy drinks is that the ingredients and their ensuing products are not yet researched fully. For example, Taurine, a main ingredient in all energy drinks is naturally found in bile in humans and animals, and in some seafood and meat. It’s added to contact lens solution. We usually take in 200 mg or less in our daily consumption, but energy drinks contain 1000 mg or more. So far, no adverse effects have been found in regards to a high Taurine intake, but the effects of Taurine combined with caffeine or other energy drink ingredients have yet to be researched. Taurine is supposed to increase energy, but no compounds responsible for this effect have been identified. If I asked you to take 5 times the normal amount of an organic acid found in bile and contact lens solution would you?

In addition to the ingredient uncertainty in energy drinks, they are known to cause heart arrhythmias, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, muscle trembling, panic attacks, and stomach pain. Mixing an energy drink with alcohol can also have complications because alcohol is a depressant, where as energy drink is a stimulant. This puts drinkers at a higher risk for alcohol poisoning, complete motor function loss, and dehydration.

As with past drugs on the market, energy drinks are being marketed as if there are no side effects. Companies behave as if research on the risks of these beverages has been conducted for a multitude of years, when no one has factual insight. Why are teens and adults being hospitalized for heart arrhythmia and stomach problems? Although many are calling for warning labels to be printed on all energy drinks, the FDA has approved them as having no immediate dangers to consumers.

What Can You Do?

What can you do if you are concerned about your caffeine intake? Use your brain. Don’t consume twice the lethal dose of caffeine by 10 AM. As with all things, use moderation, and remember caffeine is meant to make you “feel” like you have a higher energy level. It doesn’t mean you slept for eight hours. Dehydrating yourself with caffeine, and stressing yourself physically past your capacity puts a lot of strain on the heart. And if you don’t know you’re exhausted because you have too much of a “caffeine buzz”, you’ll risk more than you intend. Be smart and drink a glass of water every once in a while.