Caffeine is a popular topic of debate throughout the health field. Coffee is the adult population of America’s largest source of caffeine. The United States consumes more coffee than any other nation and is “second only to water as the most widely consumed beverage in the United States. The consumption of coffee in the United has been increasing for the past 2 decades, and today about two thirds of American adults drink coffee on a daily basis.” (O’Keefe et. al., 2013, p. 1) Previously, researchers posited that caffeine contributed to heart attacks, reducing bone density, and even causing dehydration. Research has since disproved this claim. In moderation, coffee can be neutral to beneficial to an individual’s health. High caffeine energy drinks
…show more content…
This blockage when caffeine is present “causes your central nervous system to run at a faster rate” (Griffin, 2008, p. 2). Caffeine also increases the release of dopamine, a chemical that is responsible for “alertness, problem solving, and pleasure” (Griffin, 2008, p. 2). Dopamine increases can also provide a mood boost. Along with being a complex compound, caffeine is also a psychoactive substance – a drug that crosses the blood-brain barrier to stimulate the central nervous system (Whiteman, 2015, p. 2). The main difference between this drug and others, is that caffeine is socially acceptable and is also the “most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world” (Whiteman, 2015, p. 2). As with every drug and chemical, there are some possible side effects from consumption and the specific side effects are dependent on the individual. “Caffeine metabolizes at different rates among individuals for various reasons” (Whiteman, 2015, p. 2). The article “Caffeine: How Does It Affect Our Health?” provides the example of smokers, smokers metabolize caffeine twice as fast as non-smokers and therefore experience its effects very differently (Whiteman, 2015, p. 2). On the other hand, “infants, pregnant women, and people with liver disease metabolize caffeine slower (Whiteman, 2015, p. …show more content…
The side effects range from ones similar to coffee: jitteriness, insomnia, benign heart palpitations, raised heart rate, and increased blood pressure to more severe ones such as gastrointestinal upset, sympathetic overdrive, hallucinations, seizures, tremors, dizziness, headache, and cardiac ischemia (Gunja, 2012, p. 2-3). During an overdose, symptoms mimic those of amphetamine poisoning (p. 3). Caffeine content in energy drinks ranges drastically, Red Bull can contain anywhere from 32 mg to 160 mg per container depending on the type purchased. A cup of black coffee’s caffeine content can range from 5 to 200 mg; an average brewed cup of coffee contains about 75 mg. One of the dangers of energy drinks is the inconsistency in the listing of caffeine. “Energy Drinks: Health Risks and Toxicity” (2012), claims that “consumers are likely to be unaware of the variation in chemical composition and caffeine dosage in energy drinks, and with little or no warnings on products, the potential for overdose and poisoning remains ever-present” (Gunja, 2012, p. 3). This article by Naren Gunja and Jared Brown (2012) provides an example of a typical energy drink that contains 300 mg of caffeine (p. 3). These beverages can also include natural ingredients such as guarana which is an extract from
This blockage when caffeine is present “causes your central nervous system to run at a faster rate” (Griffin, 2008, p. 2). Caffeine also increases the release of dopamine, a chemical that is responsible for “alertness, problem solving, and pleasure” (Griffin, 2008, p. 2). Dopamine increases can also provide a mood boost. Along with being a complex compound, caffeine is also a psychoactive substance – a drug that crosses the blood-brain barrier to stimulate the central nervous system (Whiteman, 2015, p. 2). The main difference between this drug and others, is that caffeine is socially acceptable and is also the “most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world” (Whiteman, 2015, p. 2). As with every drug and chemical, there are some possible side effects from consumption and the specific side effects are dependent on the individual. “Caffeine metabolizes at different rates among individuals for various reasons” (Whiteman, 2015, p. 2). The article “Caffeine: How Does It Affect Our Health?” provides the example of smokers, smokers metabolize caffeine twice as fast as non-smokers and therefore experience its effects very differently (Whiteman, 2015, p. 2). On the other hand, “infants, pregnant women, and people with liver disease metabolize caffeine slower (Whiteman, 2015, p. …show more content…
The side effects range from ones similar to coffee: jitteriness, insomnia, benign heart palpitations, raised heart rate, and increased blood pressure to more severe ones such as gastrointestinal upset, sympathetic overdrive, hallucinations, seizures, tremors, dizziness, headache, and cardiac ischemia (Gunja, 2012, p. 2-3). During an overdose, symptoms mimic those of amphetamine poisoning (p. 3). Caffeine content in energy drinks ranges drastically, Red Bull can contain anywhere from 32 mg to 160 mg per container depending on the type purchased. A cup of black coffee’s caffeine content can range from 5 to 200 mg; an average brewed cup of coffee contains about 75 mg. One of the dangers of energy drinks is the inconsistency in the listing of caffeine. “Energy Drinks: Health Risks and Toxicity” (2012), claims that “consumers are likely to be unaware of the variation in chemical composition and caffeine dosage in energy drinks, and with little or no warnings on products, the potential for overdose and poisoning remains ever-present” (Gunja, 2012, p. 3). This article by Naren Gunja and Jared Brown (2012) provides an example of a typical energy drink that contains 300 mg of caffeine (p. 3). These beverages can also include natural ingredients such as guarana which is an extract from