Caffeine Abuse among Students - Essay Example

In the words of Dick Gregory, a US comedian, "If they took all the drugs, nicotine, alcohol and caffeine off the market for six days, they'd have to bring out the tanks to control you". That's a perfect way to explain the dependency of caffeine for modern day pals. Interestingly, over 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed during a year, making it the most popular beverage all around the world. Due to its popularity, it has become one of the important export products for over 45 countries. But, as it contains a large amount of caffeine, it is contributing towards the increase of caffeine abuse, Caffeine abuse is becoming increasingly common among college students and could have damaging impacts on their health. For many of us it is hard to function without caffeine. Whether it be writing your research paper late last night or waking up early this morning in order to make it to class on time, caffeine can often be a college student's best friend. Actually, caffeine is a stimulant found in seeds, fruits and leaves of more than sixty plants. It is found in most parts of the world. Go in Arabia and you will find caffeine in the coffee bean. Visit China and caffeine will be there in tea leaf. In West Africa and Mexico, caffeine exists in the kola nut and the cocoa bean, respectively. Following will give you a clear idea about the presence of caffeine in different foods and beverages. Food/Beverage Caffeine (milligrams) Coffee Espresso coffee, brewed, 8 fluid ounces 502 Coffee, brewed, 8 fluid ounces 85 Coffee, instant, 8 fluid ounces 62 Coffee, brewed, decaffeinated, 8 fluid ounces 3 Coffee, instant, decaffeinated, 8 fluid ounces 2 Tea Tea, brewed, 8 fluid ounces 47 Tea, herbal, brewed, 8 fluid ounces 0 Tea, instant, 8 fluid ounces 29 Tea, brewed, decaffeinated, 8 fluid ounces 3 Chocolate Beverages Hot chocolate, 8 fluid ounces 5 Chocolate milk, 8 fluid ounces 5 Soft Drinks Cola, 12 ounce can 37 Cola, with higher caffeine, 12 ounce can 100 Cola or pepper-type, diet, 12 ounce can 49 Cola or pepper-type, regular or diet, without caffeine, 12 ounce can 0 Lemon-lime soda, regular or diet, 12 ounce can 0 Lemon-lime soda, with caffeine, 12 ounce can 55 Ginger ale, regular or diet, 12 ounce can 0 Root beer, regular or diet, 12 ounce can 0 Chocolate Milk chocolate bar, 1.55 ounces 9 M & M milk chocolate candies, 1.69 ounces 5 Dark chocolate, semisweet, 1 ounce 20 source: U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 16 July 2003. Although the aforementioned figures are quite old but things today are not quite different. But, the point is that lots of foods and beverages are the source of caffeine and that's the reason why it is hard for people to stay away from using it. In fact, it is the easy availability of caffeine that most people never become able to quit using this substance. Here, it can easily be noticed that tea and coffee remain to be the premier source of caffeine, which are used all over the world because of the "wake-up" effect. Since the available caffeine gets absorbed by your body without much ado and creates a direct impact on cardiovascular and nervous systems, the usual result is increased attentiveness and decreased fatigue. This is the foremost reason why college students don't become able to stay away from developing a bad habit of drinking tea or coffee. But, the range of symptoms caffeine intoxication or caffeine abuse can show up with an ingestion of 100mg of caffeine but 250mg or higher Over the course of my college career I myself have become quite dependent on caffeine in order to keep up with the high demands of school, work and a social life. Like many of you I have become so accustomed to caffeine that I often disregard its potential for abuse. According to the US News & World Report, caffeine is the world's most popular habit forming drug and its abuse among young people is a growing concern for many doctors. "In the past three years alone, the number of 18 to 24 year olds who drink coffee daily had doubled from 16% to 31% (US News & World Report, p. 62). It is also quite crucial to mention that most people take coffee and tea to be the only source of getting caffeine but there are others who don't shy away from using different ways. In fact, 250 such cases were found in the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) in New Orleans where young people looked for medical attention after ingesting caffeine substance. Actually, one of the major reasons behind the extensive use of caffeine is the unawareness about the presence of this substance in specific supplements. "The caffeine content of energy drinks varies over a 10-fold range, with some containing the equivalent of 14 cans of Coca-Cola, yet the caffeine amounts are often unlabeled and few include warnings about the potential health risks of caffeine intoxication," says Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., one of the authors of the article that appears in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence this month (12 Oct, 2008). What it means is that people start using caffeinated supplements without even knowing about their dependence and most of them don't become able to call it quits even when they realize about the presence of this substance. Basically, what many of us do not realize is that consuming large amounts of caffeine may actually have the adverse affect on mood and fatigue leading to devastating health risks. The research I will be providing will show the negative effects and dangers of caffeinated beverages on the body both physically and emotionally, ways to lessen the dependency on caffeine, and the benefits that you can receive from cutting back. I will prove that caffeine is habit forming, widely available and can quickly escalate to abuse. But, before I do so, let me take the liberty to shed some light on the history of caffeine as it is quite important to get a complete picture of this notorious substance. Speaking of history of caffeine, it is quite fascinating to know that the use of this substance dates back to Stone Age. Well, that's what most anthropologists think about the use of this substance but there is a legend in China that power of caffeine was first discovered by Emperor Shennong during the 3,000 B.C.E. However, it hit the world for the very first time in 9th century when it was extracted from coffee. The origin of coffee was the Ethiopia where few wanderers found their animals to have more energy after eating fruits from certain trees. But it was just a matter of time when coffee became available in Arabia and all over the east. Because of this very feature of providing more energy people started to use it in religious ceremonies especially for the reason that it helped them to stay up the whole night for the purpose of worship (well, that's exactly the feature behind the reason of why students in universities and colleges are bound to rely on caffeine to burn the midnight oil). After this initial use of caffeine, it was now Europe's turn to get up close and personal with caffeine. In 17th century coffee came to Europe and was given the name of Arabian Wine. This introduction of coffee was enough to show Europeans how amazing caffeine can be. Initially though the caffeine was used only in coffee but in 1819 chemists isolated pure caffeine and that's was the beginning of caffeinated products. But, it was only until 1911 when it was proposed by the U.S government that caffeine is not good for health and that was the time when cola got scrutinized for the presence of caffeine. This brief information about the history of caffeine shows that though it took some time to identify the implications of taking caffeine but things did create a big splash. Well, that's exactly what you need to keep in mind about the history of caffeine and now let's resume with some of the facts and figures depicting that caffeine is habit forming and usually gives rise to several other complications. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases, caffeine intoxication is a clinical syndrome characterized by nervousness, restlessness, anxiety, gastrointestinal upset, insomnia, tremors, psychomotor agitation, fast heartbeats, or palpitation and last but not the least, death. All these problems crop up with the consistent use of caffeine. Here, the real bad thing is that over time your body begins to develop a tolerance to caffeine. As a result, you must consume larger amounts of caffeine in order to compensate. "Avoid too much coffee- it makes you more, not less dehydrated, it counteracts the beneficial effects of drinking water and it makes you dependent on caffeine, which while temporarily boosting your concentration, can in the long run create a caffeine dependency that can generally make it harder for you to function" (How to Be a Student, p. 38). I think that it is important to do this research because public demand for caffeine is booming and many people are becoming addicted without even realizing that it is happening. In recent years caffeine has been added to a plethora of consumer products, at increasingly higher amounts. With no government regulation and inadequate information provided by advertisers, many of new energy drinks and specialty coffee may contain unhealthy amounts of caffeine unbeknownst to us. The internet advertising for SoBe's Adrenaline Rush, for example, boasts that the drink is "pure, concentrated energy in an 8.3 fluid ounce can" and it lists the supplements D-Ribose, L-Carnitine, and Taurine as the "natural energizing elements" that help it work. This particular drink also contains about 80 milligrams of caffeine, two times that of regular colas. This deciphering information is not promoted on the advertisement but can be found on the products website (www.WebMd.com). Likewise, there are several other energy drinks which are supposed to work wonders for your health but they come with caffeine. For instance, few of the most popular energy drinks in Sweden and many other parts of the world are Red Bull, Red Kick, Erektus, HYPE, Flying Horse, Nice Energy Drink, Magic Energy Kick, Black Booster, Dynamite and Blue Jeans but all of these drinks contain a specific amount of caffeine. The distressing thing here is that most people don't even realize that they are becoming addicted to caffeine just by incorporating one of these energy drinks and that's because of inappropriate labeling. It is clear that the addictive nature of caffeine and its proliferation into the consumer market often can cause one to underestimate and misinterpret caffeine abuse. We need to be aware of short term and more importantly long term effects that unwarranted caffeine consumption can cause. Despite the fact that numerous reports have shown that caffeine can be beneficial to both concentration and mood, more and more new studies are beginning to point out health risks that are associated with prolonged and excessive caffeine use. These side effects and diseases need to be taken into consideration and are most often characterized as symptoms of abuse and often arise out of caffeine dependency. Despite all the debates about caffeine being an addictive substance, there are evidences where people have actually become able to reduce the intake of caffeine to a considerable amount. Considering those particular cases, I would now like to turn to proactive solutions to mitigate caffeine addiction and abuse. One thing that is quite baffling for many is the contradictory opinions of experts. Actually, there are some experts who believe that quitting caffeine all at once is the right way of addiction recovery, whereas, others believe that reduction in amount of caffeine intake is the right way to go. But, if you want to go with the majority, you better quit caffeine over a specific period of time as this would help you to deal with withdrawal symptoms in a more effective way. It is crucial to mention that if you want to go for real treatment, you will find few of the very effective way of dealing with your addiction. Hypnosis is arguably one of the very best treatments for caffeine addiction but therapies and participation in support groups can also help a lot. On individual basis, students must monitor caffeine intake and adopt healthy alternatives to satisfy energy needs. Also, it should always be kept in mind that ingesting caffeine and eating large amount of sugar is not the right way of dealing with stress. In fact, studies have shown that it is better to opt for foods with higher fibers and carbs to get energy and to reduce stress. Moreover, you can use the option of exercising for some period of time as it can create some positive impact on your mood. It helps in relaxing your bulging nerves because of the secretion of serotonin. So, running or spending some time in doing yoga can lend a helping hand in coping with your caffeine addiction. In simple words, you must always try to trim down the intake of caffeine slowly but surely. The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., defines "moderate" caffeine consumption for adults as 200 to 300 mg a day- the equivalent of 3 small cups of coffee (according to The Columbus Dispatch, 1-20-07). When following these guidelines we need to remember that caffeine is everywhere. You should be sure to read food, beverage and medication labels to ensure that you do not exceed the recommended dosage of caffeine. Research points out the importance of adopting healthy energy alternatives and nutritional support when seeking to reduce dependence on caffeine and to alleviate symptoms of withdrawal. Dr. Stephen Cherniske, author of Caffeine Blues, writes "any program for quitting caffeine must provide a variety of successful methods to defeat fatigue so you do not go running back to caffeine" (Caffeine Blues, p.336). Dehydration can be a common side effect and often increases fatigue; it is a good idea to "alternate caffeine with equal amounts of water", according to Kent state researchers (Daily Kent Stater, 4-10-07). When cutting back on caffeine, try to avoid sugar. Research indicates sugar, like caffeine, can increase fatigue and irritability (Prescription for Nutritional Healing, p.377). In addition, research shows incorporating grater amounts of protein and complex carbohydrates into your diet can be useful to fight fatigue resulting from caffeine withdrawal (Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing, p.106). If you are unable or unwilling to change your diet or if after altering your diet, your energy level is not quite up to par, taking multivitamins may be a good solution. According to David Norrie of the St. Petersburg Times, taking multivitamins is one of the best things you can do for your body and health. "Think of them," he says, "as insurance policy"; their job is to help break down and transport nutrients where they need to go. (St. Petersburg Times: Beach Ed., 5-2-07). Last but not least, one of the best ways to fought off fatigue and cut back on caffeine is to get a good night sleep. Caffeine often results in insomnia, which is a major contributor to fatigue. Adequate rest is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. According to the March 2006 Critical Reviews in Food and Science, researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University concluded, "Moderate caffeine consumption-defined as 3 to 4 cups a day, or 300 to 400 mg of caffeine-carries little evidence of health risk and some evidence of health benefits" (www.WebMD.com). Studies suggest caffeine (if used appropriately) can "improve memory, decrease fatigue, and improve mental functioning" (www.WebMD.com). Additionally, Kent State researchers have found small doses of caffeine are proven to increase concentration and endurance (Daily Kent Stater, 4-10-07). What it suggests is that gradual decrease in the caffeine intake will help you to determine a point where caffeine will actually become beneficial for your health. While studies have indicated too much caffeine can be damaging to your health, if you reduce your consumption to an appropriate level you can receive many of the benefits caffeine has to offer. By cutting back on caffeine you can also attain various long-term benefits associated with a healthy lifestyle. Supporting a healthy lifestyle can result in increased energy and evaluations in mood. When people begin to focus on long-term solutions the body begins to run its own, rather than the quick fix of caffeine (St. Petersburg Times: Beach ed.). I have made you aware of the risks involved with the over consumption of caffeine, what you can do to cut back, and the benefits you will receive by doing so. It is important to remember however, that there are many risks and symptoms associated with caffeine abuse, I have pointed out a few of the risks and symptoms. These symptoms can easily convert your life into a living hell. Here, it is worth mentioning that the affect of caffeine abuse can be different for different people depending on gender, weight, height and age. Implications in pregnancy and smoking will also be different. But, the fact remains that caffeine is not bad in all situations, especially when used in a right way. Several benefits can come your way if you use it responsibly. If used in the right amount, it can increase the excretion of calcium, which can be extremely beneficial for bones. So, it is helpful in some ways but unfortunately misinformation has created a great hype about caffeine use. For instance, some people believe that caffeine can cause intestinal or breast cancer which is not approved by any research. However, that's only for the moderate consumption of caffeine, which is quite difficult to maintain. But, if caffeine addiction is a pressing issue for you, gradual decrease in the intake will always help you in resolving this issue. Cutting back on caffeine can deliver healthy results and surprisingly has been proven to increase energy. On the closing note, always keep yourself informed about the specific energy drinks and their content. Also, be cautious at the time of buying a new drink as caffeine abuse often occurs with out even realizing it. If you are not sure that one specific beverage or supplement contains caffeine, try going without it for one week. If you begin to experience symptoms of withdrawal, you are most likely over the limit. And, the only one who can help in this situation is none other than "you". Read More