Caffeine and the College Student
Rachel Thomason | Executive
Director
An estimated four out of five college students consume caffeine on a daily basis according to the Loyloa University of New Orleans. Whether it's the daily dash to Freshens Café in Dalton Hall for the new Starbucks coffee lineup, or a swipe of your RU Express at any Pepsi machine, students are lining up for this addictive substance. That morning cup, drink with dessert, or late night study aid can be doing more harm to your health than you may know.
So what exactly is caffeine and what does it do? Caffeine is the world's most popular stimulant, used more than tobacco, marijuana, and even alcohol. It is extracted from coffee beans, tea leaves, and kola nuts and has a slightly bitter taste. When consumed, this extract causes brain vessels to constrict, muscles to stiffen and cell activity to speed up. Caffeine use is also known to cause insomnia, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating.
| Product |
Caffeine/Serving |
| NoDoz |
200mg
|
| Excedrin |
130mg
|
| Coffee |
135mg
|
| Coffee (Decaf) |
5mg
|
| Tea |
50mg
|
| Snapple Tea |
48mg
|
| Mountain Dew |
55mg
|
| Dr. Pepper |
31mg
|
| Dannon Coffee Yogurt |
45mg
|
| Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream |
60mg
|
For the 90% of Americans that consume caffeine, it is mildly addictive, meaning there is a chance of withdrawal. Users can experience symptoms ranging from headaches, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and depression. In large doses, caffeine can cause miscarriages, and can be fatal.
So why do people still consume enough caffeine to kill a small animal? Some say it is because caffeine levels are not required to appear on the nutritional labels that we see on foods and drugs. Although the Food and Drug Administration warns pregnant women to "limit or avoid caffeine," Patricia Lieberman of the Center for Science in the Public Interest says, "unfortunately food labels do not provide women with the information they need to put the FDA’s advice into practice. It's usually impossible for consumers to estimate caffeine content based on a products name or other label information." In addition, many of the preliminary studies on the effects of caffeine were sponsored by caffeinated drink companies, presenting a spin on caffeine use.
(www.howstuffworks.com/caffeine3.htm)
Many other foods college students regularly consume also contain caffeine. Foods including chocolate, soft drinks, caffeinated waters, yogurt, frozen deserts (i.e.: Ben & Jerry's No Fat Coffee Fudge Frozen yogurt), and many non-prescription drugs can have the same effect as coffee or tea.
Caffeine can be helpful however if used moderately. It can be a great headache reliever because it closes down the swollen blood vessels in your brain. If you ever had a migraine, the caffeine in Excedrin Migraine probably got you back on your feet sooner than bed rest.
While caffeine does have some positive affects, you may want to think twice about grabbing that second cup of coffee.
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