As some may struggle to stay awake during the day, many will reach out for some form of caffeine. Whether it be an energy drink or a cup of coffee, caffeine takes many different forms, with a variety of flavors appealing to different audiences. With all of these choices, caffeine is readily available for any student.
On paper, students seem to be the audience that would benefit from that extra boost caffeine achieves. From late-night study sessions to early morning classes, caffeine achieved through coffee or energy drinks offers a boost in energy. Junior Kanav Mehta provides insight into the why behind her energy drink habits.
“During AP week when I’m studying all night or like every other day, I do drink a lot of caffeine to stay awake,” Mehta said.
This is a true statement for many students. School affects sleep, and sleep affects school. As students struggle to stay awake, many rely on a source of energy that keeps them alert: caffeine.
“On nights that I stay up all night I will be drinking like 800 mg of caffeine,” Mehta said. “It makes me feel good.”
She spoke about how much caffeine she consumes on a daily basis.
“I feel like it is from a lot of Starbucks refreshers, like the pink drink which has caffeine,” Mehta said. “I think that’s like 120 grams, but I also occasionally drink energy drinks, which is like 420 milligrams. On an average day usually like 100 to 200 milligrams.”
Mehta also said how she enjoys the taste of the beverages she consumes, not just the need for caffeine.
“I love my Starbucks drinks,” Mehta said. “I just like drinking them. I drink them because I like the way they taste. I’m not really using it for caffeine.”
According to livescience.com, “Caffeine is absorbed into the blood and tissues within about 45 minutes of being consumed. But it takes much longer than that for the body to break it down and clear it from a person’s system.”
The article also stated how, “It can take up to 12 hours to clear caffeine from the body, the drug often wears off when a person is almost ready to go to bed.”
Senior Justice Thorton consumes caffeine to help him throughout his day-to-day routines.
“I use caffeine to stay up to do homework and so I don’t fall asleep in class,” Thorton said.
Thornton described how caffeine affects his body.
“Mentally it has impacted my health by making me less tired and physically as far as I know it hasn’t impacted me,” Thorton said. “Just a higher heart rate.”
While caffeine can make you feel more awake, increase in caffeine consumption can lead to various health issues. According to UC Davis Health, caffeine has multiple side effects, such as promoting the release of noradrenaline and norepinephrine, which are known to increase heart rate and blood pressure.
According to UC Davis Health, “For most people this is well tolerated, but for others it may lead to palpitations or extra beats from the heart.”
According to the Food and Drug Association (FDA), “A systematic review associated with caffeine intake by the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences confirmed the safety of the 400 milligrams a day level for most adults.”
Freshman Indi Meshberger shares her experience of these caffeinated side effects.
“The most common side effects for me are being kinda jittery throughout the day and losing my appetite,” Meshberger said.
However, caffeine consumption is not something just limited to teens. According to ncsolutions.com, 97 percent of adults in America have consumed caffeine in their lifetime. Whether it be from soda, coffee, or energy drinks, 3 in 4 Americans start their day with caffeine, and 1 in 4 believe they couldn’t go a day without it. Gen Z is also more likely to reach for the Red Bulls, Alani’s, and more, as 40 percent of Gen Z consume energy drinks compared to 13 percent of millennials, 7 percent of Gen X, and just 3 percent of Baby Boomers.
But what if you try to stop this caffeine consumption? It may not be that easy.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), while consumption is safe in moderation, some people can “become dependent on the drug and are unable to reduce consumption despite knowledge of recurrent health problems associated with continued use.”
The World Health Organization also defines caffeine dependency as a clinical disorder.
Sleep is important, and while most will reach for a caffeinated beverage to wake up and get that boost, it may do more harm than good. But the caffeine may just be what is creating this problem, as pediatric doctor Cheryl Harris believes.
“The main one is when people come in and they’re not sleeping well,” says Harris, “the first thing I ask is what they’re drinking.”
With different scientific research, dosomething.org has multiple statistics about the consumption of caffeine. The article stated how long caffeine lasts in the human body, “It takes about 30 to 60 minutes for caffeine to reach its peak level in the blood. The body typically eliminates half of the drug in 3 to 5 hours, and the remainder can linger for 8 to 14 hours.”
The website also states that caffeine is a substance that, like most substances, can be abused by saying, “It is important to remember caffeine is a drug, and with any drug, the withdrawals are hard.”
Dosomething.org shows numerous side effects to the consumption of caffeine, “expect an inability to concentrate, headaches, and even flu-like symptoms if you plan on giving it up.”
While these claims may make it seem as if caffeine is the worst thing a person could ever consume, it truly is all about moderation. But, some Americans may have a problem with knowing your body’s limit to inducing caffeine.
However, it’s not that simple to avoid. Whether you notice it or not, caffeine is everywhere. From your phone screen to the grocery store, caffeine finds its way into your day-to-day. Dr. Harris attributes part of this to “false marketing” as she puts it.
“Labeling and marketing, they fall for it,” says Harris, “falling for the marketing, but then you get addicted.”
Grocery stores have a wide array of options for energy drinks and coffee flavors. From the darkest of brews to the fruitiest of flavors, there is something for almost every consumer out there. But what about those who don’t consume these forms of caffeine? With advances in the food world, caffeine can be found in the most unexpected of places, making it even harder to escape from. Gum is a common caffeinated alternative, with flavors ranging from mint to cinnamon, offering to wake up those who chew it. There are also caffeinated jelly beans, which may be less common but are still a caffeinated choice. If you look around, the most random products that the average American uses can be induced with caffeine. It seems that if you can think of it, it’s probably been caffeinated, which could make one question just how much caffeine is present in our lives.
Caffeine is also not just in your cups or candy, it could also be in your beauty products. According to livescience.com, caffeine has made its way into bath soaps that claim to wake you up in the morning. A quick search online will yield several upon several results for caffeinated soaps and body washes.
James Lane, an emeritus professor of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine wrote in his article, “although caffeine can be absorbed through the skin, it’s doubtful this soap will improve alertness during the day.”
Along with body washes, you can even find shampoo that is caffeine-infused. These caffeinated self-care items claim to thicken and stop hair loss, although these claims may seem more fiction than fact. According to the NIH, it is a fact that caffeine can strengthen hair follicles, but it’s not proven that caffeine in soaps can prevent hair loss.
These caffeinated alternatives may just show how present caffeine is in our everyday lives. With these promises, one could find caffeine in the seemingly most random places.
It’s in human nature to wish to be alert, awake and energized and so naturally, society relies on caffeine consumption. Even though moderate caffeine consumption is mostly safe, with the presence of so many choices, it’s important to remember what options other than caffeine are available. A healthy life is all about balance, so indulge from time to time, but beware of the addictive allure of caffeine.
