When you think of college, what are the first few things that come to mind? Parties? Endless nights in the library? Tough courses? A tremendous amount of caffeine? If your first thought was the latter, you’ve gotten a pretty good idea about college. About 92% of college students consume caffeine on college campuses (Mahoney et al.) whether in coffee, energy drinks, sodas, pre-workouts, tea, etc. The reasons for the mass consumption of caffeine are different: to stay awake during studying, to have more energy when working out at the gym, to decrease stress around exams, and/or just to enjoy the lovely taste of fresh coffee in the morning before 8 a.m. classes.
Caffeine
acts as a stimulant and stimulates the central nervous system. Caffeine is
primarily used to increase alertness, alleviate pain, and treat respiratory
conditions in premature babies (who knew?). It is water soluble, metabolized
through the liver, and then excreted through urine. Caffeine improves athletic
performance by relaxing the smooth muscle and contracting the cardiac muscle.
Caffeine acts as an antagonist of adenosine receptors in the central nervous
system. “Adenosine is a neuromodulator…when it binds to its receptors,
neural activity slows down, and you feel sleepy” (How Drugs Affect
Neurotransmitters). When
we consume caffeine, it binds to adenosine receptors, blocking its effects, and
increases dopamine flow, resulting in an improved mood and energy. However, it
can also have adverse effects on the body. Caffeine can cause physical and
psychiatric issues, like restlessness and agitation, and can increase or worsen
symptoms like anxiety, excitement, and insomnia (yikes). Caffeine contributes
to our ability to stay awake longer by delaying the release of melatonin in our
system, which pushes our natural body’s alarm clock (circadian rhythm) back.
For people who may be sensitive to caffeine, it can induce side effects like a
rapid heartbeat. I see why our parents said we couldn’t have soda before bed
when we were younger. The recommended amount of caffeine consumption is 400mg
or less; it is the safe and suggested daily dose. So, it’s the best idea to
drink less than 400mg…the very best.
Caffeine is considered an addictive drug among those who
habitually take any form of caffeine. (Hence the never-ending orders of ‘venti
caramel mocha, extra caramel’ at 10 in the morning or the
guy riding a scooter at the break of dawn with a Monster in hand. I doubt he
even ate a banana). It can be challenging to give up caffeine, and those who
try to switch up their habits can experience severe withdrawals, such as
fatigue, depression, and difficulty concentrating. It’s crazy to think that a
stimulant meant to help us can also harm us. Overusing caffeine can eventually
block your adenosine receptors for so long that you can become dependent on
caffeine. Caffeine has a half-life of about 5 hours, but it can vary depending
on sensitivity or possible underlying conditions. Once you’ve become dependent
on a substance, your tolerance increases, which may be dangerous since you take
more than your body can safely handle. Caffeine can cause inotropic effects,
which is why our hearts beat faster when we consume caffeine. There is a risk
of a caffeine overdose. An overdose is more likely to occur in people who drink
energy drinks rather than coffee or any other intake form. Signs of an overdose
can include nausea, vomiting, and tachycardia; in some cases, death can happen
if too much caffeine is consumed. In a severe overdose, drugs such as
benzodiazepine can be used and administered to prevent seizures. In addition,
using beta-blocking drugs or activated charcoal can be helpful in the event of
arrhythmias during an overdose.
As a college student, or just a human being
in this world, school is hard, life is tiring, and when you need a pick-me-up,
coffee will always be there. I mean, it’s a better choice than drugs. However, if
you, or someone you know, are habitual caffeine drinkers, a good suggestion
would be to try and find ways to ensure your safely consuming caffeine: be
mindful about how much you are putting in your body, always be sure to never
exceed the safe amount of caffeine intake, and give your body a rest in between
consumption, to ensure that your body does not become dependent on
caffeine.
By Nyla M. Swain, A Post-Baccalaureate Student at the University of Kentucky
Resources
“How
Drugs Affect Neurotransmitters.” The
Brain from Top to Bottom,
thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_03/i_03_m/i_03_m_par/i_03_m_par_cafeine.html.
Lu,
Stacy. “Too Much Coffee?” American
Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 2015,
www.apa.org/gradpsych/2015/11/coffee.
Mahoney,
Caroline R, et al. “Intake of Caffeine from All Sources and Reasons for Use by
College Students.” Clinical
Nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), U.S. National Library of Medicine, 10 Apr.
2018, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29680166/.
“Yes
Coffee.” Coffee Memes,
2020, www.universitystudent.org/memes/coffee.
Zunick,
Monica. “Trial and Error.” 5
Stages of Withdrawal Every Coffee Addict Can Expect When Quitting Caffeine,
2015,
spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/5-stages-of-withdrawal-every-coffee-addict-can-expect-when-quitting-caffeine.
Nyla, this was such a fun read! I love your commentary spliced throughout this post. :)
ReplyDeleteI’m not a big caffeine person, in high school I told people I would start in college…in college, I tell people I’ll start in pharmacy school. But the truth is, I’ve seen people around me go through severe withdrawals from caffeine and…the dependence is scary.
I had coffee for the first time early last year and I noticed that it made me really sleepy. My dad is the same way. When I went online to look for a potential answer (inspired by your post) it appears like the blockage of adenosine receptors, while it may make you more awake for a bit, could cause a crash since adenosine builds up around the receptors — apparently, you don’t just stop producing them when caffeine is binding.
I’ve also just been notoriously good at going to sleep my whole life (I’ve fallen asleep in an elevator) so maybe I just have extra determined adenosine or something.
Nyla, I feel like this topic is perfect for those of us who consume coffee daily to view how it can effect us not only daily but also going through life. It has also been very interesting to me that the daily consumption should be 400mg when that can even have an effect on our body, rather than 0 mg. I actually have a family member that overdosed on caffeine and had to be administered a beta-blocker to help get the heart back in a normal rhythm. When thinking about caffeine as a drug I have also assumed it would be an agonist where it binds an activates a site, and with it being an antagonist and blocking something our body naturally produces really encourages me to not drink as much coffee and let me body work on its natural circadian rhythm. Thank you for posting this information and including some commentary, which made it a great read!
ReplyDeleteDiscussions of caffeine in this context are rarely had but are incredibly important. Caffeine is the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world and is used by approximately 80% of Americans every day. Yet despite its neurotropic and physiological effects, its addictiveness, and its potential for withdrawal, it is not viewed as a "drug" by the dramatic majority of its users. This leads to people becoming unhealthily dependent on caffeine or engaging in risky consumption behavior without understanding the risks, or often without realizing it's even happening. Thus, spreading awareness of the potential ills and encouraging responsible consumption is arguably more important for drugs like caffeine than other, more commonly discussed drugs.
ReplyDeleteAnother element of caffeine consumption commonly discussed outside of the context of caffeine as a drug that I would propose should be included in this context as well as the price of caffeinated beverages and the lengths to which people will go to obtain them. Two hallmarks of substance addiction commonly discussed regarding substances like alcohol and marijuana are the amount of money users and addicts will spend every week on obtaining their "fix," and the amount of time they spend away from their employment or social responsibilities acquiring it. Both of these are absolutely elements of caffeine addiction: a cup of coffee can easily cost $3-$7, and with many people consuming multiple cups per day, every day, costs can rapidly balloon out of control. Most people simply do not know how much they spend on coffee per week, or per month, and when asked, most users dramatically underestimate this expense. Further, many people will compromise punctuality to essential tasks in order to obtain coffee, showing up late for work or class with Starbucks or Dunkin' in hand. While this is not necessarily proof of deleterious addictive behavior, it shares similar symptomatology, warranting its discussion.
Amount of coffee consumed: https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/caffeine#:~:text=Caffeine%20is%20the%20most%20widely,of%20adults%20regularly%20consume%20caffeine.
Costs of coffee: https://news.usc.edu/198836/wake-up-and-smell-the-habit-study-finds-we-overlook-the-influence-of-habits-like-drinking-coffee/
First, I want to say that this was really good, interesting, and very prevalent to all of us, considering most (if not) all of us have drank coffee at least once.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that really stuck with me was when you mentioned overdose. That is a threat because caffeine is a drug, and it can be addictive. However, a deadly dose of caffeine is rare, but does happen it is also very hard to achieve this level of caffeine level. One article states that a deadly level is 180 mg/L, and for every 100 mg one consumes it raises levels by 5 mg/L, meaning that one would need around 40 potent cups of coffee (Wang, 2022). That is some series coffee consumption.
I believe not only is caffeine addictive, but I also think that the "idea" of caffeine is also addictive. I think a lot of people fall into the placebo effect, that just because they are having caffeine then they will start to wake up and be productive. It would also be interesting to see how many people in the working world drink coffee and correlate that to their production, and then look at non-caffeine drinkers and correlate THAT will their work productions. It would be caffeine drinkers versus non-caffeine and their production at work.
Finally, I've had times in my life that when I don't have coffee, I start to develop a headache and get grumpy, and then once I had my coffee... I am suddenly fine. It is interesting to see that caffeine is so embedded into the culture, and not fully understood. Thank you for a great and interesting article topic.
Wang, C. (2022, August 26). How many yerbas does it take to overdose on caffeine? Office for Science and Society. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-and-nutrition-you-asked/how-many-yerbas-does-it-take-overdose-caffeine#:~:text=A%20lethal%20amount%20of%20caffeine,of%20coffee%20to%20be%20lethal.
Hey Nyla I thought this was a very interesting and relevant topic. I personally like drinking Reign's, which contain 300 mg of caffeine, on day's that I have a lot of work to get done or a lot of actions to accomplish. Whenever I drink a Reign during the middle of the day, I feel a giant boost of energy that helps me have a quality and focused second half of my day to allow me to maximize the day. It is known that caffeine can increase the heart rate and I was wondering if even though an individual may consume below the recommended amount of 400 mg per day, would they still be at a higher risk of hypertension or cardiovascular related diseases assuming they are being compared with someone who does not consume caffeine and lives a similar lifestyle? I was unable to find studies about frequency of caffeine consumption but would be very interested in knowing if drinking less than 400 mg of caffeine seven days a week would still be considered detrimental to one's health. Over the summer a friend of mine would drink 300 mg of caffeine per day knowing that 400 mg was the daily limit and ended up facing a minor heart related condition that the physician determined could have been potentially due to the chronic consumption of caffeine that chronically raised heart rate levels. I really think even though a safe amount of caffeine consumption is 400 mg per day, it is important for people to monitor their frequency of consumption as well in order to not create any chronic dependence or increase heart rate chronically. I also thought it was very informative that caffeine is used to treat respiratory conditions in premature babies. I wonder if caffeine is used to treat individuals that are hypotensive or when dealing with any diseases that have an overactive parasympathetic system or lack a working sympathetic system. Overall caffeine is used abundantly now and studies should continue to observe how it impacts individuals long-term in various methods.
ReplyDeleteHi Nyla,
ReplyDeleteAs an individual who consumes far too much caffeine each day, I find your post extremely interesting and extremely relatable to me and a lot of other college students. Coffee is such a common item and a prevalent item that I find it crazy that you can overdose on it but it does make sense. I also find it very interesting that it is more likely to overdose on energy drinks. Personally, I have drank energy drinks like Red Bull or Celsius to give me an extra boost when I need it on busy days but I wouldn't say that I drink them in excess enough or frequently enough to overdose.
However, I know a lot of people who drink 4-5 coffees a day and numerous energy drinks in addition and I sometimes wonder how they don't make themselves sick and but they have such a dependency to coffee/caffeine that controls them and their emotions because without caffeine, they are honestly very hard to be around so I wonder what the role of tolerance of caffeine possibly has on the effects on an individual.
I also think that it would be very interesting to do research based on the effects (both long-term and short-term) of caffeine usage based off the daily consumption of an individual because I wonder if there is a vast difference between those who have low amounts of caffeine versus those who consume high amounts of caffeine.
I thoroughly enjoyed this article because of its relevance and fun imagery. As college students, many of us buy coffee on a daily basis and don't even think twice about what we are consuming. Good description of the mechanism of action for caffeine and how it can easily become an addictive drug. I especially liked in the end how you offered a suggestion to find better ways to retain energy and keep yourself going without developing a caffeine addiction. It was nice to mention that although caffeine withdrawal may not be as serious as a narcotic withdrawal, there are still symptoms that will overall make you feel less able to get through your day. I wonder what are some alternatives to caffeine that may be healthier or better for overall function? It's also interesting to think about how much money we as college students spend on coffee a semester, it may put into perspective just how much caffeine is consumed on a normal basis within the college community. For further research, I think diving deeper into the safety of energy drinks would be a great contribution to this topic. We have talked in class about the dangers of energy drinks like "Red Bull" and how high doses of caffeine and sugar may be toxic to the body.
ReplyDeleteThis article I thought was very relevant to almost everyone's life. I think as college students we do not see coffee as an issue we consider it a necessity to keep on studying or to be alert for class. With all the other things surrounding college life the least talked about addiction seems to be caffeine. The statistic of how many college kids use caffeine is really thought provoking. If this many people use caffeine fairly often in college then who is to say that habits like this won't follow students into their professional life. I personally do not drink coffee but I do drink energy drinks if I am studying for a long time, and I feel like I will fall asleep if I do not have one. My roommates all drink coffee every morning and they never skip out of it and if they miss it in the morning then they make some or get it after class.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that caffeine is addictive and excessive usage can be harmful, but I don't think there is a fight against caffeine addiction or at least I have not heard of one. This leaves me questioning, what is an alternative or a natural way without caffeine to help stimulate humans to wake up or help with grogginess.
Hey Nyla!
ReplyDeleteThis was an amazing blog post! Especially since it is currently 11:14 pm and I am drinking a diet coke to try to stay away so I can get school work done. It would probably be easier for me to count the number of people I don't know are addicted to caffeine than to name the people I know are addicted. Its a necessity! I couldn't go a week let alone a day without it. A funny coincidence, my mom and I were recently discussing our caffeine intake and love of diet coke when she told me that she gave up caffeine while pregnant with me. I thought what you're crazy I could never do that! But she told me that you're not supposed to have caffeine while pregnant because the baby could be become addicted like we are and go through withdraws after its born. I was shocked! Of course I've heard about babies withdrawing from meth and heroin after birth, but caffeine. Sure enough this one article even mentions sudden death in babies from caffeine withdraws. I don't know how I am ever going to give caffeine up if I ever become pregnant. I guess I better start trying now because it will take me YEARS before I can see myself going a day without thinking about diet coke. (Diet Coke please sponsor me).
Ford RPK, Schluter PJ, Mitchell EA, et alHeavy caffeine intake in pregnancy and sudden infant death syndromeArchives of Disease in Childhood 1998;78:9-13.
Hey, Nyla!
ReplyDeleteThis blog post was so fun to read. It's also a good topic to write about, considering just about everyone in college consumes caffeine to keep up with everyday life. I personally am not an avid coffee drinker during school, but I was this past summer during my 9-5! I've also tried pre-workout before lifts, but caffeine just makes me so sick (LOL). I have plenty of friends that drink it on a daily basis, some of whom drink 3+ Monsters a day.
I liked that you included some scientific aspects in this post because it helps those of us who aren't science-minded to understand caffeine's mechanism of action in the brain.
I was so surprised to learn that caffeine is used for the treatment of respiratory problems in premature babies. Thank you for teaching me something new today!
😂
DeleteHi Nyla!
ReplyDeleteThank you for constructing such an interactive read. I really appreciated the memes that you provided throughout :)
However, caffeine consumption especially within the college atmosphere is at an all-time high. I am confident in saying that the majority of people who utilize this depressant do not realize how dependent they have become upon it. Like you said, after long term use adenosine receptors become suppressed. That's causing the withdrawal symptoms to occur heavily upon stopping the addictive stimulant. I did not necessarily consider the half life caffeine had in one system but to hear that it is five hours is interesting. This is concerning to hear knowing that many individuals drink coffee at many points throughout the day. With that being said tolerances are through the roof.
Nyla- This was such a fun read and a great topic!
ReplyDeleteOne of the most interesting things about caffeine to me is how many ways you can consume caffeine. I recently found chocolates that have a caffeine content equivalent to half a cup of coffee. You do not have to like coffee or energy drinks to get that energy boost.
Caffeine is also an active ingredient in the period symptom relief medicine, Midol. In this product it is used as a diuretic to help reduce bloating from water retention.
Caffeine is such a unique drug that can be incorporated into many different products. Although it has addictive properties, I think when used appropriately and in moderation, it can be very beneficial.