The average American drinks about two small cups of coffee a day, according
to the office of Health Promotion.
Many students might use caffeine as an easy solution for late-night studying
or long days but don’t realize they could be addicted to the substance.
According to a caffeine study by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions that
reviewed more than 170 years of caffeine research, as little
as one cup of coffee a day can be addicting.
VCU health professionals agree.
“Caffeine is addictive … you can become dependent on
it,” said Katie Vatalaro Hill, assistant director of the Office
of Health Promotion.
Samuel Greer, a senior print journalism major, said he
doesn’t drink coffee but still uses caffeine as a booster.
“I drink caffeine every morning,” Greer said. “I’m really
in to sweet tea.”
Coffee and soft drinks are the most popular consumer
caffeine choices, but there is a rising market for energy
drinks. More than 100 new energy drinks, including Venom,
Sobe Adrenaline Rush, Monster, Vamp and others, hit the market in 2006,
according to Beverage Digest, a data and statistics company.
Many of these energy drinks contain double or triple the amount of caffeine in
a regular soda, according to “Spiked!”, a July 2007 Reader’s Digest article.
Jesse Kazee, a senior English major, said he uses energy drinks
to get him through the nights before he has long papers due.
“(I drink) Vault because it’s cheap,” Kazee said. “It doesn’t
taste that great, but it’s cheap.”
Scott King, co-owner of Common Groundz on Broad Street,
said his store sells about 200 cups of coffee a day, including
specialty coffee drinks, and it currently sells about 30 energy
drinks per day. King notices that students guzzle caffeine,
including energy drinks, no matter what time of day.
“They drink caffeine no matter if it is 7 in the morning or if
it is 1 a.m.,” King said. “I do tend to sell more energy drinks
at nighttime than I do in the day.”
King said this intense caffeine schedule might be because of
late-night studiers. Yet, studies prove large caffeine doses might
not help students’ academic performance.
The Johns Hopkins caffeine study stated although caffeine
is the most commonly used mood-altering drug in the world,
it can produce negative effects.
A caffeine study by Neuropsychobiology, an international
journal of experimental and clinical research, found that although
caffeine effects are mixed, caffeine consumption left studiers no
more alert than if they refrained. The study also found caffeine
was detrimental to studiers because it was undermining the
natural restorative effect of sleep.
Many students might be unaware of the detrimental aspects
of caffeine when they are pulling all-nighters, but some students
are aware of its negative health effects.
Hope Jordan, a communication arts major, said she’s struggled
with caffeine addiction since the beginning of college, and it’s
affected her health.
“About this time a year ago, I developed an ulcer,” Jordan
said. “I drank a pot of coffee a day. I didn’t drink enough water,
and the more coffee I drank, the more stressed I became. The
more stressed I was, the more I thought I needed coffee. (It
was a) vicious cycle.”
Hill said caffeine complications depend on how the person
tolerates different levels of caffeine. Yet, Hill said, large amounts of
caffeine can cause severe problems for any level of tolerance.
“People who use too much caffeine … can go into caffeine
toxicity,” Hill said. “People get upset stomachs, people can feel
very anxious, have heart palpitations (and) insomnia.”
Caffeine toxicity is a complication similar to alcohol intoxication
and is usually associated with an intake of 600 milligrams
of caffeine or more per day, equal to about six small cups of
coffee.
Hill encourages students to be cautious in their intake amount.
This is not just to avoid caffeine complications, but also because
addiction can cause weight-management problems.
In the Reader’s Digest article, “Spiked!”, Katharine Mieszkowski
stated, “Doctors are dismayed to see newfangled ways
… to drink empty calories. A single Java Chip Frappuccino
with whipped cream packs 510 calories and 59 grams of sugar
into 16 ounces.”
Hill recommended students make simple choices to keep a
healthier diet.
“A low-calorie alternative would be unsweet tea or tea and
coffee that you sweeten yourself,” Hill said.
Hill said that while coffee drinks might often contain large
fat content, energy drinks are usually filled with carbohydrates,
which can cause weight gain if overly consumed.
Students who find themselves addicted to caffeine should try
to break themselves slowly of the habit, she said. They should
also replenish their body with water and other fluids because
coffee and caffeine drinks have a dehydrating effect, she said.
“If you are going to use caffeine, use it in moderation,” Hill
said. “Two cups of coffee per day or two caffeinated sodas per
day. … Just wean yourself off of it gradually,” she said.
Jordan said she broke herself of her coffee addiction.
“I stopped drinking coffee for six months. Now, I drink
half a cup to one cup in the morning, just to wake up,” Jordan
said. “I focus on exercise (because it) helps me focus more
than caffeine. It’s a much healthier habit.”
—
Where are you getting your caffeine?
Item, Size, content
Regular Brewed Coffee 6 oz* 100 mg
Espresso 1 oz 40 mg
Decaf Coffee 6 oz 4 mg
Brewed Tea 6 oz 40 mg
Canned Tea 12 oz 20 mg
Coca-Cola Classic 12 oz 34 mg
Diet Coke 12 oz 45 mg
Pepsi-Cola 12 oz 37 mg
Mountain Dew, Diet 12 oz 55 mg
AMP Energy Drink 8.4 oz 75 mg
Full Throttle 16 oz 144 mg
Red Bull 8.5 oz 80 mg
SoBe Adrenaline Rush 8.3 oz 79 mg
SoBe No Fear 16 oz 158 mg
Coffee Ice Cream/Yogurt 8 oz 50 mg
Weight-loss Products 2-3 tablets 80-200 mg
Sports Nutrition 2 tablets 200 mg
*Equal to one small cup.
-taken from the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions study,
“Information about Caffeine Dependence”, and information from
American Beverage Association, 2005; The Coca-Cola Co., 2005;
SoBe Beverages, 2005; Red Bull, 2005.