Caffeine intake causes health problems
Luis Montes
Issue date: 2/15/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
These days, Americans need a little more than just energy. They need something that will keep them going for long periods of time.
Some people work at night, so they decide to drink Red Bull or a Coca-Cola. But, why do these drinks make people more energetic?
The answer is caffeine. It's often used to stay awake longer. College students and drivers use it to stay awake late into the night. Many people feel as though they "cannot function" in the morning without a cup of coffee to provide caffeine and the boost it gives them.
There are several addicting factors for caffeine. It blocks chemical receptors so the drinker feels alert, it injects adrenaline into the system to give a boost and it manipulates dopamine (It is an important brain chemical involved in motor functions and general stimulation) production to give a good feeling.
The problem with caffeine is the long-term effects, which tend to spiral. For example, once the adrenaline wears off, you face fatigue and depression.
This makes a person "need" more caffeine to get their adrenaline going again. Having the body in a state of emergency all day long isn't very healthy, and it also makes a person jumpy and irritable.
The most important long-term problem is the effect that caffeine has on sleep. Adenosine reception is important to sleep, and especially to deep sleep.
The half-life of caffeine in a person's body is about six hours. So, if someone consumes a big cup of coffee with 200mg of caffeine in it at 3 p.m., then by 9 p.m. about 100 mg of that caffeine is still in their system.
They may be able to fall asleep, but their body probably will miss out on the benefits of deep sleep. That deficit adds up fast. They may feel worse the next day, promptly needing caffeine as soon as they get out of bed. The cycle continues day after day.
This is why 90 percent of Amer-icans consume caffeine every day. Once they get in a cycle, they have to keep taking the drug. Even worse, if they try to stop taking caffeine, they get very tired and depressed and develop a terrible, splitting headache as blood vessels in the brain dilate. These negative effects force them to run back to caffeine even if they want to stop.
It has been said that the reason why so many sodas and colas contain added caffeine is to get you hooked in the same way that addiction to nicotine makes cigarettes such as a great consumer product for the companies that produce them.
Some people work at night, so they decide to drink Red Bull or a Coca-Cola. But, why do these drinks make people more energetic?
The answer is caffeine. It's often used to stay awake longer. College students and drivers use it to stay awake late into the night. Many people feel as though they "cannot function" in the morning without a cup of coffee to provide caffeine and the boost it gives them.
There are several addicting factors for caffeine. It blocks chemical receptors so the drinker feels alert, it injects adrenaline into the system to give a boost and it manipulates dopamine (It is an important brain chemical involved in motor functions and general stimulation) production to give a good feeling.
The problem with caffeine is the long-term effects, which tend to spiral. For example, once the adrenaline wears off, you face fatigue and depression.
This makes a person "need" more caffeine to get their adrenaline going again. Having the body in a state of emergency all day long isn't very healthy, and it also makes a person jumpy and irritable.
The most important long-term problem is the effect that caffeine has on sleep. Adenosine reception is important to sleep, and especially to deep sleep.
The half-life of caffeine in a person's body is about six hours. So, if someone consumes a big cup of coffee with 200mg of caffeine in it at 3 p.m., then by 9 p.m. about 100 mg of that caffeine is still in their system.
They may be able to fall asleep, but their body probably will miss out on the benefits of deep sleep. That deficit adds up fast. They may feel worse the next day, promptly needing caffeine as soon as they get out of bed. The cycle continues day after day.
This is why 90 percent of Amer-icans consume caffeine every day. Once they get in a cycle, they have to keep taking the drug. Even worse, if they try to stop taking caffeine, they get very tired and depressed and develop a terrible, splitting headache as blood vessels in the brain dilate. These negative effects force them to run back to caffeine even if they want to stop.
It has been said that the reason why so many sodas and colas contain added caffeine is to get you hooked in the same way that addiction to nicotine makes cigarettes such as a great consumer product for the companies that produce them.