Regardless of morning routine, caffeine is usually at play. Approximately 97% of Americans drink caffeine daily. Whether it’s coffee, a scoop of pre-workout powder in a smoothie–or even a Red Bull–caffeine is the most popular stimulant used in the morning, and throughout the day. In recent years, high school students have become reliant on caffeine as a source of energy.
“My favorite source of caffeine is coffee or Red Bulls,” said Marshfield High School freshman Gabriella Jimenez.
When consumed in moderation, caffeine has a few benefits. It improves muscle speed, levels of focus, brain function, boosts metabolism and delays dementia. Plus, most caffeinated drinks just taste good.
The problems with caffeine enter the stage when it is not used in moderation. The recommended amount of caffeine per day for an adult is 400 milligrams. The recommended amount for teenagers is 100 milligrams. One 12 ounce can of Red Bull has 111 milligrams of caffeine–over the daily recommended allotment for a teen. And also worsens anxiety and depression. Caffeine can reduce your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, give you diarrhea, many consumers drink more than one Red Bull or caffeinated drink per day.
Excessive caffeine can cause tachycardia, osteoporosis, and is a trigger for migraines and headaches. It can even affect estrogen levels in women. Adolescents are more sensitive to these symptoms because their brain and body are not yet fully developed.
“Being a health teacher and seeing students drink caffeine, I’ve noticed there is an addictive nature to it,” said MHS teacher Brea Peters.
A lot of people do not realize how addictive caffeine really is–until it is too late. While fairly common in the U.S., it’s easy to have one, and not-so-easy to get over such a crutch. Some signs of a caffeine addiction include insomnia, depression, dysphoria, difficulty concentrating, or even tremors. There is also the fact that the body can build a high tolerance for caffeine–so that one simple coffee drink in the morning has now turned into two or three.
If caffeine addiction has crept up, there are many benefits to quitting over time. A big benefit of letting go of caffeine is an increase in collagen levels. Collagen provides structure to your skin and strengthens your hair, teeth, and nails. Reducing or cutting caffeine will also help with calmness and should lower blood pressure. Other benefits include improved sleep, digestion, balanced brain chemistry, and less headaches.
While caffeine is not a hard drug, quitting any addiction can be tough and time consuming. The best method to taper caffeine use is to slowly reduce intake every week, until it is nonexistent. Have patience and remember the purpose behind quitting. Another tip to quitting would include switching to decaffeinated beverages. Some safer and healthier alternatives to caffeinated beverages are juices, smoothies, certain sodas, sparkling water, etc.
“I like drinking non-caffeine sodas like root beer and Sprite, and I also really like juices and hot chocolate and stuff like that,” said freshman Brooklyn Pederson.
Caffeine may not be considered an extreme addiction but at the end of the day it is still dangerous. The long-term effects can seriously harm the body and mind. It is important to consume things in moderation to keep yourself safe, happy, and healthy.