Your Ticket to Healthy Living

So I love caffeine. I mean to the point where I would probably cry if I had to go a day without it. Pretty unhealthy, I know, but we all have our issues.

My obsession started when I became anemic at the beginning of my freshman year of college. I literally couldn’t stay awake unless I had at least two if not three cups of coffee a morning, and an energy drink during the day. Now, if I don’t have that much everyday, I get caffeine migraines…not fun.

But what I didn’t know is that that much caffeine isn’t good for you. It seems like common sense - too much of a good thing isn’t good - but whatever, I was tired.

This love/addiction to caffeine isn’t just a problem that I have, it’s a problem for people all over the U.S. The main issue isn’t coffee consumption (coffee has many health benefits that we won’t go into this week), but energy drinks.

The caffeine content in energy drinks here in the U.S. can range from 50mg to 505mg. This is because the U.S. has some of the most lax regulations in the world when it comes to energy drinks. Energy drinks are fine in moderation, but let’s face it - most of us don’t usually just stick to the recommended serving size.

The main issue with these drinks is the amount of caffeine they contain. Studies have shown that if you consume 500mg-1000mg within an hour (one or two energy drinks), you can experience dizziness, irritability, nausea, nervousness, jitters, headache, and fatigue later on.

Also, consuming this much caffeine can lead to caffeine intoxication (who knew?). Some of the signs and symptoms of Caffeine Intoxication include a racing heart beat, palpitations, arrhythmia, fatigue that worsens during the day, insomnia, upset stomach, dehydration and muscle cramps. Caffeine can even become lethal at extremely high doses (5-10g).

This has to make you wonder whether drinking this stuff is worth it. As for me, I’m planning on cutting down my caffeine consumption.

Your Ticket to Campus Rec - Erin

www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871608002858