Caffeine addictions a concern
Jenna Rice
Issue date: 10/17/08 Section: News
Many young Americans today, including some students at Florida Southern College, are becoming hooked on caffeine.
Every day of the week, Tutu's Café on campus is swarming with people. During the 10:10 a.m. hour break on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, there is often a long line at the Tutus Café counter. Many exhausted-looking faces enter through the glass doors to step in line for his or her daily cup of java.
Even in Wynne's Bistro on the other side of campus, many students drink soda with their meals. Most of these students; however, do not think about how much caffeine they consume each day and how much they rely on it. Although caffeine is something that many people consume on a daily basis, it is still technically a drug.
A worker at Tutu's said that they brew over 160 espresso pots for every five-day week to be sold to students during this time period. That is about 32 shots of espresso sold per weekday.
Tutus also brews about seven full pots of coffee per weekday and are now even selling other caffeinated products, such as Pepsi cola, to students. They also sell a large amount of caffeinated teas and chai tea lattes each day.
Krystal Caldwell, sophomore, was asked if she had ever experienced withdrawal symptoms from a lack of caffeine intake.
"Heck yes," she said. "Although caffeine can improve my mental stamina temporarily, it can be a problem sometimes."
Aside from the energy one may get from caffeine, they may also become jittery, nervous or restless from the caffeine intake.
Caffeine can also change sleep patterns, generate insomnia and depression and create a rapid heartbeat. It is also a diuretic, meaning it may incite several trips to the bathroom. In effect, it can lead to dehydration.
Judy Monroe, a writer for "Current Health Magazine," wrote that it is not safe to just stop drinking coffee cold turkey. The best thing to do, she said, is to reduce intake to fewer than 240 milligrams of caffeine per day. A 16-ounce medium coffee from Starbucks contains 550 milligrams of caffeine.
Coffee is not the only item that contains caffeine, however. Paula Hunt, a freelance writer for Vegetarian Times Magazine, wrote that caffeine may also be found in pain-killing products and most soft drinks. A Mountain Dew contains 54 milligrams of the drug, and one Excedrin tablet contains 65 milligrams.
Chocolate and most coffee-flavored products are also caffeinated. For instance, one scoop of coffee ice cream usually contains 40 to 60 milligrams of caffeine, Hunt said.
Hunt also said that it is not easy to reduce caffeine intake in order to relieve unpleasant symptoms. She advised getting at least 20 minutes of physical exercise three times a week by practicing yoga, meditation and other relaxing exercises. Also, she said, drink plenty of water. When hydrated, it is easier to bring cravings to an end. Water can also help flush toxins from the body.
Every day of the week, Tutu's Café on campus is swarming with people. During the 10:10 a.m. hour break on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, there is often a long line at the Tutus Café counter. Many exhausted-looking faces enter through the glass doors to step in line for his or her daily cup of java.
Even in Wynne's Bistro on the other side of campus, many students drink soda with their meals. Most of these students; however, do not think about how much caffeine they consume each day and how much they rely on it. Although caffeine is something that many people consume on a daily basis, it is still technically a drug.
A worker at Tutu's said that they brew over 160 espresso pots for every five-day week to be sold to students during this time period. That is about 32 shots of espresso sold per weekday.
Tutus also brews about seven full pots of coffee per weekday and are now even selling other caffeinated products, such as Pepsi cola, to students. They also sell a large amount of caffeinated teas and chai tea lattes each day.
Krystal Caldwell, sophomore, was asked if she had ever experienced withdrawal symptoms from a lack of caffeine intake.
"Heck yes," she said. "Although caffeine can improve my mental stamina temporarily, it can be a problem sometimes."
Aside from the energy one may get from caffeine, they may also become jittery, nervous or restless from the caffeine intake.
Caffeine can also change sleep patterns, generate insomnia and depression and create a rapid heartbeat. It is also a diuretic, meaning it may incite several trips to the bathroom. In effect, it can lead to dehydration.
Judy Monroe, a writer for "Current Health Magazine," wrote that it is not safe to just stop drinking coffee cold turkey. The best thing to do, she said, is to reduce intake to fewer than 240 milligrams of caffeine per day. A 16-ounce medium coffee from Starbucks contains 550 milligrams of caffeine.
Coffee is not the only item that contains caffeine, however. Paula Hunt, a freelance writer for Vegetarian Times Magazine, wrote that caffeine may also be found in pain-killing products and most soft drinks. A Mountain Dew contains 54 milligrams of the drug, and one Excedrin tablet contains 65 milligrams.
Chocolate and most coffee-flavored products are also caffeinated. For instance, one scoop of coffee ice cream usually contains 40 to 60 milligrams of caffeine, Hunt said.
Hunt also said that it is not easy to reduce caffeine intake in order to relieve unpleasant symptoms. She advised getting at least 20 minutes of physical exercise three times a week by practicing yoga, meditation and other relaxing exercises. Also, she said, drink plenty of water. When hydrated, it is easier to bring cravings to an end. Water can also help flush toxins from the body.
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