Caffeine is all around us in our everyday lives. Caffeine is around us so much that we have completely normalized its daily consumption. Especially with the early school start time and the normalization of staying up late to finish an assignment that’s due at 11:59 p.m. Not only can it be that small pick-me-up we need to get through the long day, but it is also so accessible to all ages. Although it’s nice to have a small burst of energy when the midday slump is hitting, it’s not great for our bodies and minds on such a regular basis.
Caffeine acts as a barrier that blocks the chemicals in your body that make you feel tired, which means it’s not a true energy boost; it is just blocking that exhaustion. For teenagers aged 12-18, the FDA recommends only 100 milligrams of caffeine, which can be hard to manage since many popular energy drinks double that in one can.
Overconsumption of caffeine can leave lasting effects. The short-term effects can consist of being physically shaky or an increase in nervousness. Long-term effects include spikes in your heart rate and blood pressure, calcium depletions, which can be more common in developing bodies of teens, and lack of sleep because it can be hard to wind down at the end of the day without feeling tired, and even changes in your appearance. (helpguide.org)
Although there are these side effects, that doesn’t stop people from consuming caffeine regularly. Caffeine is very, very accessible to the youth in many ways, like the fun drinks for each holiday or going to a coffee shop to get some studying done. It’s even so accessible that it is offered in school, like The Den here at Sam Barlow. In an article from the CDC, it states, “30%-50% of adolescents are reported to consume energy drinks.” Which, in comparison to Barlow students, would be about 480-800 Barlow students who consume energy drinks, ignoring the other types of caffeine, like coffee.
There are many negative effects of over-consuming caffeine, but there are some positives when it’s consumed in moderation. The only positives that have been found during testing have been with naturally sourced caffeine, like in coffee and tea. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, coffee contains antioxidants and other active substances that reduce inflammation internally and prevent diseases. They also found that coffee helps your liver in some ways. Coffee drinkers are more likely to have healthy enzyme levels. Drinking coffee can even help you process glucose better, meaning you are less likely to get type 2 diabetes. These positives are a great push to source your caffeine naturally.
Drinking caffeine doesn’t have to be harmful or dangerous for your health in the long run. Drinking your caffeine in moderation and naturally sourcing those pick-me-ups are all ways to make sure you stay healthy while awake when you need it.
