Is Caffeine Really That Bad?

The U.S. consumes over three hundred million cups of caffeinated coffee every day, and that is just one beverage. Compiled with energy drinks, pills and some foods, average caffeine consumption in the U.S. skyrockets to an imaginable amount. This being said, caffeine is one of the most widely consumed drugs ever with everyday consumption increasing rapidly. Through all of this madness, however, one pivotal question can be raised: What makes caffeine so addictive? First off all, let’s start out with what caffeine actually is. Caffeine is white crystalline compound and is used usually to stimulate the central nervous system. Although Caffeine isn’t labeled as dangerously addictive, the effect from consuming it can cause some people to rely on caffeine for everyday activities. Caffeine can usually be found in all sorts of products such as soda, candy, coffee and pills. Since caffeine is found in so many products, some people don’t even realize they have consumed any. Although caffeine gives a person energy, it does take rather large amount to keep that person productive before they crash. Small deposits of caffeine into a person’s body, such as chocolate, won’t give them a boost as effective as highly caffeinated energy drinks.

Now, onto the main question. Caffeine is consumed by many because it gives them energy and boosts productivity. When caffeine enters a person’s bloodstream it is transported to their brain where it takes the place of adenosine. Adenosine is a chemical that makes a person sleepy, and it usually gathers up in the brain during the day and reduces nerve cell activity. Adenosine is detected by neurons but when caffeine is introduced, those neurons don’t detect adenosine anymore, they detect caffeine. This in turn gives that person’s brain the idea that it is not sleepy and makes them feel more energized. This is not actual energy, however. The real energy comes from the sugar. The caffeine just stimulates your brain.

Even though caffeine is usually associated as “unhealthy”, it has quite a few health benefits. These health benefits are listed below.

• Weight Loss – Caffeine can suppress a person’s appetite which makes that person eat less. Also, it can help a person burn calories quicker.

• Alertness – When consuming 160-600 mg of caffeine, productivity can increase significantly, especially when you are sleep deprived.

• Endurance – Energy drinks containing caffeine can make you run faster, jump higher and can also give you strength.

• Memory – Studies show that daily intake of caffeine can improve your long term memory.

Those are just the few benefits of caffeine. Caffeine is misunderstood to be very bad for your health but these assumptions are often wrong. Evidence for that is provided below. Although caffeine can have some good benefits, moderation is always good. Too much caffeine can induce panic attacks, heart attacks, extreme paranoia or in worst case scenarios death. So in conclusion, if a person drinks a moderate amount of caffeine a day, it can be beneficial.

Works Cited

https://www.insidescience.org/video/how-do-energy-drinks-give-you-energy

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#safe=strict&q=how+much+do+americans+consume+caffeine+a+day

https://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/caffeine/

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/285194.php?page=2#does_caffeine_have_any_health_benefits

https://www.google.com/search?q=caffeine&safe=strict&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=643&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwizhqfgpJrPAhVE04MKHbT_D8QQ_AUIBygC#imgrc=tcXkUeqtK_WRzM%3A