Ben-official

Author: Ben Benson

With midterms fast approaching, I know I'm not the only one playing catch-up on readings and assignments. Often this requires staying up late, waking up early and a little extra focus in class. And where do most people turn when they need a little boost? Caffeine. It's common knowledge that caffeine helps people stay up later and operate on a little less sleep than usual, and nearly 275 million Americans drink caffeinated beverages regularly.

The two most popular sources of caffeine are tea and coffee. Aside from water, tea is the most consumed beverage on the planet. The amount of caffeine in coffee and tea varies greatly, but typically a cup of coffee is considered to have around 100 mg of caffeine while a cup of tea has around 60 mg of caffeine. In comparison, a 12 oz. Coke has about 35 mg of caffeine, and a Red Bull 80 mg. But how much is helpful, and how much is too much?

Typically two to three cups of coffee, or 200-300 mg of caffeine a day, is considered a moderate amount and perfectly healthy. Aside from the commonly known benefits of caffeine, such as increased alertness and decreased drowsiness, caffeine has been recently found to have several other benefits. For one, caffeine increases the metabolic rate by 10 percent over the following several hours after consumption, and even helps with the digestion of some fatty acids. Caffeine allows the body to burn fatty acids 30 percent more efficiently. Also, even though caffeine won't speed up the sobriety process, it can help with a hangover. A hangover headache is caused by enlarged cranial blood vessels and caffeine is known to constrict these vessels. For the same reason, caffeine can be found in several over-the- counter painkillers. Lastly, many sports nutritionists agree that caffeine can delay muscle fatigue if taken prior to exercise and can increase muscle recovery if taken after exercise, yet frequently very large amounts are needed (more than 500 mg) to feel this effect. These levels of caffeine may have several negative side effects so large doses may not be such a good idea.

Ever gotten the shakes or jitters from too many late night coffees? Excess caffeine can cause a variety of issues from sleeplessness to anxiety to abnormal heart rhythms. Also, dehydration is known to be a common side affect of caffeine. It's not the actual chemical that causes dehydration, but caffeine increases blood flow to the kidneys. This causes the kidneys to work faster than normal, processing urine at an increased rate, leading to more frequent trips to the bathroom. Dehydration can be easily overcome by consuming water or other caffeine-free beverages, but not much will help with trying to avoid an overactive bladder.

The most troublesome quality of caffeine is its addictive nature. Caffeine, like cocaine and heroin, increase the body's dopamine levels. Dopamine affects the body by activating parts of the brain that control other functions like sleep, mood and attention. The effects are much duller than those of heroin and cocaine, but the body still enjoys the boost. If you think you might be consuming caffeine in excess, try gradually reducing how much caffeine you consume in a day. This may help avoid the withdrawal feelings of irritability, grogginess and headaches.

For tea lovers, a way to reduce the amount of caffeine in a cup of tea is to reduce steeping time. There are several types of decaf herbal teas. Caffeine is beneficial, just be aware of how much you're consuming. For a chart of the approximate mg of caffeine in different types of tea, coffee, chocolate and other beverages, check out the Web site www.faqs.org/nutrition/Ca-De/Caffeine.html.