We all have heard the saying “Sorry, I haven’t had my morning cup of coffee yet,” or something to that effect. These people are implying that they are not themselves or that they cannot function without their caffeine fix, almost as if they’re reliant on caffeine just like a drug addict is reliant on their drugs. According to a poll taken in 2013, over 83 percent of adults in the United States drink at least one cup of coffee a day. There are over 587 million cups of coffee consumed in the United State per day. For these reasons many people tend to believe that coffee is addictive, that they cannot kick the habit of getting their daily fix of caffeine. Caffeine can be slightly addictive, however, kicking the habit is extremely beneficial to one’s health.
The way the caffeine works in coffee and other drinks such as soda is by the caffeine mimicking a neurochemical called adenosine. Adenosine is produced by neurons throughout the day as they fire and the more that is produced, the more your nervous system and ultimately your body calms down. By caffeine mimicking adenosine, they manage to enter the receptors without activating them, causing the receptors the block adenosine to enter which enables use to feel more energetic and have the feeling that we can stay up longer. Stephen R. Braun, the author of Buzzed: the Science and Lore of Caffeine and Alcohol, writes it is like “putting a block of wood under one of the brain’s primary brake pedals.” This “block” will disable those brakes for four to six hours depending on the person’s height, weight, age etc.
Caffeine in coffee is proven to cause a rise in the consumer’s blood pressure and heart rate. An increase in heart rate increases and individual’s chances of obtain a stroke. There are correlations between caffeine consumption and strokes, however correlation does not equal causation.
With those who decide to drop caffeine from their diets will typically go through withdrawals. They just would not be as strong as ones from other substances such as heroin or alcohol. Symptoms tend to last from anywhere from the first twenty four hours to a week, again, depending on the person. Symptoms of caffeine withdrawals consist of the following: headaches, lack of focus, fatigue, mild muscle pain, nausea, and some flu-like symptoms.
We are forced to believe that caffeine is slightly addictive due to all research conducted on the matter as well as the symptoms presented when one goes through caffeine withdrawals for the first few days when one does not have the chemical in their system. Caffeine is not the best thing to consume for all the potential health risks that may occur such as an increase in the risk of stroke. If possible, one should try their best to reduce if not fully cut off their caffeine intake.
Work Cited:
http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/01/29/caffeine-addiction-is-no-joke-for-some/65142.html
http://www.mercola.com/downloads/bonus/coffee/report.htm
http://lifehacker.com/5585217/what-caffeine-actually-does-to-your-brain
http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2012/07/26/what-caffeine-really-does-to-your-brain/
http://www.webmd.com/balance/caffeine-myths-and-facts?page=2#2
I found your post very interesting because I struggle caffeine addiction (pepsi is my weakness). But I would say that caffeine can definitely have its upsides. I definitely feel more alert and attentive when I have caffeine running through my veins, and I can feel the grogginess that comes along with a lack of caffeine. However I think your post would have been stronger if you would have included statistics about stroke, since you talk so much about it, but give no facts to backup your claim.
According to MedlinePlus, consuming a moderate amount of of caffeine per day isn’t going to effect your health that badly. There’s caffeine in medicines and antibiotics that help stimulate the nervous system, and that can’t be bad for you. So obviously you need some caffeine in your diet, but just have to be careful at how much you have. You say there are correlations between caffeine consumption and strokes. Where did you get that fact from? Maybe you could add a specific study in here to back yourself up a little more.
This is a great topic. Recently in my history class at Penn State we talked about Caffeine as a drug. Which it actually is, I think that it is a very harmful substance and a substance that we have all been taught over thousands of years is something that we need to continue our daily work. If you actually look back into history you will find that Caffeine was used as a drug to keep workers working. It was given to them along with a minimum amount of food and water this way all they would do is work.
If you are interested in taking this study further I would look into the use of cocaine in caffeinated drinks like coca-cola ect.