Recently, I wrote about the surprisingly high Caffeine content in some "energy drinks." People may be drinking a lot more caffeinated beverages than they imagine, or they may be well aware of their intake but not grasp the implications of excessive amounts of caffeine.
Many people are at their best with no caffeine, although plenty of others seem to do fine with moderate amounts of caffeine, especially early during the day. Caffeine certainly has a positive side - it promotes alertness and enhances some types of mental performance.
However, researchers still debate whether caffeine really allows its drinkers to produce superior performance or simply restores a person to a level of functioning that had been impaired by sleep deprivation or fatigue.
That is, if everyone is operating at less than their potential, caffeine would seem to help. And yet it isn't clear if this boost from caffeine lifts them into a higher level of performance than usual or if caffeine is just bringing them up to their unimpaired level.
The most common problem with caffeine use is sleep disturbance. Even just morning coffee with no other caffeine later in the day can disturb nighttime sleep. More caffeine later in the day definitely produces a worse effect. Research studies have shown that caffeine:
makes it harder to fall asleep
decreases the total amount of sleep during the nighttime
decreases the percent of slow-wave sleep (the deepest sleep)
Other negative aspects of caffeine use include dependence and intoxication. While there may be immediate pleasure in drinking a favorite espresso concoction or "energy drink," people routinely drink caffeinated beverages not to feel better but rather to avoid feeling worse.
When people regularly have been drinking caffeinated beverages, whether coffee, tea, sodas, or "energy drinks," they typically experience withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop them altogether. Headache is by far the most common symptom, but people may also complain of drowsiness, fatigue, fogginess and decreased alertness, poor concentration, and irritability.
Caffeine intoxication occurs when people take in excessive amounts of caffeine at one time or over a period of hours such that the caffeine in their bodies reaches a very high level. The syndrome of caffeine intoxication may include nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, gastrointestinal upset, tremors, rapid heart beat, and agitation. There even have been rare reports of seizures, strokes, and deaths attributed to "energy drink" consumption.
The recent "energy drink" craze is a problem for several reasons. The caffeine content, which is extremely high in some of these products, is unfortunately not included on their labels. Plus, the marketing for these "energy drinks" is targeted toward a young population that is the most vulnerable for experiencing the negative effects of high-caffeine doses.
The U.S. is far behind many other countries with regard to caffeine-content labeling and warnings about excessive use. We all have the right to know exactly how much caffeine is in the beverages we are drinking.
Many people are at their best with no caffeine, although plenty of others seem to do fine with moderate amounts of caffeine, especially early during the day. Caffeine certainly has a positive side - it promotes alertness and enhances some types of mental performance.
However, researchers still debate whether caffeine really allows its drinkers to produce superior performance or simply restores a person to a level of functioning that had been impaired by sleep deprivation or fatigue.
That is, if everyone is operating at less than their potential, caffeine would seem to help. And yet it isn't clear if this boost from caffeine lifts them into a higher level of performance than usual or if caffeine is just bringing them up to their unimpaired level.
The most common problem with caffeine use is sleep disturbance. Even just morning coffee with no other caffeine later in the day can disturb nighttime sleep. More caffeine later in the day definitely produces a worse effect. Research studies have shown that caffeine:
makes it harder to fall asleep
decreases the total amount of sleep during the nighttime
decreases the percent of slow-wave sleep (the deepest sleep)
Other negative aspects of caffeine use include dependence and intoxication. While there may be immediate pleasure in drinking a favorite espresso concoction or "energy drink," people routinely drink caffeinated beverages not to feel better but rather to avoid feeling worse.
When people regularly have been drinking caffeinated beverages, whether coffee, tea, sodas, or "energy drinks," they typically experience withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop them altogether. Headache is by far the most common symptom, but people may also complain of drowsiness, fatigue, fogginess and decreased alertness, poor concentration, and irritability.
Caffeine intoxication occurs when people take in excessive amounts of caffeine at one time or over a period of hours such that the caffeine in their bodies reaches a very high level. The syndrome of caffeine intoxication may include nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, gastrointestinal upset, tremors, rapid heart beat, and agitation. There even have been rare reports of seizures, strokes, and deaths attributed to "energy drink" consumption.
The recent "energy drink" craze is a problem for several reasons. The caffeine content, which is extremely high in some of these products, is unfortunately not included on their labels. Plus, the marketing for these "energy drinks" is targeted toward a young population that is the most vulnerable for experiencing the negative effects of high-caffeine doses.
The U.S. is far behind many other countries with regard to caffeine-content labeling and warnings about excessive use. We all have the right to know exactly how much caffeine is in the beverages we are drinking.
