Introduction to Caffeine Addiction

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Cardiac Arrest on a Plate

I found an interesting article today in USA Today. It talks about a study that was done in Annals of Pharmacotherapy that links heart problems with caffeine consumption and energy drinks. It also mentions taurine as an additive in energy drinks that can be hard on your heart. The article states:

"Healthy adults who drank two cans a day of a popular energy drink experienced an increase in their blood pressure and heart rate, which was insignificant for healthy adults but could prove harmful to people with a heart-related condition."

The study found that participants heart rates were up 7.8% on the first day of the study and 11% on the seventh day. Participants blood pressure also increased 7%! So if you have heart problems or don't want any later it is wise to stay away from energy drinks and high amounts of caffeine.

Do Stupid Things Faster

Caffeine and Sleep

Many people these days are using caffeine as a substitute for their nightly ZZZ's. However studies have shown that substituting caffeine for sleep may not be the smartest way to go. A study done by the National Institute of Mental Health has shown that people who use caffeine to make up for lost sleep may suffer from impaired memory and motor learning.

The study compared 61 people who either took a nap or took a pill containing caffeine before the study. The results found that people who took a nap performed significantly better on word recall, perceptual learning, and finger tapping motor tasks.

Dr. Scmednic states that: "Such an impairment of performance runs counter to society's assumption that caffeine typically benefits cognitive performance. Apparent improvements with caffeine might actually reflect a relief from withdrawal symptoms. Just as no medicinal alternative to a good night's rest has been discovered, so too caffeine, the most common pharmacological intervention for sleepiness, may not be an adequate substitute for the memory enhancements of daytime sleep, either."

Click here to see the full story.

Also, here is a video about how caffeine may affect your sleeping habits:

Dr. Lawrence Epstein describes how caffeine works to promote
alertness, but can also inhibit restful sleep. This video was taken
from: http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/video/sleep07_epstein_caffeine/wm-hi

How Much Caffeine is too Much?

I found a great article by the mayoclinic that gives some signs that you are drinking too much caffeine. In the article they state that nine out of ten Americans rely on caffeine to get rid of fatigue and get through the day. Here are some signs that you may be drinking too much caffeine:

• If you consume more than 500 to 600 mg of caffeine a day. This is equivalent to drinking about four to seven cups of coffee.
  
• If you are jittery during the day.
  
• If you are having trouble sleeping.
  
• If you experience heightened anxiety or restlessness.
• Flushed face
• Headaches
• Accelerated heartbeat
• Nausea

To track how much caffeine you are taking in daily check out this website that tells you how much caffeine is contained in different foods and drinks: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211

Spiders on Drugs

Here are some interesting photos to think about:

Drug Free Spider Web

Spider on Marijuana


Spider on Caffeine

Spider on Speed

Why do People Drink Energy Drinks?

Energy drinks are readily available at virtually all retail stores that sell food or drinks. From gas stations to check outs at grocery stores, if you need an energy kick you won't have a problem finding it. So why are energy drinks so easily available and why do people drink them so much? Well the answer is simple. They are available because people buy them and people buy them to keep up with the hectic American lifestyle.

In a recent focus group that I conducted at Brigham Young University, most students drink energy drinks just to have enough energy to get through the day. When asked about what kinds of negative health affects they were familiar with they stated they had little or no knowledge about what high caffeine consumption can do to you. And that's not all. Participants were told that if they drink 3 energy drinks per week they are spending over $270 a month on energy drinks. When we asked these college students if money would be a motivating factor to forgo drinking energy drinks, they all said no.

So what would motivate people to change their ways?? Would it be scare tactics warning about the health hazards associated with energy drinks? Or would consumers have to fit more sleep into their schedules? Whatever it may be it is obvious that consumers need to become more educated and responsible for their own health.

Here are some interesting comparisons that I found from this website.

Energy Drink Video

Here is a great video I found about the dangers of energy drinks:

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What's in Your Energy Drink?

There are many contents in energy drinks that we know little or nothing about. From improving sexual performance to promoting weight loss, energy drinks have many claims about what benefits they can give you. Many of the contents of energy drinks either have not been studied or tested to see if they measure up to their claims, or the scientific evidence that does exist does not prove that they provide benefits.

For example, the ingredient Yohimbine HCL (which is found in Redline energy drinks, Biotest Spike Shooter energy drinks, and other supplements) claims to improve sexual performance. However, there is no scientific evidence that proves that it increases sexual performance and it is not recommended by the FDA for over the counter use.

Another example is the ingredient Taurine that is found in Go Girl Sugar Free, Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar, and Full Throttle energy drinks. Its claim to fame is that it lowers the risk of diabetes, epilepsy and high blood pressure. However, there is not sufficient evidence that helps with these problems and there is insufficient data to establish whether or not it is even safe. Here is a short video that talks about Taurine and it's presence in energy drinks:

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Other ingredients may include: ginkgo biloba, yerba mate, antioxidants, specific types of ginseng (American, Korean, Panax, etc.), individual vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B7, B12 and C, for example), inositol, choline, d-ribose, tea, sugar substitutes (aspartame, xylitol, or stevia, for example), protein, co-q10 (coenzyme q10), algae, hgh, dhea, herbs, gotu kola, creatine, amino acids (glutamine, arginine and taurine), minerals, oxygen, electrolytes, and milk thistle.

So until we KNOW what these additives do to us and whether or not they are safe, should we be drinking them?

The Facts

FACT 1

Energy drinks do not meet the FDA's guidelines for caffeinated beverages. FDA guidelines state that drinks containing caffeine contain no more than 65 milligrams per 12 ounces. Most energy drinks have 50-505 milligrams of caffeine in them.

FACT 2

Energy drinks are addicting and may cause a variety of negative health problems.

FACT 3

The energy drink industry makes about $5.4 billion a year.

FACT 4

Energy drinks, by law, are not required to have ingredient or warning labels.

FACT 5

Energy drinks cause low birth weight in babies and an increased risk of miscarriage in pregnant women.

FACT 6

Anyone can make an energy drink and sell it.

FACT 7

Many other countries require warning labels on energy drinks, however the U.S. does not.

FACT 8

Energy drinks are addictive and are harmful to children.

FACT 9

The complete effects of the ingredients in energy drinks are unknown.

FACT 10

Energy drinks may cause seizures.

Introduction

Caffeine is the most widely used and easily available stimulant in the world. Many people, especially Americans, use caffeine as a way to get more done, have more fun, and look cool while doing it. In fact, energy drinks are quickly becoming the most popular way of getting a daily 'buzz.' The energy drink industry makes a whopping $50.4 billion a year by feeding on American's 'current lack of energy.' But why is caffeine such a craze you ask? Easy: because it's quick, cheap, and addicting.

Some health professionals have compared caffeine to alcohol and nicotine in regard to addictiveness. The Food and Drug Administration has given guidelines on a what amounts of caffeine are safe to ingest. Their recommendation is that caffeinated beverages contain no more than 65 milligrams per 12 ounces of beverage. However, most energy drinks greatly exceed that limit with the caffeine content ranging from 50-550 milligrams! Most soda products only contain about 30-45 milligrams of caffeine. Is this safe?? (this website has some interesting comparisons)
The answer is no. High amounts of caffeine have some very negative health impacts. Some of these include:

Stroke
Seizures
Acute Mania
Caffeine Intoxication
Caffeine Addiction
Anxiety
Restlessness
Tachycardia
Tremors
Mood Disorders
DEATH

The purpose of this blog is to educate others about the effects and consequences of caffeine. I think it is fair to say that the energy drink industry can be compared to the tobacco industry because of the way they do their business. Not only do they not label their drinks properly so consumers know what they are drinking, but they don't put any warning labels on their products. We need to take a serious look at the effects of high amounts of caffeine so we can understand what it does, and be able to warn consumers about its dangers.