Ronald Reagan once said, “I never drink coffee at lunch. I find it keeps me awake for the afternoon.”
What a remarkable observation, Ron! College students have been putting that same philosophy to the test for years. Coffee does in fact keep its drinkers awake for longer periods of time because it contains the drug Caffeine. Just like most drugs, caffeine is mildly addicting for consistent “users”. Coffee usually contains a higher level of caffeine than tea, soda and most energy drinks.
I want you to think about your snobbish order at Starbucks: “Grande, cream and sugar, oh and do you think you can overcharge me for this mildly enjoyable cup of coffee? Thanks!” And don’t forget the judgmental look at the person who orders a medium.
According to a Harvard School of Public Health study, with your Grande from Starbucks you are actually ordering 330mg of caffeine, the equivalent of three cups of generically brewed coffee, four-and-a-half Red Bull, seven cans of Diet Coke and seven cups of caffeinated tea.
College students use caffeine to stay awake and more alert while studying. For students, each passing semester becomes harder and the work load larger.
At Marist, the administration has considered the fact that there are simply not enough hours in the day its students. The extended library hours and 24-hour Donnelly lab prove that students are staying awake longer and surely using caffeine to do it.
Now while that sounds extremely unhealthy, caffeine has its perks as well. Had to.
The Goddard Health Center has cited that there are healthy and unhealthy consumption doses of caffeine. “For an average adult consuming 200 to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, the amount found in two to four cups of coffee, is normal and safe.”
Allison Kogge, a nurse at the University of Medicine and Dentistry, explains that caffeine stimulates your central nervous system by blocking adenosine, a neurotransmitter that normally causes a calming effect in the body.
She adds, “The resulting neural stimulation due to [the blockage] causes the adrenal glands to release adrenaline, the ‘fight-or flight’ hormone.”
Even Olympic athletes use caffeine to their advantage, but an excessive amount before a competition could be considered “doping”.
Oxford University’s study of Food and Fitness claims that drinking as little as two cups of coffee may enable athletes to run the 1500 meters several seconds faster.
“Caffeine increases your heart rate, cause your pupils to dilate and muscles to tighten. Then glucose is released into your blood stream for extra energy,” Kogge says.
This high level of energy does not last and its user will eventually “crash” once the drug is out of his or her system.
Teachers recommend that students who chose to drink coffee for an exam do so during the exam rather than before to prevent them from becoming fatigued and “crash” mid-exam.
Kogge says, “Over the long-term, as your body gets used to caffeine it requires higher amounts to get the same effects - you build a tolerance. So putting your body in this sort of state of hormonal emergency all day isn’t very healthy.”
Kogge was never a big coffee drinker, even when she was in nursing school. She thinks that a good nights sleep can keep students just as prepared for exams as caffeine does.
But incase it doesn’t there is good news ladies! A ten-year study by the American Diabetes Association had found that one cup of coffee in the morning can decrease your risk of becoming depressed. Can’t say the same for men since no such study was conducted for them.
Kogge says that caffeine decreases dopamine levels, “the chemical in your brain that gives you the feeling of pleasure, which is also one of the reasons we get addicted to caffeine.”
Like any drug caffeine comes with symptoms of withdrawal, these include dehydration, headaches and decreased appetite; which is why it is important to limit your caffeine intake.
Now that we have muddled through all of that science-mumbo-jumbo we can make three basic assumptions:
One - Coffee gets you high, man. It’s a drug and 90% of adults drink at lease one cup per day. It gives you extra energy and stimulates the brain to increase its level of function and increase study skills. You don’t think this article is being written by itself do you?
Two - Caffeine has its perks and shortcomings. For the most part using a healthy amount of caffeine cannot cause any harm to the body. In fact, it is actually good for you as long as it is not abused. Caffeine can decrease the risks of serious health issues like depression, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. It can also lower the rate of disease progression.
Students see these statistics as a rationalization for drinking up to four cups a day, but not to ward off disease but to stay awake in class or study for a final. After it stimulates it destroys and takes down your nervous system with it.
R-Kelly had it twisted. Its not your mind that’s telling you no, and your body yes. When you drink caffeine your mind is saying, “Yes, yes, yes!” Your body wants to rest.
A 2006 study at Northwester University found that 265 caffeine abuse cases were reported to a poison control center over a four-year period. The average age of the abusers? Twenty-one and college students.
Three - Caffeine is addicting. That is probably why the United States spends over $40 billion on coffee each year, according to the 2010 National Coffee Drinking Trends recorded by the National Coffee Association.
I know what you’re thinking and the answer is yes, we do have a National Coffee Association.
Once students become dependent on coffee to study or attend class it is easy for them to rely on caffeine the next time around. Withdrawals begin if they do not get their fix, which can become extremely unhealthy for ones central nervous system.
Since Reagan showed us some wisdom before it is only natural to send you off with more. Why not let a man who uses coffee to work late hours do it:
David Letterman once said, “Way to much coffee. But if it weren’t for the coffee, I’d have no identifiable personality whatsoever.”
You’re thinking, does the same apply to you? I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it.
