A cup of coffee
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After all those late nights studying before having to wake up early in the morning (a phenomenon well known to high school students), how do you stay up? COFFEE. March is National Caffeine Awareness Month. Of those who drink coffee on a regular basis, 75% of people are addicted to caffeine. Why is this important, you may ask?
Caffeine is a type of drug known as a stimulant. Drinking coffee speeds up the messages traveling from our brain to our body, thus waking us up. The effects of caffeine can vary depending on numerous factors, such as weight, size, health, and tolerance level. Nonetheless, it may still be dangerous in large quantities. Some of its effects include feeling more alert and active, restlessness, dehydration, stomach pains, and more. Although it may not seem too harmful, the overdose effects are similar to those of hard drugs. Caffeine withdrawal effects include anxiety, fatigue, nausea, distractedness, and more. Despite this, many people rely on coffee as their go-to drink to make it through the day.
The history of caffeine dates back thousands of years. Tea is also a popular caffeinated beverage and contains roughly half the amount of caffeine as coffee. Caffeine can also be found in cacao beans, kola nuts, yerba mate, and around 60 more species of plants. People have been drinking caffeine for centuries without knowing. It was not until German scientist Friedrich Ferdinand Ruge extracted pure caffeine from cocoa beans in the 1820s that the world gained an understanding of what caffeine really is. Pure caffeine is a very potent white powder that can kill you if you ingest even a teaspoon. However, the caffeine in the coffee we drink is not as potent as pure caffeine.
With all of this being said, maybe your morning go to is now a no go.
Sources
Gaille, Brandon. “51 Dramatic Caffeine Consumption Statistics.” BrandonGaille.com, 30 May 2017, https://brandongaille.com/50-dramatic-caffeine-consumption-statistics/#:~:text=About%2075%25%20of%20those%20who,altered%20chemistry%20in%20the%20brain.
“Caffeine.” Caffeine - Alcohol and Drug Foundation, https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/caffeine/.
Macromoltek, Inc. “Caffeine: The Good, the Bad, and the History.” Medium, Medium, 24 Jan. 2019, https://macromoltek.medium.com/caffeine-the-good-the-bad-and-the-history-a1bad46fcd06.
“Caffeine Supplementation: History.” Supplement Factory, 10 Sept. 2021, https://supplementfactoryuk.com/blog/2018/06/the-history-of-caffeine-supplementation/#:~:text=Caffeine%20was%20first%20extracted%20from,products%20that%20are%20consumed%20daily.