It is known that American runs on caffeine. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, hot chocolate, soda, chocolate and many medicines. When consumed, caffeine acts as a stimulant, which makes you feel more alert and aware. Many people drink liquids with caffeine because it helps them wake up and feel sharper. There have been many studies claiming caffeine has a positive or negative affect on your body. So what are we, as the consumers, to believe? On the positive side, caffeine contains antioxidants that have been shown to prevent cancer.
Many users say caffeine helps them stay attentive with driving long distances or tedious hours of work. In low doses it is thought to be associated with an improvement in sporting performance, increased alertness and reduction in fatigue potentially lifting a person’s mood. However, on the negative side, increased amounts of caffeine lead to dependency due to increased tolerance and hence the need for greater amounts to gain the same stimulatory benefits. Heavy users who quit can experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and weakness.
Too much caffeine can produce restlessness, nausea, sleep difficulties, upset stomach, dehydration, and irregular heartbeats. Caffeine is becoming more popular, and easier to access. But once your tolerance increases, people become more reliant on it and require greater dosages to get the same effects. Caffeine has become addictive. There is no conclusive evidence to implicate caffeine consumption as being significantly harmful or helpful to our health, but there still is controversy with this issue. So, the next time you pour yourself a cup of coffee, you now know the effects of caffeine.
References:
- Speech, Informative. “This video is unavailable. Watch Queue Queue Watch Queue Queue.”
- Conlon, John. “SPC2608: Public Speaking. Course Syllabus: 2010: 08 (Fall).” (2010).
- Callahan, Kelly J. “SPC2600: Public Speaking. Course Syllabus: 2009: 08 (Fall).” (2009).