If you set food on a college campus, chances are you will see students walking by gripping iced coffees. If you look a little further, you might find a number of coffee sellers and even energy drink vending machines. Though “the recommended amount of caffeine is less than 200-300 mg per day… many college students…consume closer to 400-500 mg” (Villanova). One Bang energy drink contains 300 mg of caffeine (Bang), and one large Dunkin iced coffee contains 396 mg of caffeine (caffeineinformer.com). Even if one does their best to avoid consuming caffeine, classes, clubs, labs, homework, and jobs all take their toll, and sometimes a coffee or energy drink seems like the only option to power through it all.
Unfortunately, this can lead to caffeine dependence. Trying to stop drinking caffeine can impact grades and mood. According to the National Institute of Health, symptoms of caffeine addiction include headache, fatigue, decreased energy/activeness, decreased alertness, drowsiness, decreased contentedness, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and feeling foggy/not clear headed. “(Sajadi et al. 2022). Students must balance their health with their need for productivity.
Bang® Energy Drinks 12 pack: 16 ounces with coq10 & super creatine. Bang Energy. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2022, from https://bangenergy.com/shop/bang-12-pack/?attribute_pa_flavor=wyldin-watermelon
Caffeine - final - villanova. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2022, from https://www1.villanova.edu/content/dam/villanova/studentlife/documents/Nutrition/Caffeine%20-%20Final.pdf
Dunkin' donuts coffee caffeine content guide. Caffeine Informer. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2022, from https://www.caffeineinformer.com/complete-guide-to-dunkin-donuts-caffeine-content
Sajadi-Ernazarova KR, Anderson J, Dhakal A, et al. Caffeine Withdrawal. [Updated 2022 Apr 30]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430790/
Hi Jennifer, great post! I agree, the dependency on caffeine in todays society is way too high, especially amongst college students. My friends have terrible caffeine dependencies and need 3-4 coffees a day to function. I always tell them how unhealthy it is but they can't stop. The video you provided however, gives a great review on why it happens. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat post Jennifer. I am one of those people who need coffee to survive. I know that's definitely mental on my part but it's a habit I can't break. Like you said it's everywhere and being so accessible makes it harder to say no too.
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