We’ve all been there—It’s a 2 a.m. and you’re exhausted. You probably procrastinated all semester long and decided to crank out that 12-page paper or cram for a test that’s worth 30 percent of your overall grade.
The only thing that’s going to get you through studying and going to your 8 a.m. class is an endless cup of coffee and a Monster energy drink or two. But before you grab that extra cup of caffeine, consider the notion that the extra buzz may not be worth the extra health risks.
Let’s be real—college students, especially those at UF– are caffeine addicts. Just pop by Library West at any time of the day and you’ll see for yourself; there’s always a huge line at Starbucks blocking the escalator.
But how many cups of coffee, bottles of Mountain Dew or cans of Red Bull are actually helping you focus and not negatively affecting your health?
Having two to four cups of coffee a day (which is about 200-300 milligrams) is considered the healthy norm for caffeine intake, but anything above that range is harmful. One can of Red Bull has 80 mg, but as your head droops closer and closer to that open text book, you might pop open more cans than you realize. It’s all about moderation.
Most of the time, caffeine is your friend. It stops you from passing out on your calc notes, helps you retain information faster and pumps up your dopamine levels. It’s the trifecta drink for getting shit done, but too much of it can really harm you.
Via: secretsofthefed.com
If you find yourself consuming more and more caffeine in order to get your work done, and find yourself craving it, then you may be addicted to this delicious stimulant. Sounds like most of us, to be honest. Other symptoms include insomnia, headaches, fatigue, dehydration and even modest cardiovascular effects such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and occasional irregular heartbeat.
Not only will it screw up your body, but drinking too much caffeine can even cause distraction from getting your work done. If you find yourself wasting time on Facebook or browsing the Internet, it may not just be your self-diagnosed ADD kicking in, caffeine could contributing as well.
As college students, we’re always going to procrastinate and need a good caffeine at all hours of the day, but you also need to be smart about how much you drink. Keeping yourself hydrated, keep track of your intake and just be smart about it. You binge-drink enough on the weekends (and probably weekdays as well), so don’t add caffeine to as another problem to deal with.
Want some smooth facts to rattle off in line at one of Gainesville’s best coffee shops?
Via: luxist.com
1. The chemical name for caffeine is 1,3,7- trimethylxanthine. Mmmm, sounds delicious.
2. The International Olympic Committee banned caffeine in Olympic competitions.
3. Caffeine naturally occurs in 60 different plants. A few include coffee beans (obviously), tea leaves and guarana (the source of caffeine in energy drinks).
4.Caffeine is the most widely used behaviorally active drug in the entire world.
5. If you want find out how much of your favorite energy drink, soda, or caffeinated food it would take to kill you, click here.
