Caffeine consumers risk harmful effects

In 2011, a 14-year-old girl bought and drank a 24 oz. can of Monster Energy Drink from a mall in Maryland. A few hours after she drank another can the following day, she went into cardiac arrest, which may have partly resulted from a heart problem, but may have been triggered by the excessive caffeine in the drink. The girl never woke up.

Common highly caffeinated beverages such as Red Bull and Rockstar often include additives such as sugar, ginseng and guarana; these additives enhance caffeine's effects, both positive and negative. Most energy drink companies do not even label their products with the amount of caffeine present.

In 2012, the Food and Drug Administration investigated another five deaths and a heart attack linked to the high caffeine content of Monster Energy Drinks.  Other energy drink companies have faced similar investigations. Despite these incidents, many students continue to rely on caffeinated drinks to study.

According to the John Hopkins Medical Center, 90 percent of Americans consume some form of caffeine daily, and more than half consume an amount greater than the recommended maximum 300 milligrams a day.

Caffeine is not dangerously addictive. In fact, according to the National Library of Medicine, a reasonable amount of caffeine, around 100 milligrams for teens, can even provide people with certain health benefits such as increased energy.

“I don't think caffeine is dangerous in most cases,” junior Natalie So said. “Only in extreme doses does it pose a danger.”

However, many students have a level of dependency on caffeine that borders on addiction. For most students, caffeine from coffee or soda stimulates the central nervous system, releasing adrenaline. The adrenaline makes users feel more alert, have more energy and concentrate better. Often, a cup of coffee is all that keeps a student functioning during the day.

“[Caffeine] helps me when I need to study or do lots of homework,” So said. “I usually get my fix from Starbucks or Red Bull. I like how energy drinks also has the sugar to keep you going, since coffee is kind of bitter.”

However, when teens regularly exceed the National Library of Medicine’s recommended dosage 200-300 milligrams a day, health problems such as anxiety, irritability, insomnia, headache and heart problems can result. The excess adrenaline released by caffeine makes drinkers emotional rather than logical.

Freshman Kelly Xiao believes that such effects of caffeine are dangerous.

“I personally don't drink those kinds of drinks because I think they're unhealthy,” Xiao said. “My mom always spent a good deal of time venting about ‘chemicals’ and ‘cancer-causers.’ Apparently energy drinks were in that category.”

An overdose of caffeine can actually kill a person, although an amount of caffeine equivalent to 100 cups of coffee would be needed. A single cup of coffee usually contains 100 milligrams of caffeine. Caffeine levels in sodas vary. However, the increased consumption of energy drinks in recent years has led to unprecedented quantities of caffeine intake.

Although nothing has been confirmed, studies done by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration revealed that the number of hospital visits related to caffeine  doubled to 21,000 between 2007 and 2011.

While a few cups of coffee do not contain enough caffeine to seriously affect teens, a few energy drinks pack in more than double that amount. In other words, fuel in the form of several energy drinks for a last-minute study session can actually be dangerous.

According to studies done by the John Hopkins University, heavy coffee drinkers can even experience withdrawal problems such as headaches, although only for a day or two.

Matthew Keefer of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles told myhealthnewsdaily.com, “If an older child has a cup of coffee or a soda every once and awhile it's not a big deal."

But Keefer said the effects of drinking caffeine-overloaded energy drinks may be too much of a risk for students.