Often times in life, people fall into deeply embedded habits that they hardly think twice about. Certain habits that may or may not be benefiting personal welfare the way they are believed to.
A common practice amongst several young adults is the consumption of coffee in the mornings. However, science has recently been exploring further into the true effects of this daily dose of caffeine and the power it can have on brain stimulation, academic performance, and long term health. What the public has always believed to be the fuel they rely on, could actually be rather damaging. So the question arises: How effective is a cup of coffee in the mornings, and do the benefits outweigh the risks?
Caffeine is a crucial component in the diets of many people. This is because it is assumed that mental alertness is directly tied to its consumption; more specifically, its ability to reduce sleepiness. This “mental alertness” is what allows most students to remain focused and attentive in class when it is critical to be taking notes or completing a test. According to William Treanor, writing for a psychology blog, he issued an experiment testing the true cognitive effects of caffeine on mental alertness. He separated volunteers into two groups and distributed both caffeine pills and placebo effect “caffeine pills” to each of the two groups. Both groups however exhibited equal levels of sleepiness, proving the widely accepted belief that “caffeine creates mental alertness,” entirely wrong. This is primarily due to the fact that the anxiety and jitterness (which is also associated with caffeine consumption), canceled out with the benefits of decreased tiredness, breaking concentration in the process.
Indeed, the vast majority of people are aware of the immediate effects coffee can have on a tired mental state, but almost no one completely understands how this substance truly works within the body itself. Inside of the bloodstream is a neurotransmitter called adenosine that “calms the body and nerves in preparation for sleep and in return secretes adrenaline,” (Michael Smathers, AZcentral). As a result of this, energy levels rise and the body also resorts to a euphoric feel, also known as a “caffeine high.” However, meanwhile in this process, caffeine is also simultaneously interfering with the body’s production of cortisol, a hormone that is “released in response to stress and low blood sugar” (Kia Kokalitcheva, Time Magazine). Therefore over time, the body decreases its production of cortisol and relies solely on the consumption of caffeine to compensate for the deficiency. In the big picture this means that people become quickly reliant on caffeine to supplement their basic bodily produced hormones and can experience minor withdrawals or negative side effects from the lack of intake.
Long term effects of daily caffeine consumption are not necessarily dangerous, but can lead to other symptoms such as high blood pressure and caffeine tolerance as the body grows used to its effects. This would consequently result in the need of higher dosages of caffeine in order to produce similar results. Some other long terms effects of caffeine as people begin to ingest higher doses include ulcers, cardiac stress, and chronic insomnia.
Although science has recently proved that there are several significant and possibly harmful side effects, many students and teachers at Timber Creek rely on caffeinated drinks in the morning and occasionally throughout the day; and other than the increased attentiveness, there are also various positive outcomes from drinks like coffee. For example, coffee is full of antioxidants that are considered just as beneficial as those found in fruits and vegetables. Coffee can also improve workouts by supplying great deals of energy, and simultaneously works as a natural fat burner during the off session.
11th grader Avery Nett frequently drinks coffee before school and occasionally throughout the day as well. She described that her morning routine consists of a cup of coffee while she’s getting ready and then sometimes on the way to school as well. She’ll even drink it after school if she has a lot of homework and “needs a pick me up.” “I try not to really drink it in the afternoon unless I really feel sluggish,” Nett said, “but I definitely feel like it wakes me up and allows me to focus.”