At this point in the day, most of you have likely consumed some caffeine. Whether it’s in that precious morning cup of your favorite Starbucks dark roast or in a can of Coca-Cola with lunch, caffeine is America’s most popular drug, and we get hooked early.
If you’re a caffeine junkie, whether you’d like to admit it or not, you know what its like to wake up in the morning and fiend. Your eyes open to the glaring daylight and all you can think about is either rolling over and hiding under the covers or brewing up a fresh cup of java. In the time between waking up and taking that first sip, you barely feel human. Once that hot caffeinated beverage hits your lips and goes down your throat, you feel that tingle down your spine and once again, you’re a person. It might as well be Popeye getting a hold of some primo spinach.Â
But caffeine goes way beyond your cup of joe in the morning. All the cool kids are pounding energy drinks like it’s going out of style. It’s almost cultish. First it started with Red Bull, then Monster, Rockstar, Cocaine and now the ever-present 5-Hour Energy. Can you believe it? A five-hour boost of energy with no crash! There must be fine print somewhere around here. So what if you collapse on your laptop at five hours and one minute?
Now it’s even spread into our good old friend alcohol. Bawls and Sparks have become staples of the party circuit, increasing your energy while decreasing your inhibitions. Doesn’t that sound fantastic?
But fortunately, there’s some good news. There is little we can tell you about the negative effects of caffeine because, well, there aren’t many. Unless of course you’re pregnant, or have high or low blood pressure or chronic ulcers.
Studies show that if you keep your intake below 70 to 100 cups of coffee in a single day, there’s little chance of death. So however you get that energy fix that’ll keep you up for three days straight during finals, just know that it may even help prevent Alzheimer’s later down the road.