WOULD YOU LIKE CAFFEINE WITH THAT?
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The alarm clock sounds, signaling a full day of classes, work, and maybe even an extracurricular commitment or two. Then come the late nights spent pouring over homework assignments and other responsibilities. With hectic schedules and limited time to sleep, it’s no wonder college students and young adults today feel they must rely on caffeine to function.
A resident at Saint Agnes Medical Center whose expertise is in adult health problems, Dr. Anu Poliyedath, explained why young adults rely so heavily on caffeine.
“The increased use of caffeine is really related to the fast pace of life. Right, there’s no time to really slow down because you want to be attending your class, doing well in the class. You don’t want to miss out on the sports practice or you don’t want to miss out on the party. So you use caffeine as a way to stimulate yourself, keep you awake,” Poliyedath said.
That’s been the case for Fresno State sophomore, Josh Duncan, who fuels up with a Bang, a popular new energy drink, when he needs an added boost.
“If I need energy I’ll drink a bang, If I’m tired I’ll drink a bang. Every time I have a paper I usually drink two to three bangs per paper,” Duncan said.
While some caffeine is okay for humans to ingest, Duncan consumes triple the daily recommended limit. Poliyedath explained why that’s risky.
“Just like anything else, it’s okay in moderation but if you use too much it can lead to palpitations, increased anxiety, sleep disturbance,” Poliyedath said.
In order to prevent these risks, Fresno State Junior, Ana Zuniga, once dependent on coffee to get through her homework assignments, cut caffeine out of her diet completely.
“I used to rely a lot on coffee for like, just studying. So yeah, I think the most that I would drink was like three cups of coffee a day…I think I drank it so much that I kind of felt it did’t have an effect on me, for one. And the other one was when it did have an effect on me, whether i was in class or something, i would get very jittery,” Zuniga said.
Although Zuniga hasn’t noticed any major positive changes, she does feel this new way of living is healthier.
For all caffeine lovers out there, the key is watching your intake and monitoring your body’s reactions. As long as you’re consuming safe amounts of caffeine (Dr. Poliyedath recommends no more than 400 mg per day) and making sure you aren’t displaying any warning signs of overuse, you can keep on with the caffeine.