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Caffeinated beverages have become a popular way to gain energy and stay hydrated, but do people know the effects it has on their body if consumed daily?
In the U.S., more than 90% of adults consume caffeine regularly, making it the most common stimulant in the world, with the average consumption of 200 milligrams of caffeine per day. The Food and Drug Administration, (FDA) recommends that the max amount of caffeine someone should consume is 400 milligrams per day, which equals to 4 or 5 cups of coffee.
Caffeine absorbs into the blood and body tissue within 45 minutes, and then reaches peak level within an hour and remains there for 4 to 6 hours.
Statistics of Caffeine Consumption
A study by Mayo Clinic showed that 83% of teenagers consume caffeine on a daily basis, while 96% of teens drink it semi-regularly. According to the Mott Poll Report, 43% of teens drink caffeine because they have a certain caffeinated product that they enjoy consuming daily, while 23% of teens like to drink caffeine because their peers consume it daily. 18% of teens drink caffeine to stay awake while 16% drink it to have an early school start and 13% consume caffeine to be able to study/study. The most commonly consumed caffeinated beverages by teens are soda (73%), tea (32%), coffee (31%), and energy drinks (22%).
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that energy drinks are not appropriate for children and adolescents to consume, due to the high levels of caffeine energy drinks contain. There is no known amount of caffeine that is considered safe for a child to consume daily, which is why it is recommended that if teens are between the ages of 12-18, they should limit their caffeine intake to 100 milligrams a day, and block out energy drinks entirely. Because children and teen brains are still developing, caffeine side effects can affect them more than adults.
Bodily Benefits and Detriments Caffeine Has
Although there are many negative effects behind caffeine, it also contains health benefits. A team of scientists have indicated that caffeine may guard against certain skin cancers. They found that caffeine applied directly to the skin of mice helped prevent damaging UV light from causing skin cancer. In a different study that involved 968,432 men and women, participants who drank 4 cups of coffee a day had a 49% lower risk of dying from oral cancer, compared to those who drink one cup to no cups of coffee a day. Other cancer-related benefits include: protection against head and neck cancer, and a protection against the recurrence of breast cancer.
Though there may be benefits, there are also harmful risks to consuming caffeine.
Medical News Today, (MNT), shared that in 2016, 234 Korean middle school students participated in a study that proved a high caffeine intake can lead to worsened symptoms of anxiety and depression. Though it was not completely clear whether caffeine caused depression or if people with depression had a higher caffeine intake.
Studies have suggested that if a pregnant woman were to consume 300 mg or more of caffeine daily, then that could lead to abnormal fetal heart rhythm, delayed fetal growth, and even loss of pregnancy.The National Institutes of Health (NIH) claims that if both parents consume more than two caffeinated drinks per day in the weeks before they conceive, a loss of pregnancy is more likely to occur. Women should limit their caffeine intake to 200mg or less while pregnant and breast-feeding.
According to MedicalNewsToday, pure caffeine is a very powerful stimulant, and it can lead to accidental overdose. One teaspoon of pure caffeine is estimated to be equal to 28 cups of coffee. High doses of pure caffeine can lead to anxiety, sweating, nausea, vomiting, heart palpitations, rapid heartbeat and cardiac arrest.
Consuming over 400 mg of caffeine per day can lead to headaches, dizziness, disrupted sleep, irritability, heartburn, dehydration, stomach aches, jitters and much more.
Fatal Effects of Caffeine
Though a person is unlikely to die from consuming too much caffeine, it is not impossible. It is estimated that a grown male would have to drink approximately 149 cans of energy drinks before death. Although, consuming that much liquid would lead to vomiting, which will flush out the caffeine. In 2018, a study by Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, (MDPI) found 92 reported deaths from caffeine overdose. Around one third of those deaths were likely to be suicide.
If someone is suffering from a caffeine overdose, or if they consumed a large amount accidently, they should seek medical help immediately. A person can also contact poison control for advice, (800)-222-1222.
