That caffeine boost can have a downside

Getting out of bed, getting dressed, eating breakfast and going to school might seem challenging to some. Many students at UM-St. Louis turn towards caffeine beverages and energy drinks to give them a boost each day.

Erica Brown, sophomore, communication says that although she does not drink coffee, she drinks soda almost everyday.

"I drink about two cans of soda each day," Brown said.

Another student Michael Daniels, senior, mass communication shared how he believes coffee can become an addiction if people drink it everyday.

"I drink more than the average person. I usually have about three to four large cups of coffee per day," Daniels said. "I would get headaches if I didn't drink it and it's what gets me going each morning."

Not only are some students turning towards caffeine to help motivate them in the morning but also to fight against exhaustion when studying for exams or help them go from school to work.

"I think that many college students turn to this each day to keep them stable or focused in their busy lives," Brown said.

Other new popular high caffeinated beverages used by many college students are energy drinks.

Although energy drinks like Red Bull, Rock Star, Rush, Monster and Hype might contain some nutritional vitamins and supplements, many contain other ingredients that are not necessarily good for you.

Sucrose, Glucose, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Asorbic Acid, Ephedrine, Ginseng and Caffeine are just a few potentially harmful ingredients.

An 8.3-ounce serving can of Red Bull contains 110 calories, 200 milligrams of sodium and 27 grams of sugar.

Duc Le, senior, business described how these energy drinks have become a big trend.

"Many of my friends and people who go to my gym, often drink a can of Red Bull before they work out," Le said.

Energy drinks are being sold just about everywhere- grocery stores, gas stations, convenient marts and even bars. Some mixed drinks and shots like Jager Bombs combine energy drinks with alcohol.

"Mixing powerful stimulants contained in some energy drinks with depressants in alcohol could cause cardiopulmonary or cardiovascular failures," David Pearson, a researcher in the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University said.

Although all of the negative effects on the body caused from energy drinks has not been completely proven, there are places and organizations that have banned these drinks to people. The NCAA and other professional sports leagues have prohibited the use of these drinks to athletes.

The first coffee bean plants have said to been discovered over a thousand of years ago in East Africa. The beans were first used as a food, then grated into wine and finally grind into a hot coffee beverage many years later.

Many negative health effects from the use of caffeine can be found at www.antibiotic-alternatives.com/soda.htm. Some of the health risks listed include increased incidence of bladder, stomach cancer, raised blood pressure, increased heart rate, dementia, could cause anxiety, could aggravate people with diabetes, could damage the lining of the stomach and could cause birth defects in children.

Starbucks, Gloria Jeans, Mountain Mudd, St. Louis Bread Company, Cuppajo Coffee Roastery and Borders Cafe are a few favorite St. Louis coffee shops.

At www.starbucks.com, people can view a nutrition information comparison chart for all of the coffee beverages at Starbucks. A café latte has 260 calories, 14 grams of fat, 200 milligrams of sodium and 19 grams of sugars. A café vanilla Frappuccino contains 470 calories, 16 grams of fat, 270 milligrams of sodium and 65 grams of sugar.

Joey Sanders a Campus C-Store employee at UM-St. Louis described the busiest time of the day for students purchasing caffeine beverages.

"The busiest time, when students buy soda and coffee is between 10 a.m. to noon," Sanders said.

A large line of students buying coffee can be seen as early as 7 a.m. at Aroma's Bakery.

Mountain Dew, Coca-Cola, Mr. Pibb and Mello Yellow are some drinks that also have high amounts of caffeine.

One can of Coca-Cola has over 140 calories, 50 milligrams of sodium and 39 grams of sugars. Kathy Castulik, University Health Services (U.H.S.) medical assistant and health educator described other problems that could arise from caffeine.

"Caffeine gives people a false high and then drops real quick which can effect moods, increase all vital signs, cause respiration problems, make people more hyper and have irregular sleep patterns," Castulik said.

Other caffeine stimulants can be bought as over-the-counter drugs. Products such as Nodoz has over 100 milligrams of caffeine per tablet. The drug Vivarin also has 200 milligrams of caffeine per pill. Dexatrim, Excedrin and Sinarest are some other drugs that have caffeine as a primary ingredient.

"Students should learn to drink caffeine wisely, reduce the amounts of intake, develop better study habits and work on time management to help reduce the risks of potential caffeine problems," Castulik said.