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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 1998)
Caffeine poses threats to users By Erin Gibson Editor It’s the drug of our lifetime. Cheap. Plentiful. Legal. Invisible. It evokes a sort of blind faith among thou sands of college students, professionals and retired folks who depend on it for energy. It magnifies their mugs of morning eye opener. It packs a punch in their 20-ounce quick slams. It lurks in „ „ - ^_ cnocoiaie ana ^b coffee-fla-^B vored treats, fl including® many inno-^K cent-looking^B ice creams® and yogurts. ® It's even® loaded into® some new fruit® * juices and waters* in amounts high* enough to jolt anl unwary consumer. ’ The drug is caf feine, and it power; an explosive ne\ java-loaded mark* place - one wh< health risks could sume Generation X while the generation consumes it. New retail shops, magazines, clubs and Web sites tout caffeine’s abilities to keep a generation alert and trendy. But somewhere, mingling among stepped up colas and trendy java-jolted espresso drinks, lies the naked truth about capitalism’s coolest beans: As with any other sinful substance, caffeine affects health, and nutritionists say consumers should watch how much they take in. Caffeine overdose symptoms, including nervousness, insomnia and irregular heart beats, can begin after ingesting as little as 250 mg of caffeine, accordmg to the American Psychiatric Association. A lethal dose is about 10 grams or more, the association reports, but that limit varies with an individ ual’s average, typical caffeine consumption, body weight and other health conditions. Moderate caffeine con sumption appears safe, said John Scheer, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln associate pro fessor in health and human perfor mance. But moderate consumption means drinking no more than two small cups of conee a day, scheer said, small means about 5 ounces, he added. The National Coffee Association reports an 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains about 135 milligrams of caffeine. Two small cups would contain about 169 mg. A 20-ounce bottle of Mountain Dew, the most popular pop brand among UNL students, contains about 69 mg, according to the National Soft Drink Association. Within five minutes of con sumption, caffeine stimulates _ brain activity and _; __j av^ia vjii iiti vt tiiu 1 ings to increase .endurance and \ wakefulness. \ Scheer said caffeine also increases a consumer's respiration rate, heart rate, blood pressure and the amount of stress hor mones in the bloodstream. In a hot environ ment, caffeine’s diuretic effect - how it forces the body to expel water - is potentially hazardous, Scheer said. Caffeine also hinders iron consumption and can sap bones of calcium, according to sever ai nutrition reierence dooks. “If you’re a heavy coffee drinker, you’re taking a risk for a variety of side effects,” Scheer said. Yet Americans consume about 150 billion cups of coffee a year and about 60 million cups of pop a day. Half of all Americans drink coffee daily. Many students seem to contribute heavily to such figures by consuming caffeinated drinks by the bucketful. For student java junkies who want to quit their habit of downing 16-ounce cups of joe while studying and socializing late nights, Scheer recommends they wean themselves off the addictive drug carefully. Before an important exam or project, “col lege students who are used to caffeine should not skip it,” he said. Withdrawal symptoms include headaches, drowsiness and fatigue, he said, and could affect students’ performance. For students who aren’t caffeine addicts - and even for those who are - Scheer suggests an alternative to stepping up caffeine use during the end-of-the-semester crunch. “A very natural way to keep the body awake is a fast 10-minute walk.” B's7 a qv* 5 P* ■ Sa\977a-661° Eee,tn.*^^ Fn & ^ yt p * ■ St 7-30 a.* xo 10 p* .7 - ™?£T* a.* » 10 V/2-6A»7 <0 , k intgM.Suo7a.mt0 te ' Wanton „ qa*e daV,f, toot Nebra bo%e too*3" 9 •79-8293v.0te' ■kdays and *'^ef , espresso and ^neTbeC°, ^ a 3S.t3*s*'"= l0P.m. a„5.82" -6P 'eoyday 6 a.*- * He,b *33 10 3 ^ ^ ;aVton Cottee and "q 7 p .rtv. <eet«lays7P30 ^utday n*9 Matt Haney & Jon Frank/DN Caffeine Content Product Serving Size Caffeine0 OTC Drugs Vivarin 1 tablet 200 No Doz, regular strength 1 tablet 100 Coffees Espresso 1.5 ounces 100 Coffee, brewed 8 ounces 135* Coffee, instant 8 ounces 95 Coffee, flavored instant 8 ounces 25-90 Coffee, decaffeinated 8 ounces 5 Teas Tea, leaf or bag 8 ounces 50’ Iced Tea, bottled 16 ounces 18-40 Tea, green 8 ounces 30 Tea, instant 8 ounces 15 Tea, herbal 8 ounces 0 Frozen desserts Ben & Jerry's No Fat Coffee Fudge Frozen Yogurt 1 cup 85 Starbucks Ice Cream 1 cup 40-60 Haagen-Dazs Coffee Ice Cream 1 cup 58 Healthy Choice Cappuccino Chocolate Chunk 1 cup 8 Soft Drinks Jolt 16 ounces 100 Mountain Dew 16 ounces 55 Surge 16 ounces 51 Diet Coke 16 ounces 47 Coca-Cola 16 ounces 45 Dr. Pepper, regular & diet 16 ounces 41 Sunkist Orange Soda 16 ounces 40 Pepsi-Cola 16 ounces 37 Barqs Root Beer 16 ounces 23 7-Up, Sprite 16 ounces 0 Mug Root Beer 16 ounces 0 Minute Maid Orange Soda 16 ounces 0 Caffeinated waters Java Water 1/2 liter 125 Aqua Java 1/2 liter 50-60 Juices Juiced 10 ounces 60 Yogurt’s, one container Dannon Coffee Yogurt 8 ounces 45 Yoplait Cafe Au Lait Yogurt 6 ounces 5 Dannon Light Cuppoccino Yogurt 8 ounces 1 Chocolate Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Bar 1 bar (1.5 ounces) 31 Hershey Bar, milk chocolate 1 bar (1.5 ounces) 10 Cocoa or hot chocolate 8 ounces 5 0 in mg ’vanes with strength Jon Frank/DN A cupful af coffee Assies What’s In a Roast? The term “roast” refers to how coffee beans are roasted to obtain a particular depth of flavor after they are picked, washed and dried. The more a bean is roasted, the darker it becomes and the more it trades its coffee traits for a pungent roast aroma and more roasted flavor. Unfortunately, roast definitions vary with each roaster. To get the “right” roast, inspect the beans before buying. From seed to shelf Popular arabica coffee beans grow on large 14- to 20-foot tall bushes and mature inside bright red, cherry-like berries that hang among green, oval-shaped leaves on bush branches. Each cherry contains two flat seeds, which are coffee beans. After berries are picked, light green coffee beans are extracted from the fruit. Beans are washed and dried, then roasted to obtain their light to dark brown color and rich flavor. sources: Over the Coffee, COFFEE NUTz, The Coffee Science Source