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.