Caffeine: more bad than good?

By Kate Stringer Staff Writer stringer14@up.edu

When it comes to knowledge regarding caffeine, students feel pretty confident. They know that it takes a large jolt to pay attention in their 8:10 a.m. class and an even bigger dose to stay awake until 2 a.m. writing their midterm paper.

What they might not know is that in December, 14-year-old Anais Fournier of Maryland went into cardiac arrest and died after consuming two 24 ounce Monster Energy drinks in one day, with caffeine toxicity reported as contributing to her death. In mid- October her mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Monster Beverage Corp., claiming the company failed to warn consumers about the risks associated with its products.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently investigating five deaths and a heart attack claimed to be caused by energy drinks.

Caffeine is naturally found in some plants but can be synthetically made and added to products such as energy drinks including Red Bull, Rockstar, and Monster. According to registered dietician and nursing instructor Kim Nguyen, 90 percent of the world population drinks coffee or caffeinated beverages.

"The benefit of drinking caffeine is that it stimulates your body and your mind," Nguyen said. "It keeps you awake when you didn't get enough sleep because you were up late studying for your exam."

Senior Todd Tully, who occasionally drinks Rockstar Zero Carb, appreciates the sense of focus energy drinks provide.

"Energy drinks have an effect that creates a heightened sense of awareness and acute concentration on my homework or a test," Tully said. "It focuses me a little more and gives me a ton of energy so I don't have to worry about dozing off."

For some students, consuming caffeine is more about the taste of the beverage than the need to stay alert.

"I drink tantalizing coffee because it's delicious," said sophomore John Liedtke. "I don't get why people drink black coffee - I drink for the sugar."

However, for some people, the effects of caffeine are more detrimental than beneficial. According to Nguyen, individuals sensitive to caffeine experience anxiety, nervousness, and irritability.

Even for those not sensitive to caffeine, 200 to 300 milligrams is the recommended daily limit, according to Mayo clinic. While these numbers vary depending on an individual's size and gender, the FDA reports that 600 milligrams is considered too much.

5-Hour Energy has the most caffeine per ounce with 207 milligrams in a two ounce bottle. Most energy drinks have a lower caffeine content, such as Monster Energy which contains 240 milligrams of caffeine in a 24 ounce can. Coffee generally has higher caffeine content per ounce; 16 ounces of Starbucks coffee has 330 milligrams of caffeine.

However, solely comparing caffeine levels doesn't take into account the other stimulants frequently found in energy drinks including guarana, acai berry, taurine, and ginseng.

When selecting caffeinated beverages, a person needs to weigh health history. In the case of Fournier, an autopsy showed her death was caused by cardiac arrhythmia, which was further complicated by Ehlers-Danlos, a syndrome that affects the blood vessels.

Certified Family Nurse Practitioner Sue Oshiro-Zeier has had high school aged students come to her who suffered from the effects of too much caffeine.

"People's hearts are racing and they feel panicky," Oshiro-Zeier said. "They drank too many energy drinks and they don't know what's happening. It can make people feel really anxious."

Sophomore Derek Schumacher estimates that he drinks three 20 ounce coffees every day.

"I do believe I'm addicted," Schumacher said. "Sometimes when I have too much caffeine I just start shaking."

According to According to Oshiro-Zeier, people may develop headaches, anxiety, irritation or depression.

Because energy drinks are dietary supplements, they are not regulated by the FDA. Therefore, the five deaths associated with Monster Energy were not made public until a formal request was made under the Freedom of Information Act.

Another consequence from the lack of regulation by the FDA is that energy drink manufacturers are not legally required to provide the amount of caffeine in their products. For example, the FDA regulates the amount of caffeine in soda to a maximum of .02 percent but has no such regulations on energy drinks.

Furthermore, a Consumer Reports study found that some energy drinks that specify caffeine levels on their products tend to have 20 percent more caffeine than reported.

Oshiro-Zeier believes accurately labeling energy drinks is important for safety.

"Labels need to be clear," Oshiro-Zeier said. "There are drinks that are heavily laden with caffeine and people don't really know what they're getting."

Nguyen believes most people are not very knowledgeable about caffeine.

"Drinking too much caffeine is not good," Nguyen said. "Sometimes if you drink too much coffee, it can make you feel really full and then you won't eat your meals when you should be eating your meals and then you skip meals and you feel more tired and so you drink more coffee. It's a vicious cycle."

Additionally, Oshiro-Zeier wants students to be aware of the risks that come from mixing alcohol with caffeine.

"People drink alcohol with caffeine with idea that it makes them less intoxicated but that's not true," Oshiro-Zeier said. "They are still incapacitated."

For students who still feel reliant on caffeine to boost their studying and alertness, Oshiro-Zeier recommends some natural solutions.

"Get up, walk around, do some sort of physical activity," Oshiro-Zeier said. "Make sure that [students] eat something healthy, make sure they eat enough proteins."

Despite the recent attention given to caffeine in the media, most people are not in danger from dying from caffeine complications.

"A cup of coffee here and there is not a bad thing," Nguyen said. "Just like anything else moderation is really key."