Surviving College Without Caffeine

Surviving College Without Caffeine: ABC News on Campus reporter Natalie Podgorski blogs: Fall semester is almost here, and that means days in the classroom and nights spent studying.  As the first round of exams approaches, libraries will begin to fill with students cramming the night before the test, sipping...

As a college student, I'm on an irregular sleeping and eating schedule which isn't always the healthiest. As I'm writing this blog it's almost leaning towards 3a.m. A typical college student can't go a day without drinking a cup of coffee or an energy drink to stay awake. It's a habitual to wake up and immediately think, "I need my cup of coffee before I start this day." There isn't anything wrong with drinking coffee. It's all about moderation. Watching your consumption right servings to stay healthy and energized. Too much of it can be detrimental to your health.


What are some of the risks of caffeine? If you really drink too much caffeine (usually more than 300 mg—so three cups of coffee in a row, which really isn’t that uncommon for college students), you can experience something called caffeine intoxication, which can get pretty serious. Some symptoms that point to a caffeine overdose:

restlessness/anxiety
increased urination
irregular or rapid heart rate
rambling speech and thoughts
disorientation
Too much caffeine can lead to all kinds of other nasty physical and mental problems in the long term, such as:

stomach ulcers
acid reflux
breast cysts
sleep disorders
depression
anxiety
delusions or psychosis (only in very high doses)

Kicking the habit is hard. Switching to herbal caffeinated teas that contain Ginseng are beneficial. High-octane foods, such as berries, mangoes, and whole grains, also provide us with a caffeine-free energy boost. Drinking lots of water, regular exercise, and trying to get on a semi-normal sleep schedule are also great ways to reduce your dependence on caffeine!



References:


http://www.hercampus.com/health/alert-addicted-caffeine-abuse-college-students
http://www.abc.net.au/quantum/poison/caffeine/caffeine.htm