Eve Kagami, Class II and Salma Ghaly, Class II
Photo Credit: Pixabay
As we’re all taught, caffeine is one of the most common addictions to have as teenagers. It’s easily obtainable in different beverages and various locations, and what more, it’s cheap!
Do you know what the most common form of caffeine is? Coffee! According to 2023 statistics from Statista, approximately 65% of the United States consume coffee daily. That’s about 218 million Americans! Isn’t that hard to believe?
Coffee is a beloved beverage, but most of the time, it contains caffeine; because they can get an extra boost in the morning or throughout the day, many people tend to rely on it. As a busy discip, it's easy to fall into the habit of consuming caffeinated beverages frequently to supplement their energy throughout the day.
Unfortunately, this can be extremely harmful for teenagers; continuous caffeine consumption in people under 18 can lead to stunted brain development, the worsening of anxiety disorders, and even heart arrhythmias! Furthermore, large intakes of caffeine can lead to resistance or tolerance, in which humans tend to consume more for higher effect; however, naturally, this isn’t a healthy habit. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration recommends that adults only consume a maximum of 400 mg of caffeine a day, and 100 mg for teenagers. In many cases, unintentionally building up resistance for caffeine can lead to a high case of insomnia, especially for younger people.
Signs of insomnia can also lead to the use of melatonin, which is another addicting, easily-obtainable drug amongst teens. It's important to know that your actions have consequences!
However, what’s ironic about caffeine is that when you suddenly try to stop your caffeine intake, besides the fact you would be abnormally tired, the abrupt withdrawal can also lead to insomnia! Because you're always messing up your sleep schedule and switching in and out of habits, which especially at our age should be kept somewhat consistent, caffeine is much harder to let go and get unaddicted than it is to start getting into it.
Nonetheless, there are healthy habits you can take to be healthier than you were the day before. If you're planning to reduce the amount of caffeine you consume, there are many alternatives.
Firstly, you can always opt for a beverage with less caffeine, such as a tea or matcha, or switch out your coffee with decaf. Secondly, a balanced breakfast can similarly help to wake you up. If you have a meal with carbohydrates, some fats, and proteins, you can stay alert for longer and your body can naturally produce energy. A healthy snack throughout the day can also be very beneficial, and help you to power through a difficult assignment or a particularly tiring class. Next, exercise, hydration, or just taking a short nap when you get home from school, can all help you to maintain a vigilant mind throughout the day. Finally, and arguably the most important, sleeping at a decent time and sleeping for a good amount of time can also help with maintaining your energy.
While it is hard to suppress the urge to chug a Celsius energy drink or an iced Dunkin coffee in the middle of class, it's important to keep in mind what the long term effects are. We’re only in high school, it’s far too early to be concerned about getting heart attacks — perhaps it's time to say vale to unhealthy life choices and say salve to a better immune system!
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