caffeine

Comm 10
Major #1 Informative Speech Evidence Homework #1

Topic: Caffeine

Preview: Every morning when I wake up the first thing I do after brushing my teeth is walk straight to the coffee pot. I pour myself a hot rich cup of coffee to start the day off. On my way out the door I grab my go cup and fill it up. When I finally get to school I get myself another cup of coffee. How many miller grams of caffeine do you think I have drank at this point? According to the Mayo Clinic a healthy amount of caffeine for an adult is 200 to 300 miller grams each day which equals to 2 to 4 cups of coffee. By the time I had my third cup of coffee which should be my limit, it was only 9am. My point is that we need to be aware of how much caffeine take in and how it can affect you. Today I will be telling you about how easy it is to overdose on caffeine and its negative effects.

Source: What is caffeine: According to “University Health Service http://www.uhs.umich.edu/caffeine Caffeine is a plant product that is most commonly found in coffee beans, tea, soft drinks, cocoa and chocolate. Caffeine is also found in some prescription and non-prescription drugs, including cold, allergy and pain relievers.’’

Source: Ever wondered how much caffeine you take and what dose do to you? According to “Food and Drug Administration (FDA)” http://www.fda.gov/default.htm ,Caffeine occurs naturally in more than 60 plants including coffee beans, tea leaves, kola nuts used to flavor soft drink colas, and cacao pods used to make chocolate products. Man-made caffeine is sometimes added to foods, drinks, and medicines. Ninety percent of people in the world use caffeine in one form or another. In the U.S., 80 percent of adults consume caffeine every day – the average adult has an intake of 200 mg per day, the amount in two 5-ounce cups of coffee or four sodas. A study of 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students in Ohio found that students took in an average of 53 mg of caffeine per day, but almost one in five students took in more than 100mg of caffeine each day.
A. SUBPOINT: Whether caffeine is consumed in food or as a medicine, it changes the way your brain and body work and changes how you behave and feel. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. Your central nervous system includes your brain, spinal cord, and the other nerves in your body. Caffeine’s main effect on your body is to make you feel more awake and alert for a while, but it can also cause problems like:
• Make you jittery and shaky
• Make it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get a good night’s sleep
• Make your heart beat faster
• Cause an uneven heart rhythm
• Raise your blood pressure
• Cause headaches, nervousness and dizziness
Source: How easy it is to overdose on caffeine and yes Caffeine overdose does happen and has been documented. Here are some of the more recent cases found on http://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-overdose-facts-and-fiction resulting in death or hospitalization;
• 19 year old James Stone dies after taking 25 to 30 No Doz pills in 2007. (at least 2.5 grams of caffeine)
• 40 Seagulls die from caffeine overdose in Canada this year from eating used coffee grinds.
• 17 year old Jasmine Willis, a Durham, UK waitress overdosed by drinking 7 double espressos in 2007. She was taken to the hospital, but recovered soon after. (that’s roughly 1.078 grams)
• In the late 1990’s an Australian women, with a heart condition died after consuming a guarana based shot from her local health food store. This product is no longer on the market. (10g/liter, ok that’s just nuts!)
• 2010 a 23 British man from Mansfield, England died after taking to 2 spoonful of pure caffeine powder washed down by an energy drink at a party. His death was ruled accidental.
• 2011 Fourteen-year-old Anais Fournier, died after she consumed two 24 ounce Monsters (480mg of caffeine) in a 24 hour period. Cause of death was a heart arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity. There seems to be some conflicting stories as to how much she really consumed and this seems true since 480mg in a 24 hour period isn’t a toxic amount .Update October, 2012: Her parents are suing Monster Energy for wrongful death although the girl did have a known pre-existing heart condition.
• 2012 The FDA is investigating Monster Energy since the energy drink has been linked to five deaths over the past year.
• 2013: According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, energy drink related ER visits have doubled in the last 4 years, however, 42% of these visits involved caffeine in combination with other drugs such as alcohol or other narcotics.
A. SUBPOINT: Here are the top 5 negative effects of caffeine :
1) Caffeine linked to gout attacks. This study showed that people who binge on caffeinated beverages increase their risk for a gout flare-up.
2) Caffeine could cause incontinence. A study out of the University of Alabama showed that women who consume a lot of caffeine are 70% more likely to develop incontinence.
3) Caffeine may cause insomnia. Caffeine in a person’s system at bedtime can mimic the symptoms of insomnia.
4) Worse Menopause Symptoms. A recent study published in The Journal of The North American Menopause Society showed that menopausal women who consumed caffeine had a greater degree of vasomotor symptoms.
5) Caffeine Overdose. While overdose is rare, it can lead to many adverse symptoms including death, especially in those with underlying medical conditions. Some have a lower tolerance for caffeine than others.