Caffeine Persuasive Speech Outline
I. Introduction
A. Attention Getter: If you drink some kind of caffeine on a daily basis or close to that often, please raise your hand. Those you without your hands raised make up a rare percentage of today’s Americans. An article published in the Chicago Tribune on October 19, 2011 by Julie Deardorff, stated that nearly 90% of Americans drink coffee on a regular basis.
B. Relevance Statement: When asked if you drank coffee or another source of caffeine regularly, the majority of the class raised their hand. A study by Hope Graven in the National Undergraduate Research Clearinghouse in 2000 showed that four out of five college students consume caffeine daily.
C. Credibility Statement: In addition to thoroughly researching this topic, I know personally after late nights one of the first …show more content…
things I need in the morning is a cup of coffee to get me going.
D. Thesis: The use of caffeine in America is on the up-rise and most of us are unaware of how it actually affects us.
E.
Preview: I’m going to discuss how caffeine affects your body, the negative side effects of overconsumption, and how proper use and moderation can be actually be beneficial.
(Transition: Caffeine is the one of the most widely used drugs around the world.)
II. Body
A. As commonly as caffeine is consumed, most users aren’t aware of its actual effects on the body.
1. You can begin feeling its effects minutes after consumption and will continue to experience it up 8 hours later.
2. Caffeine limits the creation of adenosine which signals the body to feel tired and sleepy.
a. At the same time it stimulates your nerve cells and releases adrenaline to give you a lifted and energized feeling.
b. This tricks your body into thinking it’s in a state of emergency and you’ll experience short term improvement in mental and physical performance (Mrazik).
(Transition: The initial alertness is usually short lived and there can be substantial side effects when you consume too much caffeine.)
B. It’s recommended that you don’t take in more than 300mg/day – about 3 cups of coffee.
1. Any more than this will overstimulate you leaving you feeling restless, irritable, and
shaky.
2. Some of the more serious side effects include: insomnia, panic attacks, and depression
a. Excessive caffeine consumption also has the unpleasant side effects of diarrhea and frequent urination.
3. Randy Dontinga wrote in Wired magazine on December 19, 2006 that there are even lethal levels of caffeine.
a. 53 cans of Starbucks Double Shot or 152 cans of Diet Coke will kill you (Dontinga).
4. Drinks with naturally occurring caffeine such as coffee, tea, and chocolate are much safer and harder to overdo than the amounts found in soda and energy drinks.
a. California considered adding caffeine in energy drinks to their list of harmful substances in 2005 (Miranda).
i. They found significant evidence of negative effects on pregnant women such as spontaneous abortions and decreased fetal growth.
b. There is a new caffeine inhaler, Aeroshot Pure Energy, on the market.
i. It was released this year that contains 100 mg of caffeine power per shot. ii. It only available in Massachusetts, New York, and France right now but is feared that it will become the new club drug because of the ability to consume so much of it so quickly.
(Transition: Although drinking too much caffeine can be counterproductive, there are benefits and ways to use it productively.)
1. As many of us have experienced, when you load up on caffeine early in the day, you find yourself crashing by the afternoon.
2. A better way is to consume a little caffeine in the morning and then continue to take small doses the rest of the day.
a. In an article written Dec 17, 2004 by Jeffrey Kluger in Time Magazine, sleep researcher, James Wyatt of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, tested this theory and found this method will increase cognitive performance and you won’t crash later on (Kluger).
b. Dr. William Davis of Health Central, suggested in an article published in 2010 that if you are going to consume caffeine, you need to do so frequently. This eliminates the increased blood pressure and sugar and artery constriction effects associated with caffeine (Davis).
c. He also says to avoid artificial sweeteners which can negate the potential benefits because of their chemical contents (Davis).
3. The popular slogan, “everything in moderation”, definitely applies to caffeine.
a. It is seemingly harmless the majority of the time (Mrazik).
4. A Harvard study of 126,000 people found that downing 1-3 cups of coffee daily reduced diabetes risk in men by 54% and in women by 30%.
a. Additionally, caffeine consumption reduces risk of Parkinson’s disease (Mrazik).
b. Men and women who regularly drink coffee are also 20% less likely to have heart attacks.
(Transition: As you can see, caffeine can be beneficial to your health when you don’t overdo it.)
III. Conclusion
A. Restatement of Thesis: Most of us don’t go a day without using caffeine as a source of energy, but knowing its limitations will help us realize the benefits.
B. Summary of Main Points: Caffeine is a proven short term performance enhancer and offers long term health benefits, but when you aren’t careful about your intake it can be counterproductive.
C. Tie to Intro: With the number of Starbucks growing daily and new energy drinks appearing all the time, it seems caffeine will always be a part of our lives.
D. Concluding Statement/Call to Action: “Too much of a good thing can be bad for your health” and caffeine intake is no exception. Davis, W. (2010, March 3). Frequent coffee consumption may reduce likelihood of developing heart disease, diabetes. Health Central. Retrieved from, http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/1435/105382/consumption/
Deardorff, K. (2011, October 19). Kick the habit: If caffeine owns you, it might be time to reassert yourself. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Dontinga, R. (2006, December 19). Death by caffeine: how many double-shots will kill you? Wired Magazine. Retrieved February 14, 2012, from http://www.wired.com/bodyhack/2006/12/death_by_caffei/
Graven, H. L. (2000). Caffeine Consumption and Its Relationship with Students’ Study Habits. National Undergraduate Research Clearinghouse, 3. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://www.webclearinghouse.net/volume/
Kluger, J. (2004, December 17). The buzz on caffeine. Time Magazine, pp. 52-55.
Miranda, N. (2007 December 10). Caffeine drinks could get warning label. ABC 7. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=5826521
Mrazik, D. (2004, April 27). Reconsidering caffeine. Unpublished manuscript, Harvard Law School.
A. Attention Getter: If you drink some kind of caffeine on a daily basis or close to that often, please raise your hand. Those you without your hands raised make up a rare percentage of today’s Americans. An article published in the Chicago Tribune on October 19, 2011 by Julie Deardorff, stated that nearly 90% of Americans drink coffee on a regular basis.
B. Relevance Statement: When asked if you drank coffee or another source of caffeine regularly, the majority of the class raised their hand. A study by Hope Graven in the National Undergraduate Research Clearinghouse in 2000 showed that four out of five college students consume caffeine daily.
C. Credibility Statement: In addition to thoroughly researching this topic, I know personally after late nights one of the first …show more content…
things I need in the morning is a cup of coffee to get me going.
D. Thesis: The use of caffeine in America is on the up-rise and most of us are unaware of how it actually affects us.
E.
Preview: I’m going to discuss how caffeine affects your body, the negative side effects of overconsumption, and how proper use and moderation can be actually be beneficial.
(Transition: Caffeine is the one of the most widely used drugs around the world.)
II. Body
A. As commonly as caffeine is consumed, most users aren’t aware of its actual effects on the body.
1. You can begin feeling its effects minutes after consumption and will continue to experience it up 8 hours later.
2. Caffeine limits the creation of adenosine which signals the body to feel tired and sleepy.
a. At the same time it stimulates your nerve cells and releases adrenaline to give you a lifted and energized feeling.
b. This tricks your body into thinking it’s in a state of emergency and you’ll experience short term improvement in mental and physical performance (Mrazik).
(Transition: The initial alertness is usually short lived and there can be substantial side effects when you consume too much caffeine.)
B. It’s recommended that you don’t take in more than 300mg/day – about 3 cups of coffee.
1. Any more than this will overstimulate you leaving you feeling restless, irritable, and
shaky.
2. Some of the more serious side effects include: insomnia, panic attacks, and depression
a. Excessive caffeine consumption also has the unpleasant side effects of diarrhea and frequent urination.
3. Randy Dontinga wrote in Wired magazine on December 19, 2006 that there are even lethal levels of caffeine.
a. 53 cans of Starbucks Double Shot or 152 cans of Diet Coke will kill you (Dontinga).
4. Drinks with naturally occurring caffeine such as coffee, tea, and chocolate are much safer and harder to overdo than the amounts found in soda and energy drinks.
a. California considered adding caffeine in energy drinks to their list of harmful substances in 2005 (Miranda).
i. They found significant evidence of negative effects on pregnant women such as spontaneous abortions and decreased fetal growth.
b. There is a new caffeine inhaler, Aeroshot Pure Energy, on the market.
i. It was released this year that contains 100 mg of caffeine power per shot. ii. It only available in Massachusetts, New York, and France right now but is feared that it will become the new club drug because of the ability to consume so much of it so quickly.
(Transition: Although drinking too much caffeine can be counterproductive, there are benefits and ways to use it productively.)
1. As many of us have experienced, when you load up on caffeine early in the day, you find yourself crashing by the afternoon.
2. A better way is to consume a little caffeine in the morning and then continue to take small doses the rest of the day.
a. In an article written Dec 17, 2004 by Jeffrey Kluger in Time Magazine, sleep researcher, James Wyatt of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, tested this theory and found this method will increase cognitive performance and you won’t crash later on (Kluger).
b. Dr. William Davis of Health Central, suggested in an article published in 2010 that if you are going to consume caffeine, you need to do so frequently. This eliminates the increased blood pressure and sugar and artery constriction effects associated with caffeine (Davis).
c. He also says to avoid artificial sweeteners which can negate the potential benefits because of their chemical contents (Davis).
3. The popular slogan, “everything in moderation”, definitely applies to caffeine.
a. It is seemingly harmless the majority of the time (Mrazik).
4. A Harvard study of 126,000 people found that downing 1-3 cups of coffee daily reduced diabetes risk in men by 54% and in women by 30%.
a. Additionally, caffeine consumption reduces risk of Parkinson’s disease (Mrazik).
b. Men and women who regularly drink coffee are also 20% less likely to have heart attacks.
(Transition: As you can see, caffeine can be beneficial to your health when you don’t overdo it.)
III. Conclusion
A. Restatement of Thesis: Most of us don’t go a day without using caffeine as a source of energy, but knowing its limitations will help us realize the benefits.
B. Summary of Main Points: Caffeine is a proven short term performance enhancer and offers long term health benefits, but when you aren’t careful about your intake it can be counterproductive.
C. Tie to Intro: With the number of Starbucks growing daily and new energy drinks appearing all the time, it seems caffeine will always be a part of our lives.
D. Concluding Statement/Call to Action: “Too much of a good thing can be bad for your health” and caffeine intake is no exception. Davis, W. (2010, March 3). Frequent coffee consumption may reduce likelihood of developing heart disease, diabetes. Health Central. Retrieved from, http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/1435/105382/consumption/
Deardorff, K. (2011, October 19). Kick the habit: If caffeine owns you, it might be time to reassert yourself. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://www.chicagotribune.com/
Dontinga, R. (2006, December 19). Death by caffeine: how many double-shots will kill you? Wired Magazine. Retrieved February 14, 2012, from http://www.wired.com/bodyhack/2006/12/death_by_caffei/
Graven, H. L. (2000). Caffeine Consumption and Its Relationship with Students’ Study Habits. National Undergraduate Research Clearinghouse, 3. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://www.webclearinghouse.net/volume/
Kluger, J. (2004, December 17). The buzz on caffeine. Time Magazine, pp. 52-55.
Miranda, N. (2007 December 10). Caffeine drinks could get warning label. ABC 7. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=5826521
Mrazik, D. (2004, April 27). Reconsidering caffeine. Unpublished manuscript, Harvard Law School.