The Effects of Caffeine on the Human Body

How does Caffeine affect the human body? Caffeine is the world’s most popular drug (Spiller, 1998), and can be found in over 60 species of plants throughout the world. Consumption of caffeine comes from cola, coffee, cocoa, tea, some medications and so much more. In this paper I will describe the effects of caffeine on the human body, from the health risks to how it can help your body; here are just some of the ways caffeine affects the human body both physically and psychologically. First of all, caffeine has been shown to lead to a loss of minerals found in bones, which eventually will cause osteoporosis, a disease that is characterized by very weak and brittle bones (Liddell, 2011). According to Spiller (1998), “caffeine intake equivalent to 2 or more cups a day was associated with a significantly increased hip fracture risk in woman” (p.351). This is because caffeine decreases the ability of your body to absorb calcium by a small amount. To maintain a proper bone density and drink caffeine regularly, it is important to “aim for three or four daily servings of calcium-rich foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt” (Liddell, 2011).
Caffeine has many Psychological symptoms linked to it as well, such as addiction because caffeine is labeled as a stimulant so overtime people can become addicted to it (Martinez, 2010). Surprisingly you can become physically dependent on caffeine with only taking in doses as low as 100 mg a day (Gaskins, 1998), this is equivalent to 1 cup of coffee or 2 sodas! Also just like any other drug you can become addicted to, “people who are addicted to caffeine will experience withdrawal symptoms when they don't have enough in their system”
Running head: Caffeine and the human body
(Martinez, 2010). Other psychological symptoms that correlate to excessive caffeine ingestion are increased anxiety for those who already have anxiety and sleep