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Chelsea Miller
Ms. Gould
English One Honors
26 March, 2013
A New Look at the Morning Rush
Pain relievers, chocolate, soda, coffee, tea, diet pills, all things that contain caffeine. Yet,
most of these things were not with us before the finding of this psychoactive drug, the most
popular drug in the world. It was only through chemical science and pure curiosity that we even
have caffeine today. Caffeine has no odor and a bitter taste (Lee 21), yet it works wonders past
the minds grasp. Caffeine has given people new experiences that enhance and reduce the quality
of life by giving new products, focus, legends, pain, and death.
Before time even began, people used caffeine as a pick-me-up. Caffeine can be found in
some plants and a few trees. Prehistoric tribes were thought to have chewed leaves and bark, and
some of these plants contained natural caffeine (Gilbert 20). These peoples noticed a burst of
energy and wakefulness, like we do today, but they did not experience the entire rush, as we
load our drinks and foods with this substance to give us that kick. Caffeine molecules replace a
chemical called adenosine in the brain and do not stop the brain from working quickly, as
adenosine does. Instead of slowing, the caffeine speeds up the brains activity (Lee 28). Caffeine
also increases heart rate and blood pressure (Caffeine Facts 1), which, in some cases, has been
lethal, as the heart works too rapidly or coarsely. When a person consumes caffeine, it goes
through the digestive system and enters the blood, where it reaches all parts of their body
(Abramovitz 1). This effect on the whole body can take hours to leave the body entirely, six to
eight hours at most (1). Trying to drink some coffee an hour before trying to sleep isnt such a

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great idea, as this information shows. A survey taken by Heart Disease Weekly shows that the
cities that consume the most caffeine products are, in most-to-least order, Chicago, Tampa,
Miami, Phoenix, and then Atlanta (Caffeine Survey 1). The least caffeine consuming cities are
San Francisco, then Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, and lastly Baltimore (1).
Caffeine has changed the world by giving todays population new products. It is quite
evident in energy drinks and foods, and the market for these items estimates around fifteen
billion dollars (Gilbert 53). Caffeine also is apparent in coffee, tea, and soft drinks, which are the
largest holders of caffeine ever. A single mug of coffee can contain twenty-nine to one hundred
seventy-six grams of caffeine, dependent upon the roast and strength. Tea holds eight to ninetyone grams (47). Tea has shown that one pound of the herb contains more caffeine than a pound
of coffee, a pound of tea gives out more servings than its coffee cousin (A Fresh Cup 1).
Caffeine is also found in many medicines. It has been proven that the combination of
ibuprofen and caffeine produces a greater degree of headache pain relief than either drug alone
(Headache 1). So, caffeine itself is a pain reliever, but put with other substances, can relieve
pain in a stronger, more efficient way. Caffeine is also evident in chocolate. There are many
types of chocolate, such as white, milk, and dark, but they all contain some amounts of caffeine
(Lee 25). Caffeine in coffee is found naturally in the coffee bean, and caffeine in tea is found in
the tea leaf. Caffeine is found in soda, and naturally in the kola nut. Caffeine can also be made
synthetically, or in a lab, and that caffeine substance is added to the medications and diet pills
previously mentioned.
Caffeine has also changed the world in the way people work. Caffeine makes people
more focused and efficient. It also gives people good feelings, more focus, a happier mood,
relaxation, and a sense of increased energy (Gilbert 114). Also, caffeine can improve the depth

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of breathing by strengthening the action of the diaphragm, which is a major muscle involved in
inhaling and exhaling (103). So, the more oxygen you breathe in, the more of it goes to your
brain, which helps you work longer and harder. Other effects of caffeine include improved
endurance and better physical performance (Hall1). Some endurance athletes even utilize
caffeine to develop better performance in their sport (Goff 1). The U.S. Olympic Committee has
regulated the amount of caffeine an Olympic contender can consume, though. The highest
amount an athlete can encompass is 1,200 milligrams, or about 12 cups of coffee (1). All in all,
caffeine stimulates better performance of body and mind.
Caffeine also changes the world in negative ways, or more directly, it gives pain and even
death to some people. The foundation of this pain is withdrawal. Caffeine is a drug, and people
do become addicted. When one decides to lay off the caffeine, excruciating effects take over.
Some of these include headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, runny nose, tiredness, yawning
excessively, sweating, anxiety, vomiting, depression, and even hallucinations (Gilbert 111-113).
Doesnt sound so pretty, does it? Another painful thing about caffeine is death. It really can
happen! A person can overdose on caffeine if they take about 5,000 milligrams by mouth in a
short period of time (108). The lowest dose of caffeine known to have caused death in an adult
is 3,200 milligrams (108). In fact, a fourteen-year-old Maryland girl named Anais Farnier
died from consumption of too much caffeine. She had about forty-eight ounces of caffeine in a
short period of time, and she officially deceased of cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity
(Hill 1). Arrhythmia is a disturbance of the hearts natural beating. Five deaths in the last three
years could be caused by Monster Energy drinks, and less than a month after this, thirteen deaths
were possibly linked to the energy shots known as 5-Hour Energy (Hall 1). This energy
supplement claims to have as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.

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Some people claim that they simply cant start the day without it. Caffeine is defined as
a psychoactive drug, and drugs are addictive. The lowest level of daily consumption at which
physical dependence occurs is approximately three hundred fifty milligrams per day (Gilbert
113). Because of that physical dependency, about three percent of North Americans older than
fourteen years consume six hundred fifty milligrams of caffeine or more each day (136). Thats
three hundred milligrams more than the addictive level. That doesnt seem like much, but each
year, the world consumes nearly 120,000 tons of caffeine (27). These large doses of caffeine per
person can cause the body to dehydrate, as it speeds up your digestive cycle, and lose calcium (5
Facts 1). Caffeine also can make your blood vessels smaller. This makes it harder for your heart
to pump blood through your body. So, your heart beats faster (Lee 22).
There is an old story that coffee, or, to be more exact, caffeine, can stunt your growth, or
make you shorter. Because of the effects caffeine has on bone mass and calcium, this could be
true. Caffeine, as stated earlier, can make the body lose calcium (5 Facts 1). When the bones lose
that calcium, bones lose mass, and such ailments as osteoporosis occur shortly after. (Franco 1).
Osteoporosis is curvature of the spine, and occurs more in elderly people than children. So, as it
is not necessarily the caffeine that stunts growth, but the bone mass loss, this old wives tale is
untrue.
Another folktale from various sources tells of caffeines first finding. A young shepherd
went out to a pasture to gather his goats. After searching for them for an extended period of time,
he found all the goats around a bush eating the berries from it. They were very energetic and
active, and so the young shepherd was curious. He decided to taste a berry for himself. He too
felt animated and lively after some time. He brought the berries, which he thought were some
magical fruit, to a local monastery, and there, the monks brewed the berries into their tea. The

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result was a drink that perked up the day and gave for longer working and shorter sleeping.
While this story may not be true, the effect of the berries, now known as coffee beans, is correct.
Caffeine is coffee beans gives a sense of energy and keeps one awake for a longer period of time.

In conclusion, the world utilizes caffeine every day, and the impact this psychoactive
drug has upon people is dramatically revolutionizing our products, our work, our history, and our
agony. It is only through our curiosity that we find ourselves drawn into this substance that is
like no other. Caffeine is meant for everyone, whether it is children, adolescents, adults, or
elders, and the effects impact equally. This ingredient has been with us since the dawn of time
itself, and there are always new ways to apply caffeine to daily life. Thanks to the ingenuity of
our peoples, we now enjoy chocolate, medications, coffee, and soft drinks. Caffeine has
transformed Earth in ways we still have yet to discover.