The Effects of Caffeine on People Essay Example

85%. This is the percentage of Americans that consume caffeine on a daily basis.  Caffeine, according to The Better Health Channel, is a drug that stimulates (increases the activity of) your brain and nervous system. People strive to find the best caffeine product out there to give them the greatest boost of energy. Caffeine comes in the form of drinks, bars, and even nuts. This common drug sold everywhere is available to all people, to which many people abuse the use of caffeine. The misuse of caffeine contributes to many issues within the body, including death from overdosing on such a common drug. The substantial effects of caffeine are abnormal brain functions, adequate and poor health, and hostile effects on a developing fetus.

One of the most prevalent reasons people use caffeine is to gain energy, which affects how their brain functions.  Rachel Link, a medical specialist says "Caffeine is known to increase alertness. It works by blocking the effects of adenosine, a brain chemical that makes you feel tired. At the same time, it triggers the release of adrenaline, the “fight-or-flight” hormone associated with increased energy” (Link).  When caffeine enters the body, reactions happen within the brain that causes an energy burst. Caffeine attaches to the receptors that adenosine would normally attach to. Therefore, caffeine blocks this chemical from being used to make you tired. This is why people tend to have more energy after drinking energy drinks, or even coffee. Jamie Eske, a writer for Medical News Today finds "The body rapidly absorbs caffeine, so people may feel its effects within minutes. In fact, the body absorbs 99%Trusted Source of caffeine within 45 minutes of consuming it. Once the body fully metabolizes the caffeine, its effects will wear off. When the caffeine wears off, adenosine molecules can bind to their receptors, which can cause sleepiness” (Eske).  Caffeine affects the body in many ways, in which energy loss is only one of the few. It is evident that caffeine does not last forever, so it is important to see what happens when it wears off on the adenosine receptors. After the caffeine does stop binding to these receptors, it causes extreme tiredness. This sleepiness level is higher after taking the caffeine than before. 

Another effect of caffeine is that the amount a person drinks is associated with excellent, as well as poor health.  Many researchers and dietitians from Piedmont, a healthcare organization say “Caffeine found in coffee, tea, soda, and foods can also place a strain on your kidneys. Caffeine is a stimulant, which can cause increased blood flow, blood pressure, and stress on the kidneys. Excessive caffeine intake has also been linked to kidney stones”(Piedmont).  The consequences of caffeine can have a major impact on a person's health, such as harming health, which could lead to strokes.  Although excess caffeine has negative effects on the kidneys, caffeine in moderation is actually very good for reducing the chances of kidney stones. Despite this, when too much caffeine enters the body, the blood flow increases, making the kidneys release lots of water in the form of urine. This causes the kidneys to become dehydrated.  Alina Petre, a registered dietitian specializing in sports nutrition and plant-based diets found that “a study linked drinking 2–3 cups of caffeinated coffee (providing about 200–300 mg caffeine) per day to a 45% lower risk of suicide, and drinking between 3–5 cups of coffee per day may also reduce the risk of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by 28–60%” (Petre). Caffeine, especially in the form of coffee is beneficial to people and their mental and physical health. 45% lower rates of suicide deaths may not seem like that much, but one million people in the world annually die from suicide. Coffee, a form of caffeine contains anti-inflammatory properties that decrease suicidal thoughts. Once again, caffeine binds to adenosine, which is responsible for depressed moods. Caffeine also reduces the chances of a person getting diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease because it enhances the dopamine in the body. 

The final effect of caffeine is that excess amounts of this drug have substantial effects on the development of a fetus. Dr. Grantz lead a study in which "The researchers noted that caffeine is believed to cause blood vessels in the uterus and placenta to constrict, which could reduce the blood supply to the fetus and inhibit growth” (National Institute of Health).  When a pregnant mother consumes caffeine on a regular basis, the developing baby can experience growth defects. These growth defects can put the growing fetus at major health risks, including high probabilities of obesity and diabetes that show up later in their lifetime. The consumption of extreme amounts of caffeine, with the most common being coffee in pregnant mothers can correlate to pregnancy losses. Similarly, the Students of the University of Rochester Medical Center discovered that some “New research finds caffeine consumed during pregnancy can change important brain pathways that could lead to behavioral problems later in life. Elevated behavioral issues, attention difficulties, and hyperactivity are all symptoms that researchers observed in these children” (University of Rochester).  When a mother is pregnant with her child, physical and behavioral issues can be developed in the womb. Although caffeine can help remedy attention deficit disorders and hyperactivity, it is also a cause of them as well. Some of the behavioral issues are minor, but it is uncertain how the long-term effects pan out. The most common reason for behavioral issues is due to a different biological pathway when a mother consumed caffeine. 

Every action comes with consequences and rewards. When somebody consumes excessive amounts of caffeine, they can develop peculiar brain activity, satisfactory along with vile health, and an inhospitable environment for a growing fetus. Caffeine on the brain influences energy, as well as tiredness when consumed in improper doses. Caffeine also increases issues within the kidneys, with kidney stones being one of the most common. Moreover, caffeine decreases the chances of suicide and suicidal thoughts. Lastly, the effects of caffeine on a pregnant mother increase the probability the child will have behavioral and growth complications. Many people fall victim to the addiction to caffeine, without regard to the health ramifications that it imposes.