U.S.A.
You have been up half the night downloading waypoints for a caching adventure. Finally, after a few hours of shut-eye you crawl out of bed and begin your day. If you are like most people, a dose of caffeine will be part of your morning ritual. Geocachers could be especially prone to caffeine addiction because of the physical requirements and mental alertness needed to ensure a successful caching experience.
First of all, let me apologize to anyone owning stock in Starbucks Coffee. I am not Michael Moore nor do I plan to make a documentary on how irresponsible the caffeine industry has been to the good people of Flint, Michigan. However, with the proliferation of coffeehouses, it’s time to stop and ask, “is caffeine good for me?” If you’re willing to take the time, books and medical reports abound decrying both the positive and negative effects of caffeine. Even the medical experts (many of whom rely on caffeine to jump-start their morning) are divided on how much caffeine is too much.
What I hope to accomplish with this article is to show how prevalent caffeine is in common products. By adding your daily intake of caffeine, you will now The field seems to be split on the dangers of caffeine to our health. However, there was one common response from both sides. Caffeine in large quantity is dangerous. have solid information on how much caffeine you consume. With this newfound information, you will have a better point of reference when consulting your doctor or other healthcare professional. And secondly, I want to provide help to those looking for an alternative to caffeine consumption.
In his book, “Caffeine Blues”, Stephen Cherniske writes that the origins of coffee are lost in legend. The most popular tale traces the discovery of coffee to a goatherd dwelling in Ethiopia. According to the story, a man watched his flock eat bright red berries from a wild evergreen bush. Soon the animals were leaping about with wild abandon. The man also tried the berries and soon he was leaping too.
At first, coffee ‘berries’ were consumed in many different ways. Typically the berries were crushed and mixed with foodstuff. Others were fermented to make wine. It wasn’t until the thirteenth century that Arab monks happened upon the process of drying the coffee ‘bean’. The brewing process began. Soon coffeehouses were springing up everywhere.
Americans are now the largest consumers of coffee in the world. We drink over 420 million cups per day, or about one-fifth of the world’s total annual supply. In America, coffee is the most popular substance containing caffeine, with soft drinks, tea, and chocolate as runners-up.
Coffee offers (by far) the highest dosage for caffeine intake. As many of you already know, caffeine is available to humans in soft drinks, tea, chocolate, sport power gels and pain relievers. However, soft drinks also account for a tremendous amount of caffeine addiction especially by children. Two of the most profitable corporations in the world happen to be soft drink manufacturers.
Amounts of caffeine in common products:
Cup of coffee 80-135 mg (7 oz.)
Instant coffee 65-100 mg (7 oz.)
Decaf, Instant 2-3 mg (7 oz.)
What I hope to accomplish with this article is to show how prevalent caffeine is in common products...And secondly, I want to provide help to those looking for an alternative to caffeine consumption.
Tea, iced 70 mg (12 oz.)
Mate 25-150 mg
Diet Coke 45 mg (12 oz.)
Coca-Cola 34 mg (12 oz.)
Barq’s Root Beer 22 mg (12 oz.)
Dr. Pepper 41 mg (12 oz.)
Sunkist Orange Soda 41 mg (12 oz.)
Mountain Dew 55 mg (12 oz.)
Pepsi-Cola 38 mg (12 oz.)
Chocolate bar 30 mg
Anacin 32 mg
Dristan 16 mg
Dexatrim 200 mg
Excedrin 65 mg
Midol 32 mg
No-Doz (reg.) 100 mg
Vivarin 200 mg
Vanquish 33 mg
(Source: according to Bunker and McWilliams in J. Am. Diet., National Soft Drink Association, Stephen Cherniske, M.S. in Caffeine Blues.)
In gathering the research necessary to create this article, I talked to several physicians and read numerous reports regarding caffeine. The field seems to be split on the dangers of caffeine to our health. However, there was one common response from both sides. Caffeine in large quantity is dangerous. Now the question becomes, how much is too much? As you can imagine, that all depends on the individual. Many factors such as weight, gender, health issues and diet have to be considered when dealing with caffeine consumption.
Dr. Patrick L. Hughes, M.D. of the Psychiatric and Family Services of Greater Kansas City, L.L.C. does not consider caffeine to be a major problem. Dr. Hughes believes that caffeine found in coffee is a ‘mild’ stimulant when used in moderation. When asked if adrenal gland exhaustion could be a problem with too much caffeine intake, he responded that an individual would have to consume mass quantities in order to adversely affect the adrenal glands.
A brief explanation of the adrenal glands would include the production of two hormones: epinephrine and norepinephrine. These hormones are responsible for the ‘fight or flight’ response humans have utilized in the past for day-to-day survival. We still experience fight or flight hormone reactions everyday but now instead of running from a saber toothed tiger, we are running to our next business meeting. Some research is now being done on the combination of fight or flight response (stress) and caffeine on the adrenal gland. The adrenal glands also produce hormones that help with our immune system, blood sugar, cell repair and more. In all, the adrenal glands produce more than 150 different type of hormones. For more information on this topic please ask your doctor or visit your library. There are several books on this subject, one of the better ones is, “Caffeine Blues: Wake Up To The Hidden Dangers of America’s #1 Drug” by Stephen Cherniske, M.S.
Use this information to do your own research. Be proactive when it comes to your health. The goal, after all, is to be caching as long as possible. What about alternatives to caffeine? Remember, stopping caffeine consumption ‘cold turkey’ can have devastating effects on your body. Consult your doctor or read the research on how to ‘beat the bean’ before attempting any type of caffeine withdrawal program. Lets look at the most obvious replacement for any type of caffeine-laced beverage, that’s right … water. Humans have consumed cool, crisp refreshing water for thousands of years. It is believed that early humans drank only water.
In addition to water, different types of tea with low or no caffeine are available. Many teas today have herbs that supply your body with a therapeutic benefit to different areas of the anatomy. Also, herbal coffee is available at supermarkets that cater to health conscience consumers. Herbal coffee contains no caffeine or acidity associated with the coffee bean. Remember, decaffeinated coffee still contains caffeine (usually about 10 mg per 12 oz mug) and is usually higher in acidity due to the type of bean they use to enhance the flavor after the decaffeinating process.
For those looking to beat the caffeine in soda, the easiest alternative is to move to a caffeine-free soda. However, some soft drinks have an astounding amount of sugar per 12 oz can (up to nine teaspoons) and that will adversely affect your weight and health. The alternative is a diet soft drink, yet research has shown people consuming diet cola to actually gain weight.
According to Stephen Cherninski, M.S., “your brain registers the intense sweetness of aspartame {an artificial sweetener} and instructs your intestinal tract to prepare for an enormous intake of calories. Your body creates enzymes to convert future calories to fat, just like it did 10,000 years ago. So even though the beverage contains only one calorie (a concept your brain and body do not understand), you remain primed to create fat as soon as you eat some real food. That’s why the more artificial sweeteners you consume, the more likely you are to gain weight – as confirmed by a study of 80,000 women over a six year period.”Another alternative to soft drinks is pure fruit juice. Be sure to avoid enhanced juice that contains high fructose corn syrup (sugar) and artificial sweeteners. Also, look for mineral water, this can be added to juice to cut the sugar content. And look for several types of cold herbal teas and ginger enriched beverages.
Listen to your body. No one knows your body better than you. Start by making a list and keeping inventory of physical and emotional conditions. Share this list with your healthcare professional for better understanding of your body’s needs. Use this information to do your own research. Be proactive when it comes to your health. The goal, after all, is to be caching as long as possible.
Note:This article is a collaboration of information from numerous sources. I have made an effort to collaborate, as much of this information as is possible but some information may be incorrect or misleading. For this and other reasons please understand that I am not advising you to take any action based on this article. In the realm of medicine I am specifically recommending seeking the advice of a competent medical caregiver. I am not giving medical or related advice, just a heartfelt opinion.