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America's most popular drug

Caffeinated drinks may lead to addiction, heart irregularities, study says.

By Diya Chacko
The Dish with Diya

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Students meet over a cup of coffee during finals week
Photo: Poulio Mavabmo

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Different energy drinks contain different amounts of caffeine.
Photo: Poulio Mavabmo

Caffeine is one of the essential ingredients of a normal cram session, and huge amounts are ingested during finals week. Getting by on a combination of too much Red Bull and too little sleep is practically a college requirement.

While energy drinks, soft drinks and coffee might be a staple of the student diet, many experts believe that taking in too much caffeine might lead to addiction, heart irregularities and even an overdose. Caffeine has positive effects in normal doses of 100 milligrams, or one cup of coffee.

The Good and Bad
It can increase alertness and physical stamina, enhance performance and even decrease or slow the effects of alcohol. But according to Dr. Cheruvathur Thomas Peter, a staff cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, more than half of adults in the U.S. consume more than 300 milligrams per day, in the form of energy drinks, sodas, coffee and over-the-counter stimulants such as No-Doz.

This statistic reflects the caffeine habits of some USC students, such as Jessica Kapadia, a junior majoring in print journalism.

"If I have to go out, but I've just finished a big shift at work, or I have a lot of homework, I like to drink Tab Energy," Kapadia said. "It really works; sometimes Red Bull just doesn't work as well."

When taken in large doses (about two to seven cups of coffee), caffeine can cause restlessness, nausea, dizziness, insomnia and heart irregularities. Huge doses can lead to caffeine intoxication, which can cause diarrhea, convulsions and even hallucinations. A lethal dose for an adult is considered to range from 13 to 19 grams.

Drinks such as Red Bull contain 9.64 milligrams of caffeine per ounce, or around 80 milligrams per serving. Mountain Dew, which has higher caffeine content than other sodas, contains about 38 milligrams per cup. And one cup of brewed coffee contains from 56 to 128 milligrams of caffeine.