Caffeine is a substance that can be found in a variety of different beverages and foods throughout the world. Whether it is in coffee or even in tea leaves, caffeine is nearly everywhere. As a common staple in diets around the globe, many individuals rely on caffeine to provide them with the energy to get through the day. In more active societies, caffeine is seen as a necessity whereas in more lax societies it can be seen as a treat. Although it has an ample amount of properties to assist with maintaining a high level of energy, caffeine is extremely addictive and an excessive amount of consumption can be physically detrimental. There are also a lot of different myths pertaining to the consumption of alcohol such as drinking coffee will help to sober a drunk individual which as scientifically been proven to be false.
24 Facts About Caffeine Consumption
1. The United States is the country with the highest amount of caffeine consumption (971 tons) followed by Brazil (969 tons).
2. 54% of Americans over the age of 18 consume caffeine on a daily basis.
3. The average size of a single serving of coffee is approximately 9 ounces.
4. 65% of the total consumption of caffeine occurs during the hours around breakfast.
5. 30% of the total amount of coffee in the world is imported from Brazil.
6. The majority of caffeine consumers drink approximately 3.1 cups of coffee on a daily basis.
7. 68% of coffee drinkers have their first cup of coffee within 1 hour of waking up.
8. 54% of caffeine consumers state that the caffeine puts them in a better mood.
9. Teenagers and young adults consume approximately 100 mg of caffeine daily.
10. 70% of consumed caffeine is in the form of coffee.
11. 16% of caffeine that is consumed daily is in the form of soft drinks.
12. 12% of consumed caffeine is in the form of tea.
13. Caffeine can have a detrimental effect on sleeping patterns as 90% of high school students stated that they had issues sleeping due to the consumption of caffeine.
14. An excessive consumption of caffeine during childhood can make individuals 60% more likely to become obese.
15. 75% of the caffeine that you consume daily will be filtered out of your system within 10 hours.
16. 90% of people in the world consume at least one meal or beverage with caffeine in it daily.
17. Ingesting more than 744 mg of caffeine daily can increase the amount of calcium and magnesium that you lose in your urine.
18. Drinking caffeine in moderation does not force your body to become dehydrated.
19. The best times to drink coffee are between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM.
20. Once you begin drinking a caffeinated beverage it only takes approximately 10 minutes for the caffeine to enter your system.
21. Caffeine is comprised of antioxidants which help the human body to repel free radicals that are responsible for diseases and illnesses such as cancer.
22. It can be lethal to drink approximately 100 cups of coffee in 4 hours.
23. Depending on how the caffeine is consumed (regular cup of black coffee, mocha with whipped cream, soda, etc.) you could be at risk for becoming overweight.
24. Caffeine use can lead to other risky behaviors such as loss of inhibition and smoking cigarettes.
Effects of Consuming Caffeine
With a reasonable amount of consumption of caffeine (approximately 250 mg) individuals will notice that they feel less sleepy and are more alert. It is important to note that if used in moderation, caffeine will rarely show any negative side effects. Caffeine itself is a byproduct of plants that is generally found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and cocoa powder. There are also many over-the-counter and prescription drugs that use caffeine to help boost the body’s immune system. Considering that a reasonable dose of caffeine can be beneficial, it is commonly added to a variety of different things that you could find in your local supermarket.
The most popular way to ingest caffeine is through coffee which is a beverage that is brewed with an extraordinarily strong flavor. It is derived from a variety of roasted seeds that are generally found in Latin America, although there are over 70 countries that grow coffee plants. As the number one agricultural commodity around the world, many countries rely on this plant to provide them with regular funding. With a slightly acidic taste and a highly stimulating effect in regards to human consumption, there are both positive and negative effects that can be experienced from regularly drinking coffee.
As previously mentioned, caffeine is a substance that is incredibly easy for the human body to become addicted to and the withdrawal symptoms can be quite difficult for your body to deal with. The best way to determine whether you have become addicted to caffeine is to attempt to go a whole 24 hours without consuming one caffeinated beverage. If you notice zero adverse side effects than you either aren’t addicted or you’re one of the individuals who exhibit no signs of caffeine addiction while addicted. On the flip side you may experience an inability to concentrate, nausea, headaches, and even stomach cramps. These are all symptoms of caffeine withdrawal which is a prevalent indicator that you are sufficiently addicted to caffeine.
With that being said, caffeine addiction will be experienced differently by everyone due to the fact that everyone is different from one another. There are some individuals who can begin to feel the effects of caffeine simply by ingesting 100 mg whereas there are others who won’t feel any effects until they consume up to 1000 mg on a daily basis. Also, the symptoms of withdrawal can vary amongst the population as some may feel nausea whereas others may feel anxiety and headaches.
Benefits of Caffeine
One of the largest benefits associated with consuming caffeine is that it works relatively quickly within the human body. Your cells will begin to absorb it quickly but it is also removed from the body at a fast pace as well. Depending on the consumer, half of the caffeine that enters your system will be filtered out in less than 5 hours and ¾ of the caffeine will be completely gone by about 10 hours. This also depends on your sensitivity to caffeine.
A large negative effect of caffeine is in regards to sleep and sleeping patterns. If you are able to consume caffeine within a reasonable amount of time after waking up and before your usual bedtime, you may experience zero negative effects because of your caffeine consumption. If you consume caffeine too close to when you go to sleep, your mind will essentially be on overdrive and although you may feel sleepy, you may not be able to fall asleep. This has proven to be one of the most difficult aspects of caffeine consumption around the world – especially in young adults and professionals. Unfortunately many people require the use of caffeine to operate efficiently throughout the day, but their consistent consumption can also force them to receive far less sleep at night than they need to, therefore they end up consuming more caffeine. Without an appropriate schedule, it can be quite harmful to the human body to drink too much caffeine and gather very little sleep on a daily basis.