“What we don't know won't hurt us.” That's what the world has been telling us for a long time. And it will cost us.
Caffeine today is a major part of global cultures. It is used in teas in China and Britain, used in coffee in all kinds of places, however unlikely, and it is used in, of course, various types of soda pop. Why is the world so much into caffeinated food and drink? Because it is addictive. Just like any type of alcohol or drug, caffeine will only make you want to come back for more.
Take Coke, for example. I once read an e-mail from someone with all kinds of interesting facts about Coke. Here are a few of them: "In many states in the USA the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident." If you put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke, within two days it will be gone. Coke can be used to loosen rusty bolts, clean corrosion from battery terminals, clean toilets, and remove grease from clothes.
The possibilities are endless, most of which have nothing to do with drinking this destructive substance. None of these examples have anything to do with caffeine, except that Coke is made with quite a bit of it, it's causing people to become addicted to it, and it isn't doing any of them any good. In fact, a while back scientists did a test on athletes. The results came back as follows: those athletes who drink caffeinated beverages regularly, as opposed to those who don't, are less likely to perform well in their athletic activities.
Not only does caffeine make even the most respectable people addicts, but it also keeps them awake (or gives them a "buzz"). Some believe this to be a good thing, that allows workers to remain as conscious as possible during their labors, and keeps students from falling asleep in class (which may not be true at all). However, the body requires 8-10 hours of sleep every night (although there is much controversy as to the true required amount), and when caffeine gets in the way of sleep, we should all start to realize how frightening the situation is.
However, those people who love chocolate, and who know that it contains caffeine, can probably stop worrying. The amount of caffeine in chocolate is so minute that, unless consumed in large amounts, it shouldn't keep you awake like the energy drinks on today's market, and it will not have any harmful side effects.
Caffeine comes with an abundance of negative effects, some of which are short-term effects, such as stomachaches, headaches, nervousness, nausea, and dizziness. On top of that, it takes hours for the body to fully filter out all of the caffeine, requiring an average of 6 hours to remove approximately 50%.
The popularity of caffeine in the world is an extremely frightening concept when examined from every angle. Caffeinated beverages are sold in almost every singe store in every single city in every single state in every single region of perhaps every single country in the world. People are beginning to justify their consumption of it with work or school.
Manufacturers are finding new ways to make it more open to the public, and are goings to great extremes with their products to encourage individuals to try it out (iced coffee, for example). Just like drugs and alcohol, caffeine has entered the homes of millions of people who seem to be unaware of its terrible consequences. Those who are aware simply try to ignore the fact that their bodies are being destroyed by one of the most unlikely of substances.
It is possible that the world will never understand what caffeine has done, and will continue to do, but it is the hope of a few that this epidemic will one day come to an end.
