‘Grande’ start to the day

Grande+start+to+the+day

Reece Gramling, Staff Writer

Drip. Drip. Drip. The sound of the coffee maker draws a crowd. People arrive at the office and rush to the lounge to get their caffeine fix. Whether it is their first or sixth cup of coffee, the caffeine kick can give them a head start to their day. 

Some people have fallen into a cycle of dependence on caffeine to make it through the day. The java jolt energizes them with a boost that helps them stay awake by sending messages to the brain telling it to wake up. 

“If I don’t have a coffee or an energy drink, it’s hard to not doze off,” Jordan Gramling, junior, said. 

Caffeine is something that is consumed by millions every day. In many cases, it is one of the main parts of their daily routine. According to a study by the Heath Research Funding, nearly 70 million Americans drink three cups of coffee daily. Some 30 million drink five or more cups a day.

However, the FDA recommendation for coffee consumption is no more than four to five cups a day. This does not take into account the other sources containing caffeine like tea, soda, energy drinks, and even chocolate. 

While caffeine can be an easy way to get the day started, having too much can cause issues. An excess of caffeine can reverse the expected benefits and cause consumers to succumb to the sleepiness they were trying to avoid, causing side effects like migraines, anxiety, and shakiness. 

“I don’t drink that much coffee or anything like that because I feel like it makes me jittery,” Isaac Martin, senior, said. 

While coffee used to be the most popular source of caffeine, energy drinks are now the preferred choice of many, especially teenagers. With brands like Celsius, Alani Nu, and Monster targeting a younger, more active audience, many students have switched over to these newer options. But there are drawbacks to these alternatives, as well. 

“I think they [energy drink companies] want kids to start drinking [energy drinks] young, so they get addicted and keep buying them,” Kyle Gebhardt, sophomore, said. 

The cycle of consuming too much caffeine can put people right back where they started, being tired because too much undoes the effects of caffeine. While caffeine can have both positive and negative effects, it has become a staple for millions of Americans.