Caffeine

[Metallixs Girl]

I wanted to start a topic about caffeine. There is a big war on drugs, but no one seems to care that caffeine is just as harmful as any of them. caffeine is in coffee, chocolate and soda. You get addicted to caffeine, and can develope caffeine poisioning, and it messes with your kidneys. (and about caffeine helping people stay awake, I quote a medical book: "Caffeine whips your nerves like a rider whips a tired horse") I've recently had kidney stones, and it probably came from caffeine. This may be the cause of a LOT of problems.

You could say that it's up to the people to buy it or not, but they mainly market stuff like soda and especially chocolate to little kids. It's like completely impossible almost not to get addicted to caffeine, since it's everywhere. And it tears up your body. I dunno exactly where I'm going with this, but I find it weird that it's marketed to kids... Thoughts?

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

I drink coffee, but I'm pretty sure I can stop whenever I want to. I don't really drink soda or eat chocolate. Just coffee and smokes. I've never got any issues until now, am I going to die?

[Magmar]

I don't eat junk food or chocolate, I don't smoke, I hate soda. I'm not addicted to anything (I hope)

[Heald]

To be honest, caffeine is definitely not as harmful as any illegal drug. One thing, it isn't nearly as addictive (you'd have to drink, like, 100 cans of Red Bull in one sitting to get addicted to caffeine). Also, most products with caffeine in them clearly state whether they have caffeine in them, and some products, such as Coca Cola, offer caffeine-free alternatives. However, to suffer any ill-effects of caffeine, you'd have to ingest silly amounts of it.

Caffeine is a life-saver. If I miss my morning coffee I feel lethargic. It is basically your get-up-and-go.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

Caffeine is a life-saver. If I miss my morning coffee I feel lethargic. It is basically your get-up-and-go.

Seconded.

[Number1ChanseyFan]

Meh, I am horribly addicted to caffeine. I always need my coffee in the morning, and I have been drinking coffee everyday since I was like 6 years old, and I have been drinking soda even longer. Another side effect of soda is the fact that it puts weight on you. I don't have the best metabolism in the world, so it makes it very hard for me to maintain my weight, even though I am not a big eater. I always have to keep a close watch on my weight and what I eat to make sure that I don't become overweight, and I admit, it is pretty tough sometimes. Within the last year, I have been drinking more grapefruit juice and sparkling water, to try and decrease the amount of pop that I drink, but still, I seriously doubt I will ever be able to totally eliminate caffeine from my life, and even though it isn't the best for my health, I don't know if I even want to get rid of caffeine, I am just so dependant on it. Not to mention that if I go too long without caffeine, I start getting headaches and I become pretty grouchy and not-so-much fun to be around!!

[Magmar]

Any carbonated beverage isn't good for your body, also. There's a lot of things out there that people have every day that just aren't good to be putting your body through.

Water is the best. I drink a shitload of water.

Oh yeah, if your urine is yellow, that means you aren't drinking enough water. Soda and stuff don't really help your body as much as water. Some juice is okay just not in excess... too much juice causes acne, and that REALLY sucks.

[mr_pikachu]

I'm mostly a water drinker (and even when I drink soda, I try to get caffeine-free stuff, like Sprite), and I don't eat chocolate or cookies freqently either. It probably isn't a big issue for me, because I try to stay away from the stuff anyway. However, it is scary that caffeine has the potential to be so harmful, especially when you look at some products (like the old Surge as well as the even worse version, Jolt) that, as has been mentioned, are marketed toward kids. I remember when kids used to hold unofficial competitions to see who could drink the most Surge back in elementary school. It makes you wonder what life would be like without the existance of caffeine.

[Starry Might]

To be honest, caffeine is definitely not as harmful as any illegal drug. One thing, it isn't nearly as addictive (you'd have to drink, like, 100 cans of Red Bull in one sitting to get addicted to caffeine). Also, most products with caffeine in them clearly state whether they have caffeine in them, and some products, such as Coca Cola, offer caffeine-free alternatives. However, to suffer any ill-effects of caffeine, you'd have to ingest silly amounts of it.

Caffeine is a life-saver. If I miss my morning coffee I feel lethargic. It is basically your get-up-and-go.

I agree with this post the most. :smilie:

Caffeinated drinks are fine as long as you don't drink a lot of 'em, IMHO.

Remember, everything in moderation...including moderation.

[phaedrus]

coffee and pop save my ass from falling asleep in school. they are like the gifts of god to mankind.

[mr_pikachu]

coffee and pop save my ass from falling asleep in school. they are like the gifts of god to mankind.

Funny; some people say the same thing about cocaine.

[Magmar]

I'm mostly a water drinker (and even when I drink soda, I try to get caffeine-free stuff, like Sprite), and I don't eat chocolate or cookies freqently either. It probably isn't a big issue for me, because I try to stay away from the stuff anyway. However, it is scary that caffeine has the potential to be so harmful, especially when you look at some products (like the old Surge as well as the even worse version, Jolt) that, as has been mentioned, are marketed toward kids. I remember when kids used to hold unofficial competitions to see who could drink the most Surge back in elementary school. It makes you wonder what life would be like without the existance of caffeine.

I've tried Jolt. It's tasty. I avoid energy drinks too, though. Like I said, I rely on my own biological clock to wake up in the AM and go to bed at night, to stay awake all day, etc. and I've done a pretty damn good job of staying healthy. In the end, these things are just dollars down the drain.

[mew151]

Caffeine is a life-saver. If I miss my morning coffee I feel lethargic. It is basically your get-up-and-go.

right, so you're addicted. if you miss your daily dose, you suffer negative effects. kinda like how the heroin addict can't stop shaking if he doesn't take his morning shot of H...

dependancy is an ugly thing...

[.hacker]

Caffeine really doesn't do anything to me. I can drink a cup of coffee and go right to sleep. Weird....

[Heald]

right, so you're addicted. if you miss your daily dose, you suffer negative effects. kinda like how the heroin addict can't stop shaking if he doesn't take his morning shot of H...

dependancy is an ugly thing...

I'm not dependent on it. In fact most days this week, because my car is broken, I haven't had time to get a coffee before school, but it hasn't really affected my performance at all. All coffee does is just kick my system into gear a lot faster than I normally do on my own. It is hardly an addiction. Next time you post, try to engage your brain beforehand. Thanks.

[Metallixs Girl]

[color=mediumpurple]I believe caffien does more than just make you jittery. It messes with your kidneys, and it very possibly could be the cause of cysts and things. I can't really explain it, but I have very good reason to believe that it really messes with your body. The reason I made this thread is that over the last few months, I've been throwing up randomly and can't figure out why. I've stopped drinking and eating caffien, and now I'm testing milk and sugar. I very well could be lactose intolerant, all of the sudden, and my grandfather is too, and he's drank Coke all his life. I started when I was about 12. Also, I've had cysts and things like that, and a lot of people get them nowadays, same with kidney stones, etc. Caffien is rumored to cause these, and I kinda believe it.

Meh, I am horribly addicted to caffeine. I always need my coffee in the morning, and I have been drinking coffee everyday since I was like 6 years old, and I have been drinking soda even longer. Another side effect of soda is the fact that it puts weight on you. I don't have the best metabolism in the world, so it makes it very hard for me to maintain my weight, even though I am not a big eater. I always have to keep a close watch on my weight and what I eat to make sure that I don't become overweight, and I admit, it is pretty tough sometimes. Within the last year, I have been drinking more grapefruit juice and sparkling water, to try and decrease the amount of pop that I drink, but still, I seriously doubt I will ever be able to totally eliminate caffeine from my life, and even though it isn't the best for my health, I don't know if I even want to get rid of caffeine, I am just so dependant on it. Not to mention that if I go too long without caffeine, I start getting headaches and I become pretty grouchy and not-so-much fun to be around!!

Those are some synptoms of caffien poisioning.

[Number1ChanseyFan]

Those are some synptoms of caffien poisioning.

Meh, that doesn't sound good... What exactly is caffeine poisoning? It doesn't kill you or anything, does it?

My mom always yells at me for drinking so much coffee and pop, she says that when I get older, I am going to get bladder or kidney infections all of the time. She said when she was my age, she used to drink that stuff all the time, but it caught up with her. Now, she drinks a lot of water and healthier stuff like that.

[Crystal Mew]

I gave up drinking soda like a year ago. Always after I drank any soda, I would get pain in the middle of my chest, so I just stopped. it was hard..I was craving it everyday! But proud to say, I've only had 2 cups of soda in a year, and thats way better than what it was. which was like, one a day.

I also stopped cause it causes you to gain weight. I've read somewhere that drinking a can a day, everyday, can add 10 pounds in a year.

I replaced soda with tea. But that still has caffeine in it...but its a little healthier than soda!
no calories/fat...I can live with that 8)

[mew151]

I'm not dependent on it. In fact most days this week, because my car is broken, I haven't had time to get a coffee before school, but it hasn't really affected my performance at all. All coffee does is just kick my system into gear a lot faster than I normally do on my own. It is hardly an addiction. Next time you post, try to engage your brain beforehand. Thanks.

what'm i supposed to think, Heald? all i know about you is what you write, and all you wrote is that you feel lethargic without caffiene. you shouldn'tve said it if wasn't true.

[RedStarWarrior]

Yeah, your 'medical' quote is hardly scientific in nature at all. I don't really see much substance to your claims.

"Kidney stones, one of the most painful of the urologic disorders, are not a product of modern life. Scientists have found evidence of kidney stones in a 7,000-year-old Egyptian mummy."

"Kidney stones may contain various combinations of chemicals. The most common type of stone contains calcium in combination with either oxalate or phosphate."

"A less common type of stone is caused by infection in the urinary tract. This type of stone is called a struvite or infection stone. A bit less common is the uric acid stone. Cystine stones are rare."

Nowhere in this actual medical article about kidney stones is there any mention of caffeine. In fact, too much calcium is commonly blamed for most kidney stones. BTW, nausea and vomiting are some of the many possible symptoms of kidney stones and result from urinary tract blockage, not caffeine. Finally, coffee, soda and tea can lead to an increased risk for kidney stones, but not because they have caffeine, rather because they have high amounts of oxalate. Other foods that also contain excess oxalate are spinach, nuts, strawberries and wheat bran. So, we should boycott these foods also? I don't think so.

[Heald]

what'm i supposed to think, Heald? all i know about you is what you write, and all you wrote is that you feel lethargic without caffiene. you shouldn'tve said it if wasn't true.

What I said was true, I feel lethargic if I don't get coffee...for about an hour or two.

[Metallixs Girl]

http://coffeefaq.com/caffaq.html#CaffeineAndHealth

I'm sorry N1CF, I could have sworn that I read that a headache was part of poisioning but it's actually part of withdrawl...>_< I'm not saying that it needs to be stopped, I just wanted a discussion... I stopped drinking sodas when I got sick, and I saw the stuff in a medical book at the eye doctors' and I thought it was an interesting topic.

[Number1ChanseyFan]

http://coffeefaq.com/caffaq.html#CaffeineAndHealth

I'm sorry N1CF, I could have sworn that I read that a headache was part of poisioning but it's actually part of withdrawl...>_< I'm not saying that it needs to be stopped, I just wanted a discussion... I stopped drinking sodas when I got sick, and I saw the stuff in a medical book at the eye doctors' and I thought it was an interesting topic.

[color=magenta]Meh, that is definitely good to hear. I actually never heard of caffeine poisoning before, and when you said that, I was like "oh crap!!" But yeah, it is definitely a symptom of withdrawl, because I always get the headache if I go to long without... it is really kinda depressing to think that it is so addictive... But pop just tastes sooooooo good!! There are so many different flavors now, you never get bored with them. It is really tough for me, because unlike most people, I am not a Coke person or a Pepsi person, I love them both and I get cravings for them both, so I always have a full variety of flavors to choose from, and there is usually always a couple that sound really good to me at certain times... this is so terrible, I am talking like an addict!!

[nightcrow]

it seems like pretty much everything you eat/drink today is just adding a bunch of chemicals/toxins to your body. i've pretty much given up soda (i have one maybe once a month) and I went vegetarian for that reason partly too. I swear, ever since I got rid of all the crap in my diet I feel like a different person.

[PersianKing]

I try to avoid Caffeine. I try to Drink the following Milk,Ice Tea(Home Made), and Water. I find the best Milk to be organic milk. it has no pesticides or anything in it.

[homeofmew]

there is caffeene in soda
soda=good

so blah

[mr_pikachu]

there is caffeene in soda
soda=good

so blah

Not necessarily. Consider Sprite (which is still unhealthy, but meh). It's caffeine free, and don't even try to argue that it isn't soda. Drink it and see for yourself.

Of course, that doesn't mean that water doesn't still rock the house, but I just wanted to point that out. Not all sodas are loaded with caffeine. Just the vast majority.

[Razola]

Everything has risk; nothing is perfect. Chew on this: consider how boring meal-time would be if you only ingested stuff that had no negative effects. Not even your damn tap-water is 100% healthy. I got pamphlets from certain groups arguing about the chemicals put in the town's water supply.

You reach a point where quality of life trumps safety. Do you wash your hands 24/7? Check the quality of your air? Refuse to eat out and do deep research on your groceries? It gets to the point where you dedicate your life to just living a LONG life of said dedication.

Caffiene is small potatoes. The past month I have been downing a 24 pack a week. I use to guzzle it down when working at Dairy Queen. Like Heald said, long-term addiction requires a LOT. You might get headaches or whatnot if you quit after fairly heavy consumption, but even that is mild discomfort. I quit cold-turkey for lent one year and had zero problems making the 40 days.

It's gotten to the point where I don't even give a shit if people smoke. It crosses a line for me in terms of risk/reward, but if that's okay for them, go right ahead.

[Katie]

it seems like pretty much everything you eat/drink today is just adding a bunch of chemicals/toxins to your body.

yep.

I believe caffeine addictions are bullshit, or at least very very mild. if I want a dr pepper and there isn't one around, sprite or caffeine free coke gets me my fix just like dr pepper would. I think it's the carbonation. just because you like the taste of something and want more doesn't make it an addiction. it's just yummy.

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Hm, I am not quite sure, but I remember reading something like ages ago that coffee prevents cancer. Of course, this may have been disproved in the course of further research.

[Razola]

Chances are it prevents one type of cancer and causes 15 others.

[RedStarWarrior]

Rumor has it that breathing causes cancer or so I've heard.

[pokemongirl]

thats nice cool.

[Dark Dragonite]

soda is not soda due to caffine, as a few sodas are caffine free.
I believe soda is defined by carbonation

[midnightangel]

I don't drink sodas with caffine anymore....roughly for about a week my headaches were horrible after quitting--but I stuck with it and now I am caffine-free

If I want my Diet Pepsi, I pick up the decaf variety, and I drink other things as well--sparkling flavored water, plain water, decaf teas, Crystal light and soy milk as part of my lifestyle change

[ozhater1]

Not necessarily. Consider Sprite (which is still unhealthy, but meh). It's caffeine free, and don't even try to argue that it isn't soda. Drink it and see for yourself.

Of course, that doesn't mean that water doesn't still rock the house, but I just wanted to point that out. Not all sodas are loaded with caffeine. Just the vast majority.

I realize the above is quite old but I thought I'd add a little info. Recently I heard on the news that Sprite is actually one of the more unhealthy soda beverages, even beyond Coke/Pepsi. Now I'm not 100% sure that this good ol' Canadian news is completely correct, but they did back it up with many reasonable facts (most of which I can no longer remember)...

Oh, and yes, water does 'rock the house'.

[Crazy Elf Boy]

I have caffeine all the time *twitch* and there is nothing wrong with me *twitch*
except i don't drink coke or coffee (yuck) i drink V (vitalise) which has as much caffeine as a normal cup of coffee.

[Magmar]

I feel bad for people who need to depend on a substance to wake up in the morning. I found that going to bed at a reasonable hour is the best way to wake up at a reasonable hour, and also eating anything for breakfast and I mean anything, you could eat like four carrot sticks and boost your metabolism, just you'll be getting hungry pretty quickly.

[Dark Dragonite]

eep, I didn't see the necro...anyways, I used to drink close to 2 litres of soda a day...but after my change back from vegetarian to omnivore...my stomach isn't dealing too well, soda always makes it worse, so I go through the Lipton Green Tea W/ Citrus pretty well, it's Caffine free I believe, and if you throw it in the freezer for a bit, you have a slushy/slurpee like drink, it's rad!!

[ozhater1]

eep, I didn't see the necro...anyways, I used to drink close to 2 litres of soda a day...but after my change back from vegetarian to omnivore...my stomach isn't dealing too well, soda always makes it worse, so I go through the Lipton Green Tea W/ Citrus pretty well, it's Caffine free I believe, and if you throw it in the freezer for a bit, you have a slushy/slurpee like drink, it's rad!!

2 Litres is nothing. My mom had been drinking like 6 litres of Coke since she was 20 (16 years ago) up until she swore off the stuff a few months ago...