[media-credit name=”Carlos Magana” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Coffee beans have been used for centuries, and caffeine is as much ingrained in American culture as rock ‘n roll and fast food.

Being a college student is no easy task. Homework, exams and extracurricular activities can be physically and mentally exhausting. While students navigate the endeavors of their daily lives, it might seem easy to crack open an energy drink or pour a hot cup of Joe to obtain the coveted jolt of energy that propels students through the day.

From the Starbucks on every corner, to the Monsters, Red Bulls and other mythical creatures that have inhabited the refrigerators at every quick stop shop or convenience store, there is no question that caffeine has become the preferred digestible energy source for humans, like gasoline for our automobiles.

As painless and convenient it is to indulge daily on caffeinated beverages, they can be seemingly habit-forming. The energy boost can be revitalizing for a set amount of hours but the effects of its dependency can be comparably counterproductive and risky to ones health.

There are alternative methods and drinks that can provide the much-needed boost. Exercise in its simplest of forms, taking a walk when you feel drowsy increases heart rate and blood flow. Stretching in a stationary spot if leaving is not an option can be stimulating.

Teas and chocolate powders employ caffeine, but at substantially lower levels. They provide the flexibility to pick and chose the more palatable options without compromising the desired vitality and health risks of their counterparts.

According to a study by Nemours.org on the effects of caffeine, it was designated as a diuretic, meaning it makes an individual want to urinate often. If a student in the classroom or a person in the workforce is constantly interrupted by multiple potty stops, productivity is destined to suffer.

In a similar study it was found to antagonize serious health complications. The most alarming being caffeine-induced sleep disorder, caffeine-induced anxiety disorder and caffeine dependency among the several specified psychiatric syndromes.

Mood altering effects such as nervousness and constant anxiety are due to high doses of caffeine throughout a day. 200 mg or greater would be considered amounts to negatively affect one’s general mood.

For nondrinkers the effects might seem irrelevant to their lives, but in a study done by the caffeine experts at Johns Hopkins they discover that 51 percent of college students reported consuming one or more energy drinks that month for reasons such as insufficient sleep, to increase energy and to drink with alcohol.

This means that while one might not be jolted up on caffeine, more than likely the people they spend their day with will be and are subjected to the effects it has on its consumers.

Caffeine is a drug, and like every drug that creates a chemical reaction in the human body that can become addicting. If the intake is not regulated a dependency can be fostered similar to nicotine. Although not the blatant health risks of cigarettes, a heavy caffeine user’s mood without their fresh cup of coffee in the morning is comparable to a smoker out of drags. Whoa be unto anyone who blocks the door to Starbucks.