A word on caffeine
Caffeine is found in some things you know and others you may not!
Coffee
Tea
Diet pills
Energy drinks
Chocolate
Stay-awake pills
Colas and some other sodas
Some headache & pain pills
Some cold medicines
So what's the big deal about caffeine?
Well... caffeine is easy to overlook because...
1. It's legal
2. It's the world's oldest and most popular psychoactive (that means mood altering) drug.
3. In moderate amounts, it can temporarily improve alertness and concentration as well as mood.
But caffeine has a downside too!
Caffeine can:
Increase heart rate
Intensify anxiety
Cause panic attacks
Become habit-forming
Make users nervous and jittery
Make it difficult for people to fall asleep
Make people feel tired, inattentive, grouchy about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours later, when the effects are wearing off
Caffeine pills have even been known to cause overdose and death!
Things to think about"
1. How easy it is for one cup of caffeinated coffee or cola to lead to a 2nd or 3rd. And how the accumulated effects of all that caffeine might be affecting your body.
2. Caffeine is the only habit-forming (ready "potentially addictive") drug routinely served to children. (Think sodas and chocolate candy bars.)
3. Drug makers have to label the amount of caffeine in their products, but food and beverage companies do not.