Is America now a nation of caffeine-addicted junkies?

The most caffeinated drink I take is Coke. I’ve never had a cup of coffee in my life – I dislike the taste. Still waiting for college to break me… Having said that, I know plenty of people who can’t get their day started without a cup of coffee.

xxii, wonder how much caffeine is in a can of Coke? never thought to read the label.

And also a nation of junk-addicted caffeinies.

Yes our daily intake of caffeine has got to be bad on our bodies.
Although I believe that five cups of coffee a day is also a caffeine overdose. I also don’t drink the energy drinks b/c they make my heart race. But I do drink soda and tea, in small proportions now that I am breastfeeding.
Pretty much everyone I know needs some sort of caffeine fix during their day. So I would say, yes, it is a problem.

Okay that is a very rambling answer, my apologies.

RedPower, no problem. do the energy drinks ever make you nervous? some people say this and some say no.

@john65pennington If by nervous you mean shaky and racing heart yes.

On a side note I bet my answe would have been better if I had my caffeine for the day,lol

I like my caffeine like I like my alcohol – a happy plus to a tasty beverage.

I don’t drink things that don’t taste good, just to get an effect from it. What’s the point? All you do is make it harder for your brain to create its own hormones and endorphins.

Seek, good point and good answer. john

I definitely feel like that’s true.
We’re all trying to cram 30 hours of live into 24-hour days. Staying up too late and waking up too early. So caffeine is our gasoline. And so highly caffeinated beverages have been drifting in. Even when I was a kid, not too long ago, Red Bull was seen as a drink that only the extremos take, like truckers who drive cross country all night.
Now in 2010 people are chugging tallboy versions of energy drinks for no real reason.

Myself? I’ve probably had about 5 energy drinks in my life. All of them taken for the sake of staying awake (although, admittedly, staying awake for stupid reasons). I’ve had 2 cups of coffee in my life. I used to drink a lot of Pepsi (which has 3mg of Caffeine per ounce of soda), but I’ve even transitioned out of that for the most part.

There’s no point that I’ve reached yet where I feel nervous and shaky from the caffeine really. But I really don’t take in huge amounts at any time, I’m not popping No-Doze pills every night or anything. I haven’t had much experimentation experience.

Caffeine flow is not good for our bodies, at any amount. You can see an overly simplified graphic here. But we have all accepted it as normal and necessary for our way of life.

Caffeine can be harmful to our bodies, so moderation is key. There is caffeine in things beyond just drinks. It’s also found in chocolate, some nuts, and some medications (source). Experts consider 200–300 mg of caffeine a day to be a moderate amount for adults. But consuming as little as 100 mg of caffeine a day can lead a person to become “dependent” on caffeine (source).

As for myself, I get caffeine mostly from the ice tea I make and my occasional Diet Coke and chocolate intake. Because of planning to try to have a baby, I have been cutting back so that I am not taking in any caffeine once I become pregnant. After I finish the box of tea bags I have now, I’m going to buy decaffeinated tea bags.

@john65pennington – There is 34mg of caffeine in 12oz of regular Coke. There is 35mg in 12oz of Coke Zero and 45.6mg in 12oz of Diet.

No, we are not.

@perspicacious How do you figure?

No. Caffeine is a relatively harmless substance. Real junkies are in real trouble.

yes

Who cares about caffeine? I’d be better off if I drank some. (yawn)