Caffeine is pervasive in our society these days and every
few months we hear about how a study has shown that it is bad for us or good
for us. What are we to believe?
Today I'd like to give you some of the facts about
caffeine and its effects on your body. It may not cause you to change your
coffee consumption but at least you'll be better informed about what you are
putting into your body.
I'm going to talk about the beneficial effects of
caffeine, the negative effects and discuss what are considered safe levels of
caffeine consumption.
Let's start with the good news. Caffeine, which comes
from the leaves, seeds and fruits of about 63 different plants, is well known
as a stimulant. That's why people drink it, right?
Caffeine does help you wake up and feel more alert and
it has been shown to increase attention spans. This is a beneficial effect for
people who are driving long distances and for people who are doing tedious
work. Calling this a health benefit may be stretching it, though staying awake
while you are driving a car is definitely a benefit to your well-being!
Caffeine also contains antioxidants which have been
shown to have cancer prevention qualities.
The negative effects of caffeine are largely dependent
on how much you consume.
When consumed in small quantities like, for example
when you have one cup of coffee or one soda, caffeine can cause your heart rate
to increase, you urinate more which can cause dehydration, and your digestive
system produces more acid.
In larger amounts, caffeine can cause you to have
headaches, feel restless and nervous, be unable to sleep, and even, in very
large quantities to have hallucinations.(Don't try that at home!) When larger
amounts of caffeine (over 600 mg per day) are used over long periods of time
you can develop sleep problems, get depressed and have problems with your
digestive system.
According to a Medline article on the National
Institutes of Health website, having caffeine in your diet is not of any
benefit to your health but moderate consumption is also not considered harmful.
They say that having up to 3 eight ounce cups of
coffee a day or 250 mg of caffeine is considered (quote) "average or
moderate". 10 cups of coffee a day is considered excessive. Also, remember
that the amount of caffeine per cup can vary greatly depending on the type of beans
that are used and the strength of the brew.
Most sodas with caffeine, unless they are specially
enhanced like "Jolt" or something like that, have about 35 mg of
caffeine per 8 ounces so you don't have to worry too much unless you are
drinking several 2 liter bottles per day. Also, the effect of caffeine on you
personally will depend on a number of factors like your weight, general health,
mood and personal sensitivity to caffeine.
You can see that caffeine can have both positive and
negative effects on our health and well-being but the bottom line is that if
you drink your coffee or sodas in moderation, you don't have to worry too much.
So, the next time you are wondering whether you should
have that second cup of coffee to perk you up, relax. At least now you know
what it is and isn't doing to you!
Hopefully this sample informative speech on something
I'm passionate about has helped you see that writing on informative speech
topics doesn't have to be dull or boring. Pick a subject you enjoy so that when
researching the topic you'll be learning more about something you really want
to know more about.
