Abisek Raut
Informative Speech Outline
Effects Of Caffeine
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Attention Getter- Do you guys know that Caffeine is the most widely used psycho active chemical in the world? Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant substance found in foods and beverages such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, energy drinks and chocolates which helps to restore mental alertness or wakefulness during fatigue or drowsiness and improve concentration and focus. According, to the stats published by Health Research Funding Organization, The United States is the country with the highest amount of caffeine consumption (971 tons) followed by Brazil (969 tons). (HRFnd)
B. Significance- Caffeine is a growing trend in our society, specially among the younger crowd like us. European and North American statistics report that 90% of adults consume caffeine on a daily basis, with an average intake of 227 mg. (Persad, Leeana Aarthi Bagwath). Although it has an sufficient amount of properties to assist with maintaining a high level of energy, caffeine is extremely addictive and an excessive amount of consumption can be physically damaging. (HRFnd)
C. Credibility- I, myself used to consume a lot of caffeinated drinks. When, I worked as a bar back few years ago, I had to work late night busy weekend shifts. So one night I consumed about 8, 12o.z red bull energy drink as I was feeling tired because of the amount of work I had to do that night. But, it was not a pleasant experience afterwards at all. Consuming that amount of caffeine obviously gave me extra energy boost while working but after work my body became more tired, my heart rate spiked and I couldn’t go to sleep until 6 or 7 am in the morning.
D. Thesis- Learning about the effects that caffeine can do to our body will help us be more aware of our consumption, so that we can maintain a healthier lifestyle.
E. Preview- In this speech first I'm going to talk about the beneficial effects of caffeine, then the negative effects of caffeine, then discuss what are considered to be 'safe' levels of caffeine consumption, and finally how you can curb your caffeine habit.
II. BODY
A. Beneficial effects of caffeine
1. Consumption of Caffeine helps us to wake up and feel more alert and it has shown to increase attention spans.
2. Caffeine also has beneficial effect for people who are driving long distances and for people who are doing tedious work.
3. Caffeine is comprised of antioxidants which help the human body to repel free radicals that are responsible for diseases and illnesses such as cancer. (HRFnd)
4. Caffeine consumption also reduces the risk of Alzheimer's and dementia. (AARP)
5. As per the study by Harvard’s School of Public Health, caffeine consumption also cuts suicide risk possibly because of the stimulant effect that helps boost people’s mood.
B. Negative effects of Caffeine
1. Too much caffeine consumption increases anxiety and disrupts sleep patterns, leading to a vicious cycle of restless sleep, relying on caffeine to help with daytime fatigue, followed by more insomnia. (Current Health, 2000)
2. Excessive consumption of caffeine during childhood can make individuals 60% more likely to become obese. (HRFnd)
3. Excessive consumption of caffeine increases blood sugar levels, making it harder for those with type 2 diabetes to manage their insulin. (AARP)
4. Ingesting more than 744 mg of caffeine daily can increase the amount of calcium and magnesium that you lose in your urine. (HRFnd)
5. Like the overuse of other drugs, excessive caffeine consumption can be dangerous. (Kalumuck, Karen E)
a. According to the National Institute for Drug Abuse, in 2011 there were 20,783 emergency room visits caused by or related to caffeine consumption.
b. In addition, 42 percent of those visits were caused by the mixture of caffeine and other drugs.
6. Caffeine users that consume caffeine approximate to seven cups of instant coffee (>300 mg caffeine) a day are more likely to report hallucinatory experiences such as seeing things that are not there and hearing voices. (Persad, Leeana Aarthi Bagwath)
C. How much Caffeine intake is regarded safe.
1. For Adults:
a) Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults.
b) That's roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two "energy shot" drinks. (Caffeine Informer)
2. For Teenagers:
a) Age 12-under -
i) Caffeine isn’t recommended for children under 12.
ii) Occasional caffeinated soda or chocolate treat around 45 mg per day is recognized as a safe amount for children.
· But it shouldn’t be a daily part of child’s diet. (Caffeine Informer)
iii) Occasionally, doctors may recommend caffeine for children diagnosed with ADHD.
b) Age 13-18 - According to KidsHealth.org, teenagers should limit their daily caffeine consumption to 100 milligrams. (KidsHealth)
3. For pregnant women- It is recommended that pregnant women limit their caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day. (Nall, Rachel)
D. Curbing your Caffeine habit.
1. Cutting back on caffeine can be challenging.
2. An abrupt decrease in caffeine may cause withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, irritability and difficulty focusing on tasks.
3. But you can curb your caffeine consumption by following these steps:
a) Keep tabs (Mayoclinic) -
i) Start paying attention to how much caffeine you're getting from foods and beverages, including energy drinks.
ii) Read labels carefully.
iii) Some over-the-counter pain relievers contain caffeine- as much as 130 mg of caffeine in one dose.
· Look for caffeine-free pain relievers instead.
b) Cut back gradually (Mayoclinic) -
i) Drink one fewer can of soda or drink a smaller cup of coffee each day.
ii) There are many popular and healthy substitutes to choose from: caffeine-free soda, apple cider, lemonade, milk, herbal teas, and water.
iii) Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages late in the day.
· This will help your body get used to the lower levels of caffeine and lessen potential withdrawal effects.
iv) Go decaf
· Use decaffeinated beverages.
· Use herbal teas like chamomile.
c) Exercise (Kane, Emily) -
i) Use exercise instead of caffeine to fight tiredness.
ii) Exercising energizes you.
III. CONCLUSION
By listening to this speech, hopefully you all will now have a much deeper understanding of the effect caffeine has on our body, so that we can manage our consumption in order to have a healthier lifestyle. To review my main points, we learned about the effects of caffeine, how much caffeine intake is regarded safe and lastly, ways to curb the caffeine intake habit. As you can see, caffeine can have both positive and negative effects on our health and well-being. Nevertheless, the bottom line is that the next time you drink your coffee or sodas, try to set a limit to the amount of caffeine you are going to consume, so that you can enjoy a long and healthier life.
WORKS CITED:
1. Kalumuck, Karen E., PhD. "Caffeine." Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science, 2013. EBSCOhost, santarosa.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=87690307&site=eds-live&scope=site.
2. “Caffeine: How Much Is Too Much?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 8 Mar. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678
3. “24 Remarkable Caffeine Consumption Statistics.” HRFnd, 4 Sept. 2014, www.healthresearchfunding.org/remarkable-caffeine-consumption-statistics/.
4. KANE, EMILY A. "Kick the Caffeine Habit." Better Nutrition, vol. 80, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp. 24-26. EBSCOhost, santarosa.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hxh&AN=126787431&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
5. Persad, Leeana Aarthi Bagwath. “Energy Drinks and the Neurophysiological Impact of Caffeine.” Frontiers in Neuroscience 5 (2011): 116. PMC. Web. 12 July 2018. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198027/.
6. "What's Wrong with Caffeine?." Current Health 1, vol. 23, no. 5, Jan. 2000, p. 14. EBSCOhost, santarosa.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hxh&AN=2676100&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
7. Sagon, Candy. “Coffee for Health - Positive and Negative Effects of Caffeine.” AARP, www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-10-2013/coffee-for-health.html
8. “Caffeine Safe Limits: Calculate Your Safe Daily Dose.” Caffeine Informer, www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-safe-limits.
9. Nall, Rachel. “Does Caffeine Make You Drowsy?” LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group, 3 Oct. 2017, www.livestrong.com/article/532784-does-caffeine-make-you-drowsy/.
10. “Caffeine.” Edited by Mary L. Gavin, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, Sept. 2014, kidshealth.org/en/teens/caffeine.html?ref=search&WT.ac=msh-p-dtop-en-search-clk.
