Caffeine is a carcinogen, which means that is causes cancer. It raises adrenaline levels and this can lead to a state of adrenal gland exhaustion, where the adrenal glands are no longer able to adequately respond to stress by releasing enough adrenaline. Not enough adrenaline can lead to a lot of other problems, including a weakened immune response, anxiety and panic attacks. It also interferes with adenosine, a brain chemical that normally has a calming effect, and raises the level of lactate, an biochemical known to produce panic attacks. Caffeine also raises the production of the adrenal hormone cortisol, another stress hormone. Cortisol causes the blood vessels to constrict and the heart to pump harder, which leads to high blood pressure. Preganant women shouldn't drink caffeine because, fetuses and newborns cannot metabolize caffeine in their livers, so it remains in their bodies for up to four days, stimulating their nervous system the entire time, causing irritability and sleeping difficulty. Animal studies have linked high blood levels of caffeine to premature birth, delivery complications, low birth weight and birth defects. Human studies have found an increase in the rate of miscarriages, stillbirths, breech births and low birth weight. Pregnant women are also three times slower to metabolize caffeine than nonpregnant women. Coffee has been known to cause sleep deprivation and grogginess when you wake up. This grogginess may be the result of their entering caffeine withdrawal during the night or the fact that the caffeine kept them from sleeping in the first place. When quiting caffeine "cold turkey" the drug has some withdrawal, it can cause mild to severe headaches as well as nausea, anxiety, fatigue and depression, lasting for several days. Daniel E. Myers, D.D.S., at the University of Pittsburgh discovered that large caffeine doses can prevent muscle pain. This was a little surprising to dicover. However, if you overdose on caffeine you will experience restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushed face, diuresis, gastrointestinal disturbance, muscle twitching, and a constant rambling flow of thought and speech. Some of these symptoms may not be so bad, but others are sure to drive you crazy.
When you mix a bit of caffeine and sugar and drink a lot of it, in the end it can amount to serious bone loss problems. Phosphorus, a substance found in pop can also speed up calcium and bone loss. After a hard workout, drinking soft drinks can cause calcium and potassium loss, and that in turn can cause sore muscles and delayed recovery time after exercise. In writing and researching this report I have decided to begin cutting my caffeine intake. The effects of caffeine are alright, but the bad effects easily outwiegh its good effects. Hopefully by the time swim season will be starting, my level will be low enough that I can quit. Then the first week of practice won't be quite so horrible. I hope that this paper has helped you decide a few things about caffeine also.
Eric
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