Caffeine: What Can It Do

Being the most common psychoactive drug in the world, caffeine is being used by numerous people every day. Caffeine is in food and beverages that some would not imagine, from coffee, and soda, to chocolate and chocolate beverages. In the morning, half of the Kean population drinks a hot cup of coffee while others drink an icy cold soda, however, they both have caffeine. So the question is which drink is healthier, soda or coffee?Caffeine is a substance that exists in more than 60 plants. Caffeine is found in tea or tea leaves, kola nuts, coffee, cocoa beans, chocolate and some colas. It is a central nervous system stimulant and a diuretic, which is a medicine that helps reduce the amount of water and toxins in the body. When one drinks caffeine, the body absorbs it and it is distributed around the body, including the brain. But it will not stay in the blood stream; it will eventually be excreted in the urine a few hours later after drinking a substance with caffeine according to Family Doctor.Org
(http://kidshealth.org/PageManagerjsp?dn=familydoctor&lic=44&cat_id=20140&article_set=20474&ps=204#)
Withdrawal from caffeine can lead to fast heart rate, extreme urination, nausea, vomiting restlessness, anxiety, depression, tremors, and difficulty sleeping. It is important to drink caffeine moderately, otherwise bodies will experience short or long term effects. Two to three 8 ounce cups of caffeine is enough for the body, but ten 8 ounce cups of coffee per day is considered too much. Healthcare providers will make patients limit their caffeine intake if they are pregnant, have coronary heart disease or peptic ulcers. However, caffeine is a great source of treatment when it comes to migraines, headaches, and in relieving fatigue or drowsiness for a short period of time. Most of the time, over the counter medications have caffeine, such as pain relievers, appetite suppressants, and cold medicines. Caffeine helps the body become alert, in the morning an 8 ounce cup of coffee would do the body good for a Kean student according to Coffee Makers (http://www.coffee-makers-n-espresso-machines.com/213-the-pros-and-cons-of-caffeine.html)
Soda as well as coffee, has caffeine in it. Regular coffee drinkers are significantly less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. Caffeine decreases the loss of dopamine producing brain cells, which in fact causes Parkinson's disease. Among other ailments, coffee is shown to lower the risk of cirrhosis of the liver, colon cancer, and gallstones according to International Medical Insurance (http://www.international-medical-insurance.com/news/?p=12) Many sodas make your body lose calcium. But too much calcium can cause heart rhythm irregularities and severe anxiety. Regular soda is loaded with sugar, which will help you increase your energy, and in less than an hour, the body will experience a crash. Too much sugar can also cause obesity and tooth damage, because the sugar stops the white blood cells from killing the bacteria in the mouth. So in the end, one question still remains, soda and coffee both have caffeine, but which drink will ruin the body more? It all depends but moderation is the key when it comes to anything in life.