For many high school students, the first stop before school is either Starbucks to get a pumpkin spice latte or a deli to get a peach flavored Celsius. While students need these quick pick-me-ups to help them stay awake during the school day, most don’t realize how these drinks can negatively affect them.
With many distractions in the school environment, as well as possibilities of students lacking adequate amounts of sleep, high school students frequently consume energy drinks and coffee to help them stay focused.
Drinking energy drinks can lead to higher risk of poor academic performance. This is because energy drinks act as a stimulant and can lead to overstimulation, which disrupts the brain’s ability to regulate attention and mood. Overstimulation creates extra energy and stress hormones that can lead to concentration and managing emotions to be more difficult.. These effects can lead to less productivity and focus which can play a role in poor academic performances.
When asked what she thinks about energy drinks’ and coffee’s effect on mood, 9th Grade Representative, Kelis Capellan stated, “I feel it can impact you in a neutral way because these drinks can be addictive and drinking it too much affects your heart rate and blood pressure. But it’s good in a way because it helps you wake up.”
These drinks can take a toll on multiple aspects of our health. It can lead to cardiovascular effects like Kelis mentioned such as increasing heart rate and blood pressure, digestive issues like producing more stomach acids which can cause heartburn, and even difficulty sleeping. Additionally, it can also lead to feelings of anxiety.
When asked if she thinks that energy drinks and coffee can affect people’s mental and physical health,Sophomore Edith Plato stated, “Yes, especially for younger people. The brain becomes more hyperactive with caffeine, making a person more anxious and disrupts sleep. Sleep is especially important for younger people who are still growing.”Adolescents should get between eight to ten hours of sleep, consuming coffee can disrupt their sleeping patterns and growth.
Once high schoolers are dependent on caffeine they tend to get addicted and can’t find other ways to get energy.In some ways it can be seen as a drug.
We can replace caffeine with other drinks that will still provide us with energy, yet are much healthier, and not affect people as significantly. Freshman Fawzia Sultana stated: “You can use alternative energy drinks that take less damage [such as] herbal teas, natural fruit and energy juices, etc.” Using these alternatives can help you improve alertness without having to worry about the affects on your health. Alternative beverages to coffee and energy drinks include matcha, green tea, and fresh juices.
Ultimately, even though caffeine and energy drinks can be helpful tools for our alertness during school hours, we must take the initiative to understand both the negative and positive effects on our health.
