What is the Best Caffeine for College Students?

Caffeine

            Caffeine is the blessed substance that gives us a boost of energy to keep us awake for those long hours of studying, working on that paper we left until the last minute, keeping our eyes open in our 8 am class, or keeping us up on those days we don’t want to end. By now, you’re probably well acquainted with caffeine, in one of its many forms.

            Caffeine is actually in a lot of things, from drinks to snacks, and even pills/supplements. Why? It occurs naturally in some plants—a common example is the coffee bean, but cacao (which we use to make chocolate) actually contains caffeine as well, just not as much of it. This means that caffeine ends up an ingredient in a lot of food and drink products. However, unless it was added intentionally for energy purposes, the amount is usually too small to make a difference.

            The most popular form of caffeine, arguably, is beverages. Coffee, tea, energy drinks, and sodas are common forms of caffeinated beverages—and very popular. I mean, why else would there be a Starbucks on every corner? There’s a reason that most college campuses have their own coffee shop. Caffeine, while technically a drug, is a great friend to college students and adults alike.

            No need for panic, though. It’s not the kind of “drug” that you need to worry about. Its effects are minimal and non-harmful in the doses that we regularly ingest. As with everything, moderation is good, excess is bad. But, that begs the question, what exactly does caffeine do? I mean, for the amount that *some* of us (me) ingest regularly, we should probably be aware of its effect on our bodies and brains.

What is Caffeine?

            Again, caffeine is technically a drug, but not in the way that we tend to think of “drugs.” It’s a naturally occurring substance that does have a neurological effect on us, which is why we classify it as a drug.

When caffeine hits our brains, it takes a nearly identical shape to something called adenosine. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that relaxes our brains, causing us to feel relaxed and tired. This is part of what contributes to us feeling sleepy. Adenosine builds up throughout the day, making us progressively more tired as time goes on.

So, when caffeine enters the brain, being similar in shape, it blocks the receptors for adenosine, which temporarily keeps the adenosine from making us tired. Basically, caffeine tricks our brain into being awake. It does also release some adrenaline and dopamine, which can be mood and energy boosters. This process is what makes us feel more awake and focused after our cup of coffee or tea.

Now, the caveat is that we can’t just have unlimited caffeine. Tempting though it may be, at some point it does become harmful. The recommended maximum for daily consumption is 400 mg. For reference, a regular cup of coffee has around 100 mg of caffeine. So, that’s about 4 cups of coffee a day.

Too much caffeine can result in some unpleasant side effects, ranging from nausea, headaches, insomnia, fast heart rate, jitters, and anxiety to potentially even seizures—though that usually only occurs when you’ve reached toxic levels of caffeine (around 1,200 mg). So, for clear reasons, it’s best to keep our caffeine consumption within the daily limit.

As long as we don’t overdo it, caffeine can be pretty beneficial for waking up, getting things done, and even having some positive health benefits (depending on the form that you have). It’s actually believed to be relatively good for you, with correlations to decreased risk of certain types of cancer, improved memory and cognitive function, and potential digestion benefits.

Caffeinated Drinks

            So now that we have a better grasp on what caffeine is and what it does to and for us, what are our options? The most popular way to consume caffeine is in beverages, specifically coffee, tea, energy drinks, and soda. So, lets unpack some of the pros and cons of these sought-after beverages…

Coffee

            We’re going to start with my personal favorite: Coffee. Coffee is a massive industry, not just in the US or for college students, but all over the world, for everyone. And its everywhere… I mean, everywhere. Every shopping center, town, and street corner has a coffee shop or a store that sells it. It’s readily available and beloved by people everywhere who just need a little help waking up and not choosing violence.

            As we mentioned, the average cup of coffee has about 100 mg of caffeine, meaning that you can indulge in multiple cups before hitting your daily limit. Coffee carries all the health benefits that are believed to come with caffeine, plus a great flavor. It is even believed that coffee is linked to some other surprising health benefits, such as improved gut health, liver and skin protection, and it may even lower your risk for certain kinds of cancer.

There are also very few calories in coffee and very low risks. With no sugar, no fat, and just the *right* kind of tap on your face to wake you up, coffee is a great caffeine option for anyone.

            Now, while coffee by itself is ideal, that’s not necessarily how most people drink it. Cream, sugar, flavorings, milk, and more are commonly added to coffee to improve the flavor (and the experience). This is when it starts to get a little unhealthy, as the added sugars and fat can contribute to obesity, diabetes, or other related health problems. Drinking coffee with these things in it does not guarantee these health problems or prevent you from experiencing the benefits of coffee. But moderation is key.

Tea

            Tea is praised by many people and is a staple in many cultures. And rightly so. Tea has many diverse options, flavors, and benefits. Feeling like something sweet? There’s a tea for that. Looking for sour? There’s a tea for that. Bitter? You guessed it, there’s a tea for that.

            There are teas for relaxing, focusing, falling asleep, and waking up. There are teas for detoxing and immunity and all sorts of other health and wellness purposes. And—of course—tea contains caffeine, which makes it a great option for students who need a little boost to get them through their class or homework.

            In most cases, tea does not contain as much caffeine as coffee, so it may take more tea to get the same effect. (The exception to that would be Yerba Mate, which can have around 120 mg.) However, what you lose in lower amounts of caffeine you make up for in potential health benefits. Tea, especially green tea, is high in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antiplatelet effects, making it great for your immune system and gut health.

            As with coffee, tea is better for you by itself, without cream, milk, sugar, or any kinds of flavoring… But what’s the fun in that? Again, adding these things won’t prevent you from enjoying the benefits of tea, but be mindful of how much you add and enjoy in moderation.

Energy Drinks

            Energy drinks are a different story. They are quite popular, especially amongst athletes, gamers, and college students. Energy drinks are packed with caffeine, usually anywhere from 70-200 mg. But they are also packed with sugar, artificial flavoring, and other chemicals that are hard to pronounce and ambiguous in purpose.

            The result is that energy drinks are super effective at jolting you awake and giving you a surge of energy. The issue is that they are absolutely terrible for you. The combination of high caffeine and sugar can result in spikes in your heart-rate, jitters, high blood pressure, and more. Long-term, consistent use of energy drinks can lead to anxiety, obesity, insomnia, heart problems, and in some cases, stroke. 

            So why drink them at all? Energy Drinks are very effective for bursts of energy and waking us up quickly. Athletes (though they really shouldn’t) use them to power their workout or performance with quick energy. There are all sorts of energy drinks out there, and many of them fall under the category of pre-workout for that specific purpose. Though, of all the ways to energize yourself for working out, I would not recommend this.

            Energy drinks are considered a supplement, so they are also not regulated by the FDA, which should inspire some caution in how you use them. While they can be great for waking us up and keeping us up for those all-nighters, I would not suggest making these your everyday go-to energy booster. More like a last-resort.

Soda

            Soda is a popular beverage for all occasions. Meal helper, snack time, late night conversations, in-class boost—you name it, you can drink a soda to make it better. But.. you probably shouldn’t. Like energy drinks, soda is high in sugar and other artificial flavoring agents and chemicals. However, soda doesn’t have that high a concentration of caffeine, so most of the energy boost comes from the sugar.

            That means that while you’ll get a little kick of energy, it probably won’t last very long, and you’ll end up with a sugar crash on the other side. That groggy, tired, lethargic feeling that you get after a carb-heavy meal? That’s the kind of crash we’re talking about here. And whatever energy that your body makes from the sugar that it doesn’t use turns into fat.

For reference, the average amount of added sugar for one can of soda is around 39 grams, and the recommended daily maximum for sugar, according to the American Heart Association, is 25 grams for Women, and 36 grams for Men. A single can of soda puts you over the daily limit for everyone.

Which explains why daily consumption of soda increases your risk for a variety of health issues like tooth decay, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, kidney problems, and high cholesterol, to name a few. So, while the kick from soda can be helpful, it’s usually not long-lasting and not all that great for you. Soda may be popular for all occasions, but it’s not recommended to enjoy on every occasion—definitely not every day.

What is the Best Caffeine for College Students?

            So, what is the best caffeine for college students? Well, to put it simply, coffee or tea is probably your best bet for consistent/daily energy helpers. Both coffee and tea have enough caffeine to wake you up, but also promise health benefits with very few drawbacks.

            Now, many of us like to spice up our coffee or tea with cream, sugar, flavoring—and while that’s not the healthiest, it is okay, just be smart about how much you add. Even with milk and sugar added, 9 times out of 10 that coffee/tea is still going to be better for you than energy drinks or soda.

            Now, I’m not saying you can’t enjoy a soda or reach for an energy drink on occasion (or in desperation to complete that paper before your 8 am class). But, I wouldn’t make a habit of it. Personally, I would avoid energy drinks and soda altogether, but I understand that desperate times (exam week) call for desperate measures. And one soda or energy drink every now and then won’t kill you—probably.

            Overall, coffee is my number one recommendation, based on caffeine amount and personal bias (I’m not afraid to admit that). Tea is a close second, with great health benefits and lots of tasty options. Of course, above all you should be drinking plenty of water in order to keep your body going and your brain alive. But when you need that extra caffeine-kick to get you through your day, start with coffee or tea.

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