Addiction and substance abuse can come in many forms, from alcohol and tobacco to prescription medications, and even the coffee you drink.

Caffeine, both naturally occurring and synthetic, has been a part of the human diet for centuries, starting with beverages made from the cacao seed in Aztec culture, Marine CLay, a registered dietitian nutritionist, said. The introduction of the caffeine containing beverage and food were brought to Europe after the ‘New World’ was discovered.

The long history of caffeine use has lead to an acceptance of it in mainstream society, Clay said.

“Caffeine is widely consumed on college campuses and among youth due to the Central Nervous System stimulant effect,” she said.

CNS stimulants are substances that speed up the physiological and mental processes of the body.

Sodexo management has noted the high demand for caffeinated drinks on campus, as 85 to 90 percent of the beverages Sodexo sells are caffeinated, Cindy Walz, genreal manager of Sodexo, said.

Some athletes also use caffeine as an ergogenic aid, Clay said.

Both natural and synthetic caffeine are widely used in consumer products, she said

“Synthetic caffeine is a food additive, primarily being added to beverages,” she said. “Naturally occurring caffeine is found in plant based foods, such as cofee bean, tea leaf, cacao seed and the kola nut.”

This leads to almost everything Americans drink containing caffeine to some degree, Walz said.

Effects

Caffeine has well known side effects on the health of the consumer, Walz said.

“Too much caffeine can result in difficulty sleeping, irritability, restlessness, nervousness and nausea,” Clay said. “It is also a diuretic, and can lead to increased losses of water from the body, which could cause dehydration.”

By consuming caffeine late into the night, individuals can experience problems falling asleep as easily as it would be if they have just consumed caffeine, Walz said.

“Caffeine interrupts your sleep flow,” she said. “One of the healthiest things for you is getting a full eight hours of sleep.”

The appetite in people who often ingest caffeine is also reduced causing bad eating habits, she said.

While caffeine has not been associated with an increase in chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease, it has been linked to some other health problems, Clay said.

“There has been some concern that excessive caffeine intake may contribute to osteoporosis, a medical condition in which the bones become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue, she said.

Sweetened caffeine containing beverages, such as specialty coffees, sweet tea, soda and energy drinks provide additional calories that are unnecessary, she said.

“One very real issue with caffeine containing beverages is that they often contain sugar and do not provide any additional nutrients,” Clay said.

The additional sugar is associated with an increase in chronic disease, such as heart disease, she said.

Cutting caffeine out of your diet can result in some unpleasant short term side effects, she said.

“Withdrawal from caffeine usually involves a headache and irritability for a couple of days,” Clay said. “However, as mild stimulants go, caffeine is probably one of the safest.”

Some cultures actually forbid the consumption of caffeine, which is partially due to health reasons, she said.

Recommendations

“The 2015 US Dietary Guidelines states that caffeine can be incorporated into a healthy eating pattern,” she said. “The recommendation is to limit caffeine consumption to three to five 8 ounce cups of coffee per day.”

Clay said individuals who feel they must drink caffeine should consume it in the form of green tea as it contains phytonutrients and antioxidants associated with improving health.