Americans’ caffeine addiction intensifies

Adding to issue is not knowing how much is too much. Deaths linked to energy drink, shot.

SANTA ANA, Calif. — Sitting in a booth at the La Palma Chicken Pie Shop in Anaheim, Calif., takes you back to a time long before Starbucks.

As you scan the interior to admire the macrame hanging planters, the waitress fills your coffee mug, smiling and calling you “dear.” The coffee they serve at the pie shop — which opened in 1955, the same year as Disneyland — is Farmer Brothers of Torrance, Calif., a tough, no-nonsense brew that costs $1.20 for a bottomless cup.

“We’ve been using that coffee all along,” says Otto Hasselbarth, who has owned and operated the restaurant with his wife, Antje, since 1972. “People sure like it, and that’s the reason we’ve never switched.”

We’re no longer happy with that simple cup of joe, or even four of them.

Led by strong coffee sales and an explosion in the popularity of energy drinks, our addiction to caffeine has intensified. It’s estimated that 90 percent of Americans consume caffeine daily, with more than half of us drinking down at least 300 milligrams of it. Although a safe limit for caffeine consumption has never been determined, some medical experts say 400 mg should be roughly the limit for adults. That 6-ounce mug at La Palma probably has about 80 milligrams of caffeine. A venti-sized cup (20 oz.) of Starbucks’ signature blend, Pike Place, has 415 mg.

Caffeine is safe for the vast majority of people who consume it, and those who overindulge usually endure symptoms no worse than jitteriness or sleeplessness. But ignoring the caffeine content in certain products, or not knowing about it at all, can bring trouble. Over the past few months, there have been several reports illustrating the dangers of overconsumption of caffeine, for young people and adults. In October, the FDA said it knew about five deaths in the previous three years that were possibly linked to Monster Energy drinks; less than a month later, the agency said it had received reports of 13 deaths possibly linked to 5-Hour Energy shots.

At the heart of this nationwide caffeine jolt is the pursuit of an elusive, prized commodity called “energy.” As we juggle home and work schedules, trying desperately to hold on to a job or pass a final exam, we’re open to just about any product that will keep us alert just a little longer.

“The weird thing about all of this is, you’ve got to listen to your body: If you’re really that tired, go to sleep,” said Matthew Ganio, an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas who has conducted research on the physiological effects of caffeine. “Unfortunately, our lives don’t usually lend themselves to doing that. That’s why we turn to caffeine.”

Benefits and drawbacks

The reason we use caffeine is that it works: It boosts alertness and improves cognitive and physical performance, for a period of time, which can vary widely, depending on the individual. Ganio has studied the influence of caffeine on athletes, and he says just the right dosage — 3-6 mg per kilogram of body mass, or 245-490 mg for a 180pound person — can improve endurance.

The way caffeine works its magic is this, Ganio says: A molecule called adenosine attaches to receptors in the brain, causing a reaction that leads, over time, to fatigue and drowsiness. Caffeine “actually blocks that receptor, and does not allow drowsiness to occur,” Ganio said.

It gets complicated after that, because after the dosage reaches its peak, about an hour after consumption, the level in the blood begins to go downhill. After five hours, the level is down 50 percent from the peak, Ganio says. And so the body can start to crave it again, leading to withdrawal symptoms. There are other negative effects: Our sleep patterns get disrupted; it can cause stomach problems and elevate blood pressure.

In December, Consumer Reports magazine put 27 energy drinks and shots through its lab analysis. Eleven of them didn’t list the caffeine content on the label. Of the 16 that did, five had more than 20 percent above the labeled amount of caffeine.

KATE LUCAS / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Energy drinks, which derive much of their stimulant capacity from caffeine, have shown up in reports of a number of recent deaths, the FDA says. It is estimated than 90 percent of Americans consume caffeine on a daily basis.