To the editor:

We are Lindbergh students and we did a project concerning the positive and negative effects of caffeine.

We were shocked about the effects that caffeine has. The main effect that caffeine has is keeping someone awake and aware.

That is the most common perception of caffeine, but there is much more to caffeine than to keep people conscious.

Caffeine has positive and negative effects.

The negative effects affect your whole body. Some symptoms are your heart rate increasing, your pupils dilating and your muscles tightening. Glucose is released into your blood stream for unnecessary energy. Caffeine also has been associated with decreasing bone-mineral density.

Caffeine and sleep do not mix very well. Drinking caffeine can keep you awake for hours.

We learned another disturbing fact regarding energy drinks: People can overdose on energy drinks. Not many people know this and it is pretty shocking.

On the other hand, there is a positive side to caffeine. If caffeine is consumed before exercise, it will help you get fit faster.

Another great benefit of caffeine is if someone develops Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease, caffeine can help reduce the development of these diseases.

Lastly, caffeine causes nervousness and anxiety to go away.

To conclude, when someone asks you: “What would you like to drink?” the best response would be: “Can I have some water please?” Caffeine is OK every once in a while, but not all the time.

Deana Issawi

Sarah Dugdale