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Essay On Caffeine

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One of the most popular and convenient drugs in the world is consumed by most americans every single day. When drinking a hot cup of coffee in the morning, having a cold glass of soda in your lunch, or sitting down for dinner with your relaxing cup of tea, many fail to realize the main addictive ingredient in all three of these beverages is caffeine. Caffeine is something most people overlook in their daily lives and can be harmful if taken too much. Typically, the majority of not only adults, but more recently a growing number of teenagers, rely on their daily dose of caffeine to get them through the day in hopes to not get a sense of fatigue. “Eighty three percent of adults can’t imagine life without their favorite cup of java.” (Healthy …show more content…

The story says that a farmer noticed his cattle acting ancy and relentless, a few days later he went to check on them and found berries they had been chewing. These beans had been later dried and renamed “coffee beans”, which is a very popular association today between caffeine and users. As stated from this story, the first discovery of anything with caffeine was the coffee bean. Humans have consumed caffeine since the stone age. “Early peoples found that chewing seeds, bark, or leaves certain plants had the effects of easing fatigue, stimulating awareness, and elevating moods.” (“Science”). Ever since this time, the people who consumed it knew the effects it would have on your body. By the early 1500’s, caffeine was used regularly to stay awake for nighttime rituals. When this was going on, people into the community started to get suspicious. The ruler of the community banned coffee completely, but didn’t let it last long because the people of the town were so outraged. In the 1980’s, the FDA considered taking caffeine out of all soft drinks. Companies argued that it was a flavor enhancer, so it should be allowed, and they won. “If caffeine had not been accepted as a flavor enhancer, but had been regarded as a psychoactive ingredient, soft drinks might have been regulated by the FDA as drugs.” (Chicago Tribune). This is an ongoing struggle everywhere in the world, and it needs to be addressed more. As I stated before,

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