대학신문방송국

Caffeine

By Han Ha-yeong Reporter, Sophomore of English Language and Literature

Have you ever heard the quote, “Coffee is black as a devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, and sweet as love.” by Talleyrand, a French Napoleonic-era politician? Coffee, placed as an industry that has great stability and clear growth, is a beverage that we often drink today. Coffee contains a lot of caffeine. The word ‘caffeine’ is understood as a bitter white powder, which is contained in 60 plants, such as a coffee tree, tea, a cola tree, a guava tree, and so on. It is the most taken pharmacologic active ingredient globally, which is in coffee, black tea, cola, cocoa, chocolate, painkiller, and cold medicine, etc.

Do you know how much caffeine you usually consume, or what is the recommended intake of it? This article includes information on coffee consumption and intake in South Korea, caffeine’s benefits and side effects, and the solution for people who love caffeine and intake a lot.

• Coffee Consumption and intake in South Korea

As mentioned earlier, South Korea loves caffeine greatly. The most typical caffeine drink is coffee. This caffeinated beverage is always present in our daily lives. Then, how much coffee is consumed in South Korea? According to Hyundai Research Institute, South Korea’s annual coffee consumption ranked third in the world, preceded by the United States and China in 2019. Experts estimated that South Korea’s coffee sales will reach approximately 8.6 trillion in 2023.

Then, how much caffeine do Koreans intake? The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety evaluated the level of caffeine intake in South Korea and found that the average daily intake per capita as of 2015 was 67.8mg, which is about 17 percent of the maximum recommended daily allowance for caffeine (400 mg/day) for adults. (400mg or less for adults, 300mg or less for pregnant women, and 2.5mg/kg or less for children and teens)

The main drinks of caffeine are coffee, which is commonly consumed by adults. Likewise, soda, which is consumed by children and teens, and then processed dairy products, which are consumed by preschoolers. Processed dairy products are made from raw milk or dairy products with other foods or food additives, such as chocolate milk or coffee milk.

• The Benefits of Caffeine

Caffeine stimulates the central and peripheral nervous systems, and when consumed properly, then it reduces fatigue, improves concentration, and increases intellectual performance. It also has positive effects, such as removing drowsiness, improving digestion by increasing stomach acid secretion and eliminating waste through diuretic properties. Coffee is said to be good for Alzheimer’s, a disease characterized by memory loss due to unexplained brain shrinkage, and has anti-cancer properties. In addition, drinking a cup of coffee a day improves blood vessel elasticity, which is an excellent prevention of heart disease and stroke, reduces depression, improves concentration, and also, polyphenols eliminate active oxygen.

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• Side Effects of Caffeine

If there is light, there is shadow. Of course, there are side effects. Excessive caffeine consumption can lead to nervousness, increased heart rate, insomnia, and headache. Also, it causes damage to the stomach mucosa because of excessive stomach acid, and in severe cases, it is likely to cause nervousness, lethargy, arrhythmias, irritability, anxiety, and jitteriness. Caffeine can cause the above symptoms of addiction when consumed more than 250-500 mg/day and withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue and headache when stopped eating.

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Although there is a recommended daily allowance for caffeine, sensitivity can appear from person to person differently, so it is important to control your own intake. We can easily find caffeine in daily life because of its stimulating, fatigue-fighting, and headache-relieving effects. However, caffeine itself does not restore fatigue, and it just makes you feel less tired. It is important to check how much caffeine you are consuming and try to reduce unnecessary caffeine. If you feel listless, instead of drinking caffeinated beverages, try going outside to get fresh air, stretching and exercising regularly, or taking enough vitamins to control fatigue.