Sapana Acharya, 23, a recent BA graduate from Tribhuvan University expressed that she consumes around eight to ten cups of coffee everyday.[break] “I struggle to function without a cup of strong coffee and I got hooked on during my college days as it was readily available in the canteen,” she adds. She further stated that she uses coffee to avoid stress and to get refreshed.
Since monks discovered coffee´s gift to stimulate prolonged meditation, coffee has traveled a long way to become one of the largest commodities in the world. Contemporary times give way to odd hours, businesses that span different time zones, new age lifestyles and trends, or maybe just the indulgent aroma, making coffee a part of our everyday lives. If alertness and energy boosters are the virtues coffee has to offer, its downfall lies in being a vice that can hurt our system in the long run. Balance is the key in relishing an internationally favorite beverage.
Rojina Shilpakar, a medical officer at Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital states that short-term use of such drinks boost energy and may help people to perform better but in the long run it might increase addiction and ultimately lose its effect. “It undoubtedly does not replenish the body like natural nutrients.”
Pitamber Rawal, Professor of Economics at Tribhuwan University (TU), commenting on his students´ intake of caffeine says, “I think pompous advertisements have influenced the urban youth to use coffee. Moreover, students have the habit of preparing for the exam at the last moment and to cope up with stress without knowing the actual side effects, they just get addicted to caffeine”.
Shilpakar says, “Depending upon the intake of caffeine, there are both short-term and long-term effects. Though there may not be an effect immediately, in the long run, it may invite a lot of health risks.”
Vipshan Sakya, 21, who recently completed his +2 says, “I mostly consume coffee after I wake up and during evenings or whenever I get together with my friends. I was really addicted to caffeine but after I suffered a serious gastritis problem due to high level of caffeine and suffered from severe stomach aches, I had to stop drinking coffee for a year.” Although Sakya had restarted his habit, he is trying to control his consumption.
Shilpakar states that in the long run, caffeine addiction invites sleeping disorders including insomnia. On average, four to five cups of coffee per day may trigger insomnia. Some of the side effects include irritability, low concentration as a result of insomnia, nervousness and ultimately addiction to caffeine.
For Sleshma Regmi, 21, an engineering student, the first signs of caffeine addiction were nausea, nervousness and fatigue. “What started out as an energy booster has become a habit for me”, shares Regmi, who now can´t do without the caffeine kick especially during exam time. “I usually have the habit of working for my college projects at the last hour and so to make myself stay alert till late, I make sure that I have enough caffeine.” She further says that she is quite distressed about being unable to go back to her normal sleep pattern and suffers from massive headache at times which she believes could be the effect of caffeine withdrawals.
Shilpakar further informs that in order to meet deadlines, manage hectic schedules and work overload, students and the younger population should opt for other alternatives rather than get hooked on artificial energy boosters. “Have a balanced diet and include carbohydrates like whole grains, beans and also glucose in the diet which are main sources of energy for the body. Work on time and manage your schedules by being organized, drink lots of water and get enough sleep.”
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