Ravings of a Mad Man: vol. 3.20

Ravings of a Mad Man: vol. 3.20

It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid then open it and remove all doubt

-Mark Twain

            Well I would like to say I don't if it was something from above, cold weather or just the fact that I have what seems to be like a thousands assignments due and the fundamentals of engineering test just around the corner, but the soda embargo has been lifted.  I now have free range on soda consumption!  Yes that is awesome.  After I prepared a 15 minute presentation on why it is necessary for me to drink soda for at least another month Jenny caved.  I like to think it didn't have anything to do with the picture I showed her of her clothes on fire.  I am sure it everything to do with how cute I am.  Caffeine is natures treat that man found and made it awesome into soda form.  I am sure that come this summer there will be another soda embargo put in place in our house.  Which is probably for the better; I found this information on the internet. What won't the internet write?  Thank you, Al Gore.  (I don't expect you to read all of this or do I?)

Exactly how caffeine will affect an individual, and for how long, depends on many factors, including the amount of caffeine ingested, whether one is male or female, one's height and weight, one's age, and whether one is pregnant or smokes. Caffeine is converted by the liver into substances that are excreted in the urine.  Caffeine can be mildly addictive. Even when moderate amounts of caffeine are withdrawn for 18 to 24 hours, one may feel symptoms such as headache, fatigue, irritability, depression, and poor concentration. The symptoms peak within 24 to 48 hours and progressively decrease over the course of a week. To minimize withdrawal symptoms, experts recommend reducing caffeine intake gradually.  Current research on how caffeine affects a variety of health issues is summarized below. Keep in mind that most experts agree that moderate use of caffeine is not likely to cause any health problems.

• Studies have looked at the effects of caffeine on heart health. Moderate caffeine consumption does not appear to adversely affect cardiovascular health.
• Caffeine appears to increase the excretion of calcium, a mineral needed for healthy bones. Calcium is particularly important to prevent osteoporosis, a bone disease characterized by loss of bone strength and seen especially in older women (although men get it too). Moderate caffeine intake does not seem to cause a problem with calcium, as long as one is consuming the recommended amount (adult men and women should be taking between 1,000 and 1,200 milligrams of calcium, depending on age and gender).
• In the past there have been concerns that the caffeine in coffee may cause cancer. Research has shown that caffeine in coffee does not cause breast or intestinal cancer. However, not enough research has been done to determine if caffeine in coffee is involved in urinary bladder or pancreatic cancer. Taken in moderation, it is unlikely that caffeine will cause cancer.
• Evidence suggests that, at levels over 500 milligrams per day, caffeine may delay conception. Moderate caffeine consumption does not appear to be of concern to women trying to get pregnant. Moderate consumption is also important for a healthy pregnancy. Excessive caffeine intake has been associated with miscarriages and low birth weight babies.
• Because children have developing nervous systems, it is important to moderate their caffeine consumption. For children, major sources of caffeine include soft drinks and chocolate.
• Caffeine may be useful as part of a weight control program because it increases the rate at which the body burns calories for three or more hours after being consumed.
• Caffeine's ability to improve physical performance is well known among well-trained athletes. Through a mechanism that is not completely understood, caffeine seems to increase endurance and speed in some situations. Excessive use of caffeine is restricted in international competitions.

Karen Eich Drummond (http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Ca-De/Caffeine.html)

Trivia Time:  Last week's answer was 108 cans were brought into our home last week.  This week's question is what does Caffeine not do?

a)      Make you have super human strength

b)      Is a form of Birth Control

c)      Makes your bones turn into bird bones which is the first step to man flying (everybody knows that)

d)      Will make you act more like a wild beast being ornery and poor concentration

e)      None of the above

f)        All of the above

g)      There are way too many options that are solid gold

h)      I love all the people that read all of this letter

i)        Whitney has a crush on Brandt (inside source)

Have a good week I know I will.  

Eric Jones

The Blog www.oprahismymom.blogspot.com