Here is the Cultural Paper

Emily Horton
Cultural History

My personal dilemma with coffee is still outstanding; I can’t handle the caffeine. For a cultural history I chose to explore the effects of caffeine on the body, the effects of caffeine on this nation as a whole and the influences that it has on the people of the United States, also I’m going to tie in energy products because they do have caffeine but those products take getting an extra energy boost to another level. I find this topic interesting because some of my friends favorites drinks are energy drinks and I want to prove to them that they are terrible to consume.
Coffee and its importance to me is not so important when its compared to other peoples love and addiction. Some people in the United States have a pot of coffee in their morning routine. Some spend 3 to 4 dollars every morning with a trip to starbuck’s resulting in about 700 dollars or so a year on a cup of coffee every work day. Another group of people has energy drinks or other forms of energy boosts to get them through their day.
Caffeine has a very interesting history. It has a very wide following globally and is the world’s favorite drug; even though it’s addictive and has negative attributes on the body like nicotine it is not illegal. Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline material that acts as a psychoactive stimulant. The origin of caffeine is varied. Some anthropologists believe it’s been used back in the stone age; people found that by chewing on certain seeds or leaves it will elevate ones mood and stop fatigue. Many cultures have legends that attribute the discovery of such plants to people living many thousands of years ago. During that time coffee beans were only avaliable in their native habitat Ethiopia. Caffeine was first extracted from coffee beans in 1821. In 1573 coffee was introduced to the Europeans, tea was introduced later in 1657 and became very popular. In 1876 milk chocolate was introduced into Switzerland and then finally the coca cola products started to appear all over the world around the end of the 19th century.
Environmental consequences are long lasting and costly. Coffee produces millions of tons of fruit waist. It all can be composted but normally ends up in local rivers which leads to deadly pollution. To have the ideal conditions for growing coffee requires a huge chunk of deforestation as well. In today’s culture as well as other things there are products that are mandatory because of popular demand. There are some companies that put time and money into trying to correct the problem.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEFDE1E39F93AA3575AC0A9679C8B63
This is a new York times about the environmental problems and how Starbucks puts time into correcting the problem.
When it comes to energy drinks I’m going to start with the downsides to them, with every energy drink your consuming about 80 mg of caffeine per can. This is twice the amount of caffeine that is found in most sodas but about the same that is found in an average strength cup of coffee. However even if some energy drinks do not have huge amounts of caffeine in them they have other ingredients that can cause seriously negative effects. Here are some of the ingredients you may find in popular energy drinks and what they do in the body.
· Ephedrine - A stimulant that works on the central nervous system. It is a common ingredient in weight-loss products and decongestants, but there have been concerns about its effects on the heart.
· Taurine - A natural amino acid produced by the body that helps regulate heart beat and muscle contractions. Many health experts aren't sure what effect it has as a drink additive (and the rumor that taurine comes from bull testicles is false).
· Ginseng - A root believed by some to have several medicinal properties, including reducing stress and boosting energy levels.
· B-vitamins - A group of vitamins that can convert sugar to energy and improve muscle tone.
· Guarana seed - A stimulant that comes from a small shrub native to Venezuela and Brazil.
· Carnitine - An amino acid that plays a role in fatty acid metabolism.
· Creatine - An organic acid that helps supply energy for muscle contractions.
· Inositol - A member of the vitamin B complex (not a vitamin itself, because the human body can synthesize it) that helps relay messages within cells in the body.
· Ginkgo biloba - Made from the seeds of the ginkgo biloba tree, thought to enhance memory.
· Caffeine- Caffeine works by blocking the effects of adenosine, a brain chemical involved in sleep. When caffeine blocks adenosine, it causes neurons in the brain to fire. Thinking the body is in an emergency, the pituitary gland initiates the body's "fight or flight" response by releasing adrenaline. This hormone makes the heart beat faster and the eyes dilate. It also causes the liver to release extra sugar into the bloodstream for energy. Caffeine affects the levels of dopamine, a chemical in the brain's pleasure center. All of these physical responses make you feel as though you have more energy.

Countless people have died from their heart stopping from consuming to much of the product red bull, or monster. There’s a warning label on the can meant for pregnant women to advise them on using these products and there is even a ban of red bull in France because of the death of an Irish athlete that consumed 4 red bulls in one day.

Red Bull Banned!
Red Bull may be the best selling energy drink in the United States, but it isn't so popular in other countries. In 2000, the French government decided to ban Red Bull after the brand was linked to the death of an 18-year-old Irish athlete. The teenager died after drinking four cans of Red Bull at a game. French laws dictate the maximum amount of caffeine that companies can add to products, and Red Bull exceeds that limit. Denmark and Norway have also banned the drink. Other countries, such as Canada, require the can to carry a warning label for pregnant women and children.

Sites that talk about red bull and the people that have died because of it.
http://www.energyfiend.com/2007/08/death-by-red-bull
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/energy-drink.htm
In conclusion, personal problems with certain products are based upon what you believe them to be. Some sights say that energy drinks have no long term effects and other sights say that they are pretty horrible to consume. It seems that Europe is banning all the things that the United States is still using because they see the effects on people and their governments do not want those products leaping into their markets; which is very smart. The history of all the products and things that the people love in the United States and cant live without is really opening my eyes. Is there anything that’s good, that I shouldn’t feel guilty for not knowing until now.