By Nicole Haley

It is the most widely used drug in the nation, consumed by 85 percent of adults in the United States. Most have some at breakfast to kick-start the day. Others, particularly students, take it at night to study for a morning’s midterm or aid in completion of that last minute project.

With the demanding schedule imposed by college academics, it can be a student’s best friend. But this relationship is easily upset, and a caffeine consumer could easily turn from casual user to caffeine addict.

As most can gather from its effects, caffeine is a stimulant, a mild one, but a stimulant nevertheless. This means that by drinking a cup of coffee or can of Jolt Cola, the central nervous system is sped up and alertness is heightened.

Lori Bellama, a sophomore American Sign Language interpreting major, is a regular tea drinker and noticed caffeine’s disruptive effect on her sleep. “Two or more cups of tea before 10, and I’m not sleeping that night,” Bellama. said.

Some common effects of excessive caffeine use are headaches, stomach cramps, sleep deprivation and diarrhea. People who have caffeine on a daily basis, even in moderation, can become addicted and may experience symptoms of withdrawal if they attempt to suddenly stop using it.

Professor Richard Melloni, from Northeastern’s Department of Psychology, specializes in drug abuse. According to him, caffeine has all the characteristic effects of a stimulant: tolerance, addiction, and withdrawal.

“The more you drink, the more you’re dependent on it,” said Melloni. “I just had a big cup of coffee, I might have another one.”

The headaches that develop when caffeine is cut from daily use occur because caffeine is a stimulator to muscular junctions, affecting muscle tensions, explains Melloni. The headaches, therefore, are a result of muscle cramps in the absence of caffeine’s presence. Gradual reduction in caffeine use is therefore the best method in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

In general, the dangers of caffeine are in the excessive consumption of the drug. It is not a good idea, as Melloni points out, to load up on caffeine to pull an all-nighter before a midterm.

“Large doses of caffeine can increase blood pressure and more of any stimulant is bad,” said Melloni. Instead he recommends taking caffeine in a few small doses throughout the day, rather than all at once.

Countless studies have been conducted to determine caffeine’s negative effects, and though many of them are contradicting, the general consensus seems to be that moderate amounts of caffeine are not harmful.

Moderation is the best way to assure that you aren’t risking your health. In fact, some studies have found that a little bit of caffeine can actually be good for you. Although there is no definitive evidence, some researchers have claimed that coffee is a good source of anti-oxidants which may help prevent certain types of cancer.

“A little bit of anything is not bad for you,” says Melloni.

However what is considered moderate? Most experts recommend that moderate consumption of caffeine should be somewhere between 300mg and 400mg a day.

The average cup of coffee has about 100mg of caffeine. Although, as Melloni pointed out, a Dunkin Donuts large is not what is meant by one cup of coffee. “That would be more like four,” he said.

One cup of coffee should be approximately four to six ounces. Of course, coffee is not the only source of caffeine to consider. Sodas have 30-40mg, most tea has about 40-60mg, a Hershey bar has about 10mg and energy drinks like Red Bull have about 80mg.

Caffeine is also found in over the counter medications, a fact many people are not aware of. For example, one Excedrin pill (promoted as “the headache medicine”), contains about 65mg of caffeine. NoDoz, a common caffeine pill supplement, has about 100mg of caffeine per pill.

To keep alert there’s no real substitute for a healthy lifestyle including regular sleep and a balanced diet.

While there is nothing wrong with a little bit of caffeine every now and then, it is important to realize how too much can affect the body. A morning mug of coffee may be enjoyable, but just don’t follow it with two more servings, three cans of Coke in the afternoon, chocolate bars, and a NoDoz at night.