Goats dancing madly about a field may strike many as odd, but according to a popular legend, thus began coffee.
After enjoying an afternoon nap, a goat herder woke up to discover his goats dancing madly around the field. He noticed they were snacking on some little red berries, so he decided to sample some for himself and was soon dancing crazily alongside his goats. A monk came along and took some of the berries back to the monastery with him and made a beverage out of them to help his fellow monks stay awake during prayer.
According to this legend, this brew was the first pot of coffee.
Since that time caffeine has become the most popular legal drug around and is consumed by 90 percent of Americans on a daily basis. More than half of all Americans ingest at least 300 mg of this stimulant a day.
"It was the best discovery of all time," said Ahmad Saleh, a graduate student in economics, who turns to shots of espresso for his caffeine high or the occasional cup of tea. Although he admits to being addicted to the substance, Saleh does not believe that it controls him.
The degree to which caffeine affects the body depends on a variety of factors, according to Janice Cochran, a dietician with Wellness Education services. Because it is a drug, over time individuals will need increasing amounts of the substance to feel the same effects, and will suffer from withdrawal when consumption stops.
Nikhila Thomas, a sophomore psychology major, uses caffeine to help her withstand sleepless nights.
"With the college schedule, you grab something now and then to keep from sleeping in class," Thomas said.
According to Cochran, caffeine is healthy in moderation, although dependency can yield negative side effects. Caffeine starts to become unhealthy if it interrupts the ability to sleep or if it increases feelings of stress and anxiety. Also, it can have the effect of hyper-stimulating your system, making it difficult to concentrate, exactly the opposite result most students are looking for when they turn to caffeine.
Cochran encourages students to understand how caffeine works and to consider solving the problem of fatigue by other methods, rather than just turning to a stimulant to counteract it.
"Be aware of how it affects you," Cochran said.
