ssues & ideas EDITOR JULES KNOX THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2013 Caffeine fuels Langara students: but at what cost? Campus coffee crucial to cramming, yet costly caffeine crashes can cause complications Blind coffee jam taste test surprises Students Tim Hortons chosen by students as best flavour of coffee in a blind taste test By ANGIE HOLUBOWICH test might surprise you. The Voice conducted a blind taste test on March 13 to determine which coffee brand students preferred when they weren’t influenced by image or price. Six Langara students, who range from drinking less than a cup to eight cups a day, each tasted black cof- fee from the four campus cafés: Star- bucks, Tim Hortons, Duke’s and Seat- tle’s Best Coffee, which is served at the cafeteria. Tim Hortons was the most popular choice, with five of the six tasters pick- ing it as their favourite. Hannah Rose Maté, who chose Tim Hortons coffee during the blind taste test, described it as having the “bold- est, richest taste. A little chocolatey and definitely the most interesting.” Prior to the experiment, Maté said Duke’s was her preferred brand. “I think it is the best coffee, even though it’s slightly more expensive than Starbucks and Tim Hortons,” she said. “I drink coffee to wake up and be- cause it is a social thing,” she said. Tom Krushkowski said that he picked Tim Hortons coffee because he could really taste the beans. “It had a rich flavour,” he said. Mike Gill, the only student who didn’t prefer Tim Hortons coffee, said he chose Seattle’s Best because it didn’t taste like instant powder like the other samples. “It didn’t have a watery aftertaste, and it was the only one that tasted like coffee,” he said. Although the participants enjoyed the taste of the coffee they chose, most were surprised when they found out that it was Tim Hortons. James Watson said that while he was disappointed with his choice, “my wallet is pretty happy.” Even though some students say that they dislike the taste of coffee, they drink it in order to feel energized. Te: results of a recent coffee taste Tis Hotlons, RRROLL Up —THE RIM TO— pERRROULE JACQUELINE LANGEN photo Tim Hortons was the winner in the blind coffee taste taste on March 13. Students use caffeine to help study for exams Caffeine pills, coffee and energy drinks are popular choices for students who are cramming for exams by pulling all-nighters By KELC] NICODEMUS students are staying up all night to make the grade. They’re using caffeine pills, energy drinks and coffee to get them through from dusk to dawn. Bojana Nikolic said she has used caf- feine pills to study through the night, but found staying up did not help her for the exam. “Even though you’re awake, you don’t feel like you’re retaining any- thing,” she said. Klaudine Go said that she has stayed up all night to study for exams because she doesn’t have time throughout the day. “I really have a lot of stuff going on,” she said. Although she has considered taking caffeine pills to help keep her awake, she is reluctant to try them. “T didn’t know where to get them, and I was thinking that it might be a bad idea to use those kinds of things,” she said. When Youxi Alaia pulls an all-night- er before an exam, she is more confi- dent because it gives her more time to study. Alaia said she once drank four ener- gy drinks in one night but felt wired from the caffeine.“I was shaking dur- A: exams approach, some Langara JACQUELINE LANGEN photo Students Hannah Rose Maté, Tom Krushkowski and Mike Gill participate in a blind coffee taste test at Langara on March 13. Tim Hortons coffee was chosen as students’ favourite. her warm. ing the test,” she said. She said she usually prefers getting her caffeine from drinking coffee while she’s up late studying because it keeps Experts warn too much caffeine is dangerous for students’ health Too much of the drug disturbs sleep patterns, causes dehydration CAFFEINE How much? By WARREN JANE ith the mounting pressure of term paper due dates and fi- nal exams, many students are relying on caffeine to help get them through their studies. In small doses, caffeine can increase alertness and help with concentration, but experts warn against abusing the stimulant or using it to stay up all night studying. “T would say generally that students should maintain a healthy lifestyle and any stimulants would never be recom- mended as the consequences would or could show up at the exam,” said Rob- ert Smith, the former president and CEO of Fraser Health Authority. Consequences can include disturbed sleep patterns and a “caffeine crash” the following day. Langara nursing instructor Beth McLeod said caffeine can also cause de- hydration. “If you’re going to drink caffeine to stay awake, you certainly need to drink water,” she said. “You can’t do it long- term.” McLeod said that one of the dangers with too much caffeine is that users get accustomed to it. “You need to increase your dosage if you’re going to have that jolt,” she said. For students pulling all-nighters, Langara nursing instructor Paramita Banerjee recommends water, milk or 100 per cent pure juice for alertness and energy. Banerjee also cautions students not to exceed the recommended daily al- lowance of caffeine, which is 400 milli- grams per day for healthy adults ac- cording to Health Canada. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks, chocolate and some medicines. It can be habit-forming, and most regular users will develop a toler- ance over time. Canadians get about 60 per cent of their caffeine from coffee and 30 per cent from tea, according to Health Can- ada. As an alternative, energy drinks usu- ally have a higher concentration of caf- feine, although they have more calories than coffee or tea. Caffeine pills are also available. Most of these pills contain about 200 milli- grams of caffeine each. While they are a “pure” dose of caffeine, they lack nu- tritional value, such as the antioxidants found in some coffees and teas. Black Tea: 42 milligrams for 8 fluid ounces Red Bull: 80 milligrams in 8.46 fluid ounces Coca-Cola Classic: 34 milligrams for 12 fluid ounces Tim Hortons Coffee: 100 milligrams for 10 fluid ounces Source: Energyfiend.com