Caffeine culture permeates college campuses, but how safe is it?

This is the second in a series of articles about the science of various aspects of college life.

In the United States, 92% of college students consume caffeine in some form. For many students across the nation, caffeine is a lifeline for powering through their day, from morning lectures to late-night study sessions.

But as students reach for yet another cup of coffee or a Celsius energy drink, public health experts have questioned whether the normalization of caffeine culture on college campuses is healthy.

Caffeine is adept at using our brain’s cellular structure to prevent feeling fatigued.

Normally, adenosine — a neurotransmitter that, upon binding to a receptor, slows down nerve conduction and the release of other stimulating compounds in the body — builds up throughout the day as a result of cellular and tissue metabolic activity, according to Scott Rivkees, a professor of the practice of health services, policy and practice and Florida’s former secretary of health and surgeon general. 

The binding of adenosine to receptors can promote feelings of sleepiness by slowing down the release of neurotransmitters that play crucial roles in boosting wakefulness, like dopamine and norepinephrine, as well as regulating the body’s circadian rhythm.

But when caffeine is present, it blocks adenosine by binding to receptors instead. In turn, this stimulates the release of neurotransmitters, thus increasing alertness, Rivkees said.

Not everyone responds to caffeine in the same way. Individual differences in caffeine metabolization rates and variations in adenosine receptors can lead to a wide variety of symptoms, including negative ones. As a stimulant, caffeine can lead to a number of symptoms like anxiety, feelings of nervousness and heart palpitations, Rivkees added. 

The Food and Drug Administration has cited 400 milligrams of caffeine a day as a safe amount — equivalent to about four metric cups of coffee — although some individuals can experience negative symptoms well before meeting this threshold. 

“I have noticed that the days I do drink more than two cups of coffee I get jittery and shaky if I don’t eat a big meal,” Melany Veliz ’25 said. 

For Molly Ibrahim ’27, consuming energy drinks — which often contain more caffeine than a cup of coffee — has induced more negative symptoms than drinking coffee, so she tries to stick to the latter. 

But Ibrahim noted that drinking coffee or energy drinks is an ingrained aspect of college culture for many students. 

“I feel like all nighters and just spending a very long amount of time on assignments is very normalized, and people just use caffeine to be able to keep up with that,” she added. 

“A lot of study culture is based around going to cafes and getting coffee with people,” Alice Xu ’27 said.

But when individuals drink too much caffeine, their bodies develop additional adenosine receptors, resulting in caffeine dependence, according to Rivkees. Individuals who consume excess caffeine often have “double or triple the number of (adenosine) receptors,” initiating a positive feedback loop where individuals must consume more caffeine to feel the same effects, Rivkees said.

To reduce the likelihood of caffeine dependence, Rivkees suggested decreasing caffeine intake. Doing this can also help lower the prevalence and severity of withdrawal symptoms — which Rivkees said can take up to a week to recover from.

While BWell, Brown’s health and wellness program, does not specifically have resources to support students affected by caffeine dependence, they offer Sleep Hygiene workshops to help students understand the importance of rest and create “sustainable routines that support both academic success and daily balance,” Takyah Smith, BWell’s social wellness coordinator, wrote in an email to The Herald. 

“Managing (caffeine) intake by gradually reducing consumption, opting for lower-caffeine alternatives like decaf or herbal teas, staying hydrated, eating balanced meals for sustained energy and prioritizing good sleep habits can help boost energy levels without dependence on stimulants,” she wrote. 

Despite the risks of consuming significant amounts of caffeine, studies have found that moderate consumption of caffeine — up to three cups of coffee a day, depending on the individual — can reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. 

Over the years, many researchers and public health experts, including Rivkees, have expressed approval of a responsible level of caffeine consumption.

“Caffeine has been around and been taken by humans for thousands of years. It’s part of culture,” Rivkees said. “Things done in moderation are fine. Things done in excess can be problematic.”