Caffeine not best choice for mental alertness help
by KC Jones,reporter

    Mental alertness is crucial to academic excellence.

    The first choice a student must make, if he/she is going to be successful in college, is to pay attention to the instructor, regardless of interest.

    After that has been decided, the student may still find it hard to concentrate. Or, the student may have trouble with drowsiness while trying to study.

    These are two reasons many students seek chemical help for mental alertness.

    Caffeine is one of the more popular stimulants that is abundantly available and inexpensive.

    According to Mike Gadway, manager of A Garden of Health in Hurst, caffeine has drawbacks; therefore, he suggests a more healthful alternative should be sought out.

    “Caffeine is hard on kidneys and liver. It will shut down gastric juices causing indigestion, and long-term use will wear the lining of the stomach down, contributing to ulcers,” he said.

    Although caffeine builds energy in the body, it does so at the price of vital nutrients that in the long run can wear a person out. Caffeine can actually remove awareness because of the drain on the nervous system.

    Some of the effects coffee drinkers might have include irritability, agitation and muscle twitches.

    More serious side effects include its contribution to heart disease. One study showed coronary heart attacks doubled among people drinking five or more cups of coffee a day.

    A 1996 published review reports that heavy caffeine use, 300 mg. per day or more, during pregnancy is especially detrimental to premature or low-birth-weight infants.

    Here are some popular products and their caffeine content in milligrams. Twelve-ounce sodas: Jolt 100.0, Coca-Cola 45.6, Dr Pepper 39.6. Seven-ounce coffee servings: drip 115-175, espresso 100, decaf-brewed 3-4 and a 12 oz iced tea 70.

    Mate is a powerful, natural stimulant that does not have damaging effects like coffee.

    It contains a substance called mateine. It has a unique pharmacology and should not be considered caffeine.

    Dr. Jose Martin, director of the National Institute of Technology in Paraguay, believes mate is nature’s most perfect beverage.

    “There is not a single medical contraindication for ingesting mate.

    “Clinical studies show, in fact, that individuals with caffeine sensitivities can ingest mate without adverse reactions,” he wrote.

    Mate is an evergreen member of the holly family. It grows wild in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay and Brazil.

    Mate is also the national drink of Uruguay.

    Mate contains a remarkable amount of healthful plant substances including carotene, vitamins A, C, E and B complex, biotin and chlorophyll.

    In 1964, the Pasteur Institute’s investigation of mate concluded that it contains practically all of the vitamins necessary to sustain life.

    Because mate increases the supply of oxygen to the heart, it has become a treatment for heart ailments as well as anyone interested in exercise.

    In Europe, mate is used for weight loss. It is a mild diuretic and appetite suppressant.

    “It’s the ideal slimming remedy, which facilitates losing weight in a natural way and stills the distressing feelings of hunger and thirst,” said Dr. James Balch.

    Yerba Mate reported, in three clinical studies, mate’s high antioxidant values.

    Mate has been commonly observed to decrease the severity and incidence of allergy and hay fever.

    Furthermore, mate has been credited with helping to balance blood glucose levels. Therefore, some hypoglycemic and diabetic patients respond well to mate.

    Many who consume mate have reported immediate improvement in digestion because mate has the ability to repair damaged and diseased gastrointestinal tissues.

    But for struggling students with concentration problems, the claims of increased mental alertness without nervousness and jitters is a key point.

    Mate contains choline, an important central nervous system neuro-transmitter.

    Roberto Madeira’s family has a mate plantation in Brazil.

    The Madeira family plantation imports and processes mate in Key West under the name Blond Giraffe.

    “Mate has the ability to quicken the mind and acuity; therefore, it is a good alternative to coffee,” he explained.

    Former schoolteacher Andrea Cihak was impressed by the herb.

“If you’re tired of the caffeine in your latte, try mate,” she said.