The Caffeine Alternatives

 

After the last blog post on tea and coffee and energy drinks, people asked me if there are any alternatives to them for increasing mental alertness and counter sleepiness. Unfortunately, a fully effective alternative to caffeine does not exist, but you can try some of these things which I have used with variable results.

Cold Water Splashes: Splashing icy cold water on your face can shock you back and may help in increasing your alertness. I remember the water cooler on the first floor of the library at AIIMS, New Delhi. Its water was so cold that you had difficulty drinking it without glass, but you splash it on your face and instant alertness. Splashing cold water on the face and especially the eye region has the additional benefit that it is refreshing for the eyes tired by the long hour of study or visual work.

Exercise: We are not talking about the long exercise routine which makes you so tired to you just fall down asleep. Here we need short, explosive burst of rapid body movement exercises. This can be running or spot running, jumping jacks or burpees, squats, or even push-ups. They should be done for just 1-2 minutes only. This will release adrenaline in your body. You may repeat after some time as needed. In addition to increasing your mental alertness, it also has the small benefit of physical fitness. But be sure of your fitness level and initial warm-up and stretching, otherwise, you may land up with a musculoskeletal injury or other health issues.

Yogic Breathing exercises or Pranayam: Various types of yogic breathing or Paranyam have been described with each having specific mental and physical benefits. Two are especially useful for students and others having increased mental exertion.

The first breathing exercise is known as ‘Bhastrika’. It is supposed to be a generalized energy booster. It can be done for a few minutes to increase the alertness level and mood elevation. The second breathing exercise is ‘Kapalbhati’. This is again said to increase the energy level in the body but in addition, it is said to help in increasing mental concentration. A few minutes of ‘Kapalbhati’ immediately before studying or giving exams may be helpful in realizing your potential.

I am not giving details on how to do them as these Yogic breathing exercises or pranayam are best learned under the direct supervision of an expert teacher so that correct technique is learned and mistakes are avoided. If personal instructions are not possible then you can search on YouTube for some excellent instructors for them. I personally prefer those by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Baba Ramdev from India.

Music: Listening to upbeat and peppy music can serve as a mood elevator. But make sure it does not turn into a distraction. Different people may react to different types of music differently. So try out different songs, music tracks, and playlist well before your exam time to determine what work best for you.

Diet: All those of us who have felt sleepy after a heavy meal can testify to the effect of diet on our alertness. For increased alertness avoid a large heavy meal. Avoid fried, fat, butter, and oil-rich food. Eat a small amount of food at a time. Stop eating before your stomach feels full. Get up slightly hungry from the dining table. Eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Medicines:  James Bond had been reported to use an amphetamine drug-like Benzedrine for stimulation on his mission and remain awake and alert. But thankfully they are banned and not available nowadays. Such drugs which claim to increase alertness and concentration are to be strictly avoided.

The more important thing is to be kept in mind that certain medicines, like cough and cold medicines, painkillers, anti-depressant, anti-psychotic drugs, anti-epilepsy drugs, etc. can have a sedative effect and increase sleepiness and drowsiness. So be aware of the side effects of any medicine you are taking and avoid them in consultation with your doctor at study and exam time.

Scents: Scents can have an effect on our mood, alertness, and mental ability. Peppermint, Lemon and other Citrus scents, Rosemary and  Cinnamon have been reported to increase mental alertness and memory. Interestingly even the smell of Coffee can have a stimulation effect.

In contrast, scents such as Lavender, Jasmine, and Chamomile can have a relaxing and soothing effect. So they can be avoided during active study time but can be used at break time and bedtime to promote relaxation, decrease anxiety and calm the mind.

Try out these different scents and essential oils well before your exam time to determine what works best for you.

NB: This is not a scientific article. Please verify the facts yourself before trying anything.

— ND

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DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purposes. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use the information herein is at your one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal, and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purposes. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use the information herein is at your one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal, and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost and according to NMC and other Board norms. 

The ‘Red Ox’ Student

Dr. Dev (fictional name) was discussing with the intern posted in his unit how students are studying in present times. The intern gave an interesting piece of information. He informed that many students in his college drink the popular energy drink ‘Red Ox’ (fictional name) and study the entire night and give the exam.

Dr. Dev's interest was piqued. He was aware of the so-called energy drinks used by sportsmen and athletes but this was the first time he was hearing it use as mental energy drink aid to studying and giving an exam. He studied the ingredients listed by the manufacturer of the energy drink and concluded that its mental effect is just due to the high sugar and caffeine content in the drink. These are two things a student can get cheaply and conveniently by drinking sweetened tea and coffee. The cost of tea or coffee in a college canteen or cafe is usually 4 to 5 times cheaper than the so-called energy drink. 

Please note, by Tea, I mean tea prepared from leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. Other herbal preparations of ‘Tea’ prepared from other herbs and plants are quite different from that of the Camellia Sinensis plant in terms of caffeine content, with some having zero caffeine in it.

High Sugar containing drinks can lead to an upbeat feeling due to the fast rise in blood sugar levels but when the blood sugar goes down as fast as it went up, it can cause a reverse depressing effect. This is in addition to the harmful risks of high sugar intake such as obesity and damage to teeth enamel.

These ‘energy drinks’ also contain other ingredients like Taurine, vitamins, electrolytes, etc. Some have raised concern that this combination of ingredients can cause harmful effects especially heart-related. So plain tea or coffee may be safer.

The amount of caffeine in a cup of tea or coffee can vary significantly depending on the type and preparation of the drink. A cup of black tea can have 45 mg to as much as 90 mg of caffeine and green tea around 20 to 50 mg. White tea generally has the least amount of caffeine. The amount of caffeine also increases with how long it is boiled/seeped and how hot is the water.

A cup of coffee can have 50 to 95 mg of caffeine. In comparison, cans of energy drinks can have 80 to 110 mg of caffeine (check the label). The maximum intake of caffeine in 24 hour period of a healthy adult is around 400 mg to 500 mg. So it is less likely to overdose while drinking tea or coffee.

Caffeine no doubt has a stimulating effect that can lead to increased alertness, less sleepiness, improved mood, and mental and physical performance. But there can be side effects to caffeine such as anxiety, palpitations, changes in heartbeat, a feeling of restlessness, and insomnia. Same as those many students face at the time of the exam. These side-effects may be more prominent in those people who are born intolerant to caffeine.

With regular use, there is the danger of developing a mild addiction. You may have ‘withdrawal symptoms’ like headache, restlessness, or a feeling of lethargy and loss of energy if you are not able to have your caffeine drink at your usual time. 

If you get up late or the college/hostel canteen is closed and you reach the exam hall without your morning dose of tea/coffee, your performance may decrease badly. So have some standby/emergency arrangements in your room. Dr. Dev in the morning just stir a spoonful of instant coffee powder in a cup of plain unheated water and drink it without milk or sugar. A fast easy method if you can tolerate the bitter taste.

You may also develop tolerance with regular drinking. You may require more cups of your caffeine drink for the same effect which you were having in past. This may lead to side-effects of drinking too much tea or coffee. Therefore, during the non-exam time, it may be a good idea to limit your intake of tea or coffee to just one or two cups in a day and increase near exam time if needed.

Another factor to keep in mind with tea made from the Camellia Sinensis plant is that it contains a natural chemical compound called L-theanine in addition to caffeine. L-theanine has been described to have a stress-reducing and calming effect. This has can have a synergist effect with the caffeine in the tea. So with tea, you may feel more alert, focused, and energetic without the anxiety and nervous effect of consuming caffeine alone. 

There is nothing magical in so-called ‘energy drinks'. Coffee or tea can be cheaper and more healthy alternative. Even with them, there may be side effects of caffeine. Tea has the additional benefit of L-theanine over coffee. With regular use, you run the risk of developing dependence and addiction, and tolerance to increasing doses. So plan accordingly.

Tit-Bit: Batman (© DC Comics) prefers to drink tea rather than coffee, no doubt due to his upbringing by his British origin butler, Alfred Pennyworth. His favorite blend is ‘Earl Grey’. 

Please read the danger of studying all night and giving exam is shared in this old blog post. https://agnipathdoctors.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-all-night-revision.html

Please Note: This is not a scientific article. Please verify the facts yourself before trying anything.

— ND

(Based on allegedly true incident.)

© Author. All rights reserved. 

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DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purposes. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use the information herein is at your one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal, and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purposes. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use the information herein is at your one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal, and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost and according to NMC and other Board norms.