咖啡因藥片是否安全?

Are caffeine pills safe?

咖啡因藥片是否安全?

As a student, I know caffeine pills run rampant on college campuses. Since we're always on the go, popping a pill can be far more convenient than waiting in line for a cup of coffee.

作爲一名學生，我知道咖啡因藥片在大學校園十分流行。我們總是忙得不可開交，所以吃個藥片遠比排隊買咖啡更方便。

Caffeine pills are easily accessible, portable, and cheap. You can buy a 100-count bottle of 200-milligram pills on Amazon or at your local pharmacy for as little as $6.55, and they're tiny enough to tuck away in any backpack. So it's not surprising that college students rely on them to overcome morning fatigue, stave off an afternoon slump, or pull all-nighters.

咖啡因藥片不僅易於獲得，而且還可攜帶、便宜。你可以在亞馬遜或當地的藥店購買咖啡因藥片，一瓶100顆200毫克的藥片只售價6.55美元。藥片很小，塞到揹包也很方便。所以大學生依賴咖啡因藥片支撐疲勞的早晨和低迷的下午或熬夜也就不足爲奇了。

Though there's no denying the burst of energy you get from caffeine pills, the question is, are they healthy?

不可否認，我們的確能從咖啡因藥片中獲得能量，但問題是，這種藥片健康嗎？

What are caffeine pills?

什麼是咖啡因藥片？

As many people know, caffeine is a stimulant that acts on the central nervous system—nerves, brain and spinal cord. Caffeine pills can be made of natural or synthetic caffeine. Some products may also contain inactive ingredients, such as coloring agents, emulsifiers, and other additives, says Rachel Link, a nutritionist based in New York City.

很多人都知道，咖啡因是一種作用於中樞神經系統（神經、大腦和脊髓）的興奮劑。咖啡因藥片由天然或合成咖啡因製作而成。有些咖啡因藥片或含有非活性成分（比如着色劑和乳化劑）以及其它添加劑，紐約市的營養學家雷切爾·林克（Rachel Link）說道。

Cynthia Sass, RD, Health nutrition editor, says while every type of pill is made differently, most have between 100 and 200 milligrams of caffeine. That's less than a 20-ounce cup of Starbucks Dark Roast brewed coffee, which has about 340 milligrams. It’s more than a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola, which has 34 milligrams.

《健康》期刊的營養編輯辛西婭·薩斯（Cynthia Sass）註冊營養師說道，雖然每一種藥片的成分不同，但大多數都含有100至200毫克咖啡因，低於星巴克重度烘焙的一杯20盎司的咖啡所含的咖啡因量（大約340毫克），但高於一罐12盎司的可口可樂所含的咖啡因量（大約34毫克）

What's the difference between caffeine pills and coffee?

咖啡因藥片和咖啡的區別是什麼？

There are a few significant differences between caffeine pills and coffee. Caffeine pills are "more accessible or portable than coffee, and some people don't like the taste of coffee or tea," Sass says. Because coffee can be so bitter, people often add creamer and sweetener. Popping a pill avoids the sugar shock and taste of coffee altogether. It's also calorie free, which may be the appeal, Sass reasons.

咖啡因藥片和咖啡之間存在一些顯着差異。薩斯表示，咖啡因藥片“比咖啡更易獲得或更方便攜帶，此外，有些人並不喜歡咖啡或茶的味道。”咖啡很苦，所以人們會放些植脂末和糖。服用咖啡因藥片既可以避免糖分的攝入也可以避開咖啡的苦澀。此外，咖啡因藥片也不含卡路里，這可能是其受歡迎的原因，薩斯推論道。

Sometimes "coffee can also irritate the digestive tract" and "trigger heartburn," says Link, which is why caffeine pills appeal to some people. Coffee "enters the bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine and can have a stimulating effect as soon as 15 minutes after it is consumed," according to the National Sleep Foundation.

有時候“咖啡還會刺激消化道”，“導致胃灼熱”，林克說道，這也是咖啡因藥片對某些人更具吸引力的原因。美國國家睡眠基金會表示，咖啡“從胃和小腸進入血液，喝完咖啡後的15分鐘內就會產生刺激作用。”