Cafeína e aspectos nutricionais: quantificação sanguínea de vitamina C em universitários

Abstract

Caffeine can be seen as one of the central nervous system stimulants most ingested by man, bringing both beneficial and harmful effects to the body. The objective of this study was to evaluate the consumption of caffeine by university students and its association with clinical signs or symptoms, plasma levels of vitamin C, food consumption and nutritional status. For this, a cross-sectional study was carried out with students from the Federal University of Fronteira Sul/Campus Realeza-Paraná-Brasil, in which a questionnaire was applied to 188 students about their health status and lifestyle, food consumption and frequency of consumption of caffeine. Of these, 104 students agreed to participate in the blood collection for vitamin C analysis. Of the 188 students interviewed, 50,5% have adequate caffeine consumption, 36,2% have a low consumption and 13,3% consume caffeine in excess. Still, it was observed that the main sources of caffeine are coffee, mate and mate tea. The main signs and symptoms pointed out by students after caffeine consumption were: increased alertness, improved concentration, restlessness and insomnia. Regarding vitamin C, 76,9% of the students had adequate levels and 23,1% were below the reference values. In addition, it was possible to observe a higher consumption of caffeine among students who use tobacco. Also, there was a higher incidence of reduced levels of vitamin C among males and a negative association between vitamin C levels and tobacco use. Thus, this study made it possible to better understand caffeine consumption in academia.