Twelve ounces of Mountain Dew: 55 milligrams of caffeine.

Five ounces of brewed coffee: 115 milligrams of caffeine.

One ounce of dark chocolate: 20 milligrams of caffeine.

One tablet of cold relief medication: 30 milligrams of caffeine.

There are hundreds of ways to get a caffeine buzz.

And with plenty of coffee shops scattered around downtown East Lansing, a cup o' joe shouldn't be too hard to locate either.

Students pack into cafes toting laptops and textbooks and purchase cup after cup of coffee. Studying at the many coffee shops in East Lansing is the "in" thing to do these days.

But despite finals being right around the corner, caffeine is a part of our life and culture — even when we're not cramming.

According to Consumer Reports Magazine, caffeine is now the most widely used central nervous system stimulant.

And why shouldn't it be?

We drink coffee when we wake up. We grab a latte with a friend midafternoon. We snack on a chocolate bar after dinner. We pop pills to rid our headache. We pick up an energy drink before heading to the gym. We don't need excuses.

And now we can even get a quick fix while bathing, thanks to new caffeinated soap.

It might sound like we're talking about a hardcore drug here, and you might even ask why caffeine isn't regulated like other mind-altering substances.

Ingested caffeine blocks adenosine, a chemical that slows brain activity. No adenosine means a more alert and concentrated you.

Although most health-care professionals agree a moderate daily dose of caffeine is about 250 to 300 milligrams, nothing serious will happen if you ingest more. Besides feeling jittery, shaky or anxious, risks of consuming caffeine, even in large amounts, seem to be very minimal.

But it should go without saying that caffeine, like anything, should be used in moderation. Too much of anything can be bad for you.

It's probably not smart to wash down a handful of caffeine pills with a double tall latte.

Caffeine has become a staple in American culture, just as much as apple pie and baseball. It tastes good, and the chances are pretty slim of anything bad happening because of your caffeine intake.

So grab a coffee with a pal, savor a chocolate bar for desert or absorb your daily caffeine dose in the shower.

However, or wherever, you get it — enjoy it.