Coffee is widely consumed by many; billions of cups of coffee are consumed globally every year. You are likely to walk into a classroom and see the teacher sipping on their caffeine before the lecture, or in any social setting, really. It has been marketed and advertised for many years now, but is it a drink we should be drinking so often? (I’m referring to the people who NEED their cup of coffee every morning/night.)
The most common reason why coffee drinkers have become so dependent on this stimulant drug is that it gives them a “boost of energy” before starting the day. To some people, drinking coffee stimulates their central nervous system, making them feel more energetic and awake. Although this may be true for the majority, there’s many individuals who don’t feel any effect whatsoever after drinking caffeine. I am one of those people, and I can personally say that drinking coffee makes me feel nothing, so I feel that the morning ritual of drinking a cup of coffee before starting the day is useless. But to the people who do feel its effects, their bodies eventually feel dependent on this stimulant and their brain and body feel “unprepared” without having something caffeinated every day.
Surprisingly, according to research from Brooklyn College, drinking coffee every day lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases by an impressive 53% and lowers the risk of liver cancer by 29%. Another University research found that drinking a double espresso shot supercharges the memory for up to 24 hours (This would be a good drink to take before an exam). Lastly, numerous studies have shown that caffeine boosts the metabolism and suppresses the appetite to assist with weight loss.
It was a little hard to find information on how coffee is good for the body other than “it boosts the energy,” but finding bad effects of caffeine was a lot easier. I think the most obvious reason to not get into drinking coffee is that it’s an addictive drug. Although it may not be as mind-altering as marijuana, it still stimulates certain parts of the body, which makes your brain dependent on it. Then, you get to a point where your brain convinces you that it cannot function without consuming some coffee first thing in the morning, which is harmful on many levels, especially as we look at long-term co-dependency.
Drinking around 28 cups of coffee a week increases the risk of premature death, especially for people who are under the age of 55. Excessive coffee consumption increases blood pressure and raises the levels of homocysteine, which is a harmful chemical linked to heart disease and dementia. Caffeine contains thousands of different chemicals that are mixed together, some are good and some are bad, but in conclusion, I think that kids should definitely not get into drinking it so often. But adults are grown enough to make decisions that impact their overall bodily health. (Don’t drink it!)
