Let's be real: there aren't a lot of college students, adults in the working world, or bona fide caffeine addicts who won't touch coffee. We absolutely love the stuff and can't seem to go one day without it. From lattes to flat whites and all the way back down to good ole instant, coffee has become a part of our college lifestyle. The lines for your local hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, Starbucks, or even McCafe are usually packed to the gills at 7 AM with people wanting nothing less than their favorite roast. Coffee surely serves as our guiltiest pleasure, and it isn't often that once we find our favorite one, we will settle for anything less.
Scientific studies circulating in the last couple of years have declared that coffee is important to human health. That's right! Whether you're drinking blonde roast, an iced caramel mocha frappe, or just black from the coffee pot, the stuff is basically a new wave health food. Doesn't this mean we should be sipping the stuff medicinally? Good 'til the last drop, right?
According to a study shown by CNN, drinking about three to five cups of Joe black (sorry, Frappe lovers of the world) will reduce certain risk for diseases like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, cancer, Alzheimer's and even diabetes.
Opposing studies to this drink-up theory have mentioned that being mindful and moderate is key in being a healthy coffee fanatic. Studies say to avoid calories in your coffee consumption, such as sugar and syrup, and to keep the consumption to about 8 oz. For instance, a tall serving at your local Starbucks should be the minimum, as a grande serving will have you jitterbugging at about 16 ounces of the stuff.
The bad news about this newly found study is that the danger in health from consuming coffee is the way the stuff is brewed. Filtered coffee at home will not only cost college students less (score for those of us with $10.00 'til next week, Folgers instant coffee single serve packets, some hot water, and an old tumbler) but will save us from a dangerous compound in brewed coffees called "cafestol" - basically a lipid that can trigger heightened cholesterol among other things. Caffeine in coffee also serves as a risk for women who are pregnant, as it can stunt the growth of the baby.
It's safe and obvious to say that people who have trouble catching their Zs should stay as far away from coffee as possible, and discuss adding a large amount of caffeine to their diets - so, seriously, don't overdo it during midterms or when you've procrastinated on your next Earth Science lab and need to study for 100 hours.
Decaffeinate yourself every once in a while; get your 8 hours of sleep, and do your homework, kids!
