We love it, we need it, and we can't get enough of it: coffee. Not only is there a Starbucks or coffee shop around every corner, but our society depends on coffee for their energy for the day. In our rushed and animated American culture, sleep is almost nonexistent and relaxation is almost unheard of. Therefore, we are looking for alternatives that can help get more sleep. We've turned to coffee as the solution between our busy schedules and lack of energy. However, there have been many studies conducted that debate whether coffee is beneficial to your health or not. Here are all the facts, so you can decide for yourself how Starbucks stacks up against your health.
For all of those caffeine addicts out there who can only survive if you've had four cups of coffee before your first class, there's some bad news. The negative effects of drinking coffee are few, but those negative effects are heightened when you're consuming too much coffee. Coffee is shown to increase blood pressure, which is something that can become harmful when you're drinking too much. Having too much coffee can also reduce your quality and quantity of sleep, which will only cause you to need more coffee. All research having to do with the health risks of coffee have shown that the only harmful effects take place when the consumer is drinking too much coffee (especially when that coffee is made half with creamer and whipped cream on top). However, this is a common health concept, that most foods are good for you in moderation. Too much of a good thing can lead to something destructive.
To the coffee-lovers out there, there is some good. More studies lean towards the idea that coffee is indeed good for you. In the past, there have been a lot of rumors saying how coffee could cause cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, or even increase your mortality. However, most of the recent research have disproven those rumors. These false rumors got started by observing people who exhibited risky behavior alongside extreme coffee consumption, which doesn't necessarily account for the moderate coffee consumers. In fact, coffee has actually been linked to lower risk of cardiovascular mortality, diabetes, and immune disorders. It also generally increases your lifespan, and it even helps prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Coffee even increases mental and physical performance, making you more alert and active during your working hours.
As far as we're concerned, coffee is being shown as more and more beneficial to your health and to your daily life. However, keep in mind that your Starbucks drink with lots of creamer, chocolate, and whipped cream is not the "coffee" that we have in mind when we say that coffee is healthy. Nevertheless, you can ignore the rumors about how coffee causes growth stunts or heart attacks and calmly continue sipping on your dark roast morning cup. Luckily, you could get more work done that day than if you had gone without coffee, because coffee wakes you up and gets you moving, which is something not everyone can do on their own. So thank you coffee, for helping us get stuff done, not causing heart failure, and for tasting so good.
