For many college students, coffee is also know as another form of air, we can’t live without it. It helps us through those all nighters during finals week and the next morning of those long sleepless nights.
Although many of us don’t think of coffee as a serious addiction, caffeine is the most used drug in America. Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, giving you that buzz of energy to get you through the day. However, if you’re used to drinking coffee everyday and multiple times a day, your body can become dependent on it
If you are a fellow coffee enthusiast, you’ve noticed that if you don’t start your day with coffee, you get a headache throughout the day. This is because your body has gotten in the rhythm of being powered by caffeine. Therefore when it doesn’t have it, you’re body isn’t operating at 100%.
Studies say adults can consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, which is equivalent to about four cups. Why stop drinking it if you don’t exceed four cups right? Well, there are other negative impacts that coffee can have on your body such as affecting your sleeping patterns and health risk.
Obviously one of the main reasons people drink coffee is to keep them awake. However, when drinking too much caffeine right before bed, it can be difficult to fall asleep. Thus taking away the eight hours of beauty sleep we all desperately need. Also, if we all got the correct amount of sleep, we wouldn’t need coffee to wake us up in the morning.
Flavoring syrups, sweeteners and creamers can turn a regular cup of coffee into an unhealthy heart attack waiting to happen. Many flavoring syrups are packed with high amounts of sugar that most people are unaware of. Also, too much cream and milk can contain a high amount of fat, add that to the unhealthiness of your daily cup of coffee.
While there are many reasons why coffee can be harmful to your health, it can also be good! Drinking black coffee can actually burn fat by speeding up your metabolism. It also contains antioxidants and key nutrients on top of keeping you alert and energized throughout the day.
Some healthy alternatives can be almond milk instead of cream or sugar free syrups. It is almost impossible to stop drinking coffee once you start, so I say embrace your caffeine addiction. Just remember to think twice before ordering your next cup of coffee.