Coffee the New Coke?

Do you ever find yourself running on three cups of coffee before it even hits noon? Or better yet getting impulsive head aches when you forget to have it (let’s be real though, you probably couldn’t forget…) Is coffee a legitimate addiction? For those of us who survive on coffee whether it be warm or iced, there is in fact a scientific reason behind our severe reliance.

While some may argue that coffee drinking is “just a habit” or “part of a routine”, it triggers many affects that can make it highly addictive when consumed on a regular basis. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Caffeine has a very similar structure to another molecule in the human brain, known as adenosine. Within the brain are receptors whose job is to take in the adenosine. caffeine, with its similar structure, slides freely through these receptive holes and in doing so blocks off the adenosine that should be in its place. Now keep in mind, the adenosine that would usually be where the caffein molecules are, produce a sensation of tiredness or fatigue. Once the caffeine molecules are present, they stop this fatigue sensation by preventing the adenosine from reaching its home base. As the fatigue sensation is blocked, a sense of urgency is met and gives humans that awake feeling that they must receive in order to take their 8 am Soul Cycle class before there work day takes off (Stromberg 1). Eventually, over time our brains adjust and alter as the physical components within it begin to adapt to the caffeinated molecules it is being fed, “The most notable change is that brain cells grow more adenosine receptors, which is the brain’s attempt to maintain equilibrium in the face of a constant onslaught of caffeine, with its adenosine receptors so regularly plugged (studies indicate that the brain also responds by decreasing the number of receptors for norepinephrine, a stimulant)” (Stromberg 2). This demonstrates a direct correlation, in that the more coffee you consume, the more adenosine receptors are grown. These receptors become more and more powerful as your coffee consumption prolongs.

“Coffee is a diuretic, it must be good for you”, think again… Although some may think that coffee is a natural diuretic, and prevents chronic disease such as diabetes, recent studies have proven the opposite… In a recent article published in Daily Mail’s newspaper, researcher Kate Whighton tells, “Australian researchers suggested a chemical in coffee called chlorogenic acid may increase the risk of diabetes and even lead to the body storing excess fat.

The study, published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, showed that when mice were given high amounts of this compound, the equivalent of drinking five or six cups a day, their bodies struggled to control blood sugar and they developed insulin resistance. They were also less likely to lose weight” (Wighton 1). A quick chlorogenic consumption from coffee could be the reason why you aren’t losing weight from your flywheel, soulcycle, or barrys bootcamp class… Personally, I feel that this is such a small impact and can’t be the only reason why we are less likely to lose weight. There must be other third variables involved that the scientists maybe just did not pick up on.

Now, coming from a coffee lover like myself, I wouldn’t say to rule out coffee for the rest of your life. Because you know what, studies have proven that limited consumption, or better yet “anything in moderation” can’t hurt. Coffee remains one of the most controversial addictions out there and its health benefits and flaws are still to be determined.