Starbucks. Dunkin’ Donuts. Tim Horton’s. Krispy Kreme. What do these four insanely popular food stores have in common? Coffee. Caffeine consumption through the medium of coffee has significantly increased in recent years. In fact 54% of Americans in the United States over the age of eighteen drink coffee daily. That’s forty billion dollars spent on this addictive drink annually in America. But what’s really in this dark drink? Is it “good for you”?
The contents of a plain cup of coffee are comprised of four parts besides water. These parts only make up 1% of coffee, but are responsible for the effects and taste that coffee has. The first is caffeine. Caffeine is a naturally found drug called “white crystalline xanthine alkaloid”and has the chemical formula of C8H10N4O2. It can be found in coffee beans, cacao beans and tea leaves. It is classified by the FDA as a stimulant that “stimulates the central nervous system, [one’s] heart rate, and respiration, has psychotropic (mood-altering) properties and acts as a mild diuretic”“, which means that it lowers blood pressure. The second aspect of coffee is chromogenic acid that gives this drink that bitter taste. The third part of coffee is citric acid, which is responsible for coffee’s high acidity and the fourth aspect is phenol, which can actually be used as disinfectants when highly concentrated. There are also four kinds of sweeteners commonly added to coffee: sucrose, sucralose, acesulfame-k, and saccharin.
While these chemical compounds seem to have no blatant harm to humans when drunk in moderation, over-consumption can be detrimental. Four hundred milligrams of coffee is recommended for an adult daily. That’s right, an adult. Caffeine is not suitable for children under the age of eighteen, and while it doesn’t not actually stunt growth is can dehydrate kids, cause cavities and cause difficulty sleeping. Children that consume coffee can expect a decrease in how one’s gut absorbs calcium, so 100 milligrams of coffee a day, maximum, is suggested.
However, coffee can still have some negative effects for adults, too. While effects vary from person to person, drinking more than four cups of coffee per day (1600 milligrams), coffee has been linked to many conditions that are determined by one’s body mass, age, medication use and health. These conditions include insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, stomach upsets, and muscle tremors. Not to mention the sugary drinks that usually contains absorbent amounts of sugar and calories. (mayo clinic). One sixteen-ounce pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks contains 380 calories, fourteen grams of fat, 55 milligrams of cholesterol and fifty grams of sugar. As a comparison, fifty grams of sugar is equal to two serving of Ben and Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream.
The Mayo Clinic states that studies have also found that the consumption of an excess amount of coffee can increase one’s chances of developing heart disease, but as I researched more, I found that this is not always the case. (mayo clinic)
Most studies prove that there is not a statistically significant relationship between coffee consumption and coronary heart disease. In Sweden, researchers followed 37,315 males that drank four to six cups of coffee daily in an observational study for nine years and found that coffee consumption was not positively correlated with incidences of heart failure. In fact, other research shows that coffee can actually prevent one’s chances of developing Parkinson’s disease, boost cognitive function and decrease rates of depression (the mechanisms are currently unknown). It has actually been found to “prevent liver disease” thanks to the antioxidants found in coffee. Not to mention, straight, black coffee has significantly less calories than other drinks. A 400-milliliter cup contains only two calories, while a can of soda such as Sprite (355 mL) contains a staggering 140 calories.
So next time you’re in the mood for a skinny vanilla whatever, think about what’s really going into your body and take it with a grain of salt – not literally, that would taste disgusting.
photo credit: http://www.livescience.com/39669-sleep-beauty-science-look-attractive.html
I found this post to be very informative and especially relevant here at such a large University. There are thousands of students here under the age of 18 who consume more than one cup of coffee a day and I was surprised to see that that amount of caffeine is unsuitable for that demographic. I also liked that you included contradicting sides to the argument and explained that coffee consumption can also link to positive effects.