Let’s Talk Coffee
What is it about coffee that people love so much?
Starbucks or Dunkin?
Or are you not a coffee-lover?
Initially, coffee beans are bitter. Depending on how the beans are roasted, depends on how sweet the coffee is. But is the sweetness that drives people to take the normal coffee run? Or is it the feeling they get once they sip that cup of coffee?
The caffeine in coffee mostly targets adenosine receptors, which is a brain chemical that dampens brain activity. When the message goes through, it affects another brain chemical dopamine—which deals with feelings of arousal and pleasure. Maybe that’s the feeling coffee-drinkers get.
Unfortunately, consuming too much coffee can be bad for you. According to the American Psychological Association, consuming more than five cups can affect anxiety, a headache, and excitement. Caffeine found in coffee acts like a psyc
hoactive drug—setting the addictive factor for coffee-drinkers.
But how about the benefits of coffee?
If you search up health benefits on coffee, they’ll tell you the same thing. It will help with a longer lifespan, prevent you from receiving cancer or heart disease and may even help with Parkinson’s disease. These result first started from studies that were made across Europe. They say, that studies show that coffee can boost alertness and memory. That’s probably the main reason why you have your morning coffee, right? Yet, before you grab your Starbucks gold card, these benefits are mostly obtained by moderation. The Food and Drug Administration says it’s safe to drink about three to four cups of coffee per day. A little more can cause negative effects and a little less (for avid coffee-drinkers) can cause withdrawals.
Again, coffee in moderation is beneficial to a person’s health. Though, if you don’t like coffee you don’t have to start brewing your own drink. There are other alternatives noncoffee-drinkers can turn too for a wake-up drink!