8/19/2010

Let's Talk About Coffee!

(credit)

I know this is sort of related to the sleep post, but I was actually going to post this a long time ago. So, this isn't really an add-on, and sorry if you dislike health topics.

Anyway, most of us are aware of the magic of coffee-- it wakes you up, and overall usually makes you feel better. But, coffee actually does more than that. As it turns out, coffee is filled with benefits (if you drink it in moderation).


Maybe you've heard that coffee is unhealthy, but drinking coffee in moderation has benefits that out-weigh the risks. Especially if you use paper filters, which most people do. (The risk of cholesterol  is eliminated by paper coffee filters, which remove the lipids.) If you read this Wikipedia article, most of the health risks only apply if you drink too much coffee (more than a few cups) or have been proven as not very harmful at all.

Apparently, coffee helps reduce the risk for a number of diseases, diabetes, cavities, and some types of cancer. It's also an antioxidant and helps to increase your metabolism. Even more benefits are listed on WebMD (for some reason it's under "men's health"...? Are they saying women don't drink coffee or something? Maybe it's just the type of benefits they're discussing. Anyway, it's still informative.)

So, it seems like coffee is pretty great, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I only drink one cup, and only if I'm tired. I'm not exactly a coffee addict. But, if you are a coffee addict (and you don't drink too much coffee), then you should feel a little better about your coffee habits now. I'm not claiming that coffee is super healthy or anything-- it obviously has some negative aspects-- I'm just pointing out the benefits of it.

Random picture of coffee I drew for
you guys. This is exactly what you
shouldn't do.
Overall, if you don't like coffee, or if it has bad effects on you, then you still shouldn't drink it. But, if you really like coffee, now you have more reasons to drink it. Just don't drink too much, or it becomes an unhealthy habit. (You can also read this Harvard study.)

So, any opinions? Are you a coffee drinker, or not? Do you think coffee is healthy, or are you not convinced? How much coffee do you usually drink? And, does coffee have any weird effects on you?


5 comments:

  1. Ha. I'm used to Cuban coffee and I at least have another reason to justify drinking it. ;-)

    -French Bean

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  2. I know a friend at school who starts shaking really badly if he does not drink coffee :/ That's what IB does to ya. He relies on it to wake up in the morning! But I think it's only cuz most of us get about 4 hours of asleep per night during the school year =_____=

    SO GLAD TO BE GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL. One more year and then... DONE. Then university but whatevs.

    Anyway, after reading this post, I think I'll stick to that mocha frappe at Starbucks every weekend!

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  3. I'm a coffee lover, for sure. I notice afterwards it sometimes upsets my stomach though. =/ However I never knew it could be healthy for you. I just knew it helps me wake up and that you shouldn't drink it when you're hungover because it makes you more reckless, believe it or not.

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  4. The only coffee I drink is a delicious-to-the-point-of-orgasm Tim Hourtin's Iced Cap. I mean, seriously. You getthe whipped cream and stuff! Yummy-yum-yumm.(Tim Hourtin's is a Canadian Donut/coffee shop.)
    PS: Awesome blog. :)
    -Jodieeeeee.

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  5. @French Bean: I drink Cuban coffee sometimes... Actually, I just drink a lot of spanish coffee in general. Mostly because that's what my parents buy, though. :)

    @Mimi: Wow, I've never heard of someone shaking from a lack of coffee.
    Oh, I'm in IB too! (I have this love-hate feeling about it.) 3 to 4 hours is exactly the amount of sleep I've been getting each night this week, and school just started a few days ago. It's ridiculous.

    @Meloxicam: Yeah, I used to think coffee was actually really unhealthy and tried not to drink it much.

    @Jodie: I don't think I've ever had anything like that. :/ Or at least not in a really long time. Well, if I ever visit Canada I'll have to try it.

    Thanks for all the wonderful comments everyone!

    ReplyDelete

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