One for the morning. One for the afternoon. Two for the late paper. A few for finals. And one for good luck.
Coffee drinking can turn into an addiction if not handled with moderation.
Coffee contains caffeine and, according to livestrong.com, caffeine is a psychoactive drug -- a substance that alters moods going through the nervous system. This means that as caffeine runs through the body, it can cause fatigue and anxious feelings, especially if a person is drinking more coffee than usual. College students can be susceptible to the ill-effects of irregular coffee consumption.
Caffeine, along with being tastefully addicting, often gives quick bursts of energy that students need. “If I do not have coffee by the middle of the day, I cannot function well,” said freshman Jonathan Edwards. “I guess you could say I am an addict.”
Freshman Jared Tobolski also deals with an addiction to coffee. “I drink about three or four mugs full of coffee a day [and], a lot of times a few cups more.” Tobolski insisted the failing economy is not going to stall his addiction. “I would not be able to function without my coffee,” he said.
Tobolski’s and many others’ addictions are defined as forming a habit that is psychologically and physically demanding. The taste of coffee is not the main reason students depend on it -- it is an easy habit to form.
Sophomore Browning Sterner says that he only drinks it to wake up in the morning; he is not dependent on it. Most likely this is not the case for Sterner because, although coffee does contain nutritional value, as coffeescience.org states examples such as antioxidants that prevent diabetes, even once-daily coffee sippers’ bodies become reliant on the amount consumed. The site also notes that people who drink under 2.8 cups of joe a day gain the health benefits of coffee without risking addiction.
“There are some benefits to drinking coffee, and although I love it I do try to limit the amount I consume,” says Kristen Riccardo, coordinator and advisor for the Bridge program.
Junior nursing major Gerry Fabricatore focuses on the antioxidants. “Green tea has antioxidants as well,” he says Fabricatore, who doesn’t drink coffee for fear that he will become addicted.
Tobolski sees the beverage in a different light. “It relaxes me and awakens me. I like the smell, and I am used to the taste because before I only drank it to wake up.”
What students and many others do not realize is that even though coffee may have a few health benefits and gives a wake up kick that the alarm clock fails to do on occasion, the hot beverage does cause more negative effects if it becomes a habit. According to organocoffee.com, it can tense muscles and twist one’s stomach in addition to causing overactive stimulation in stress hormones. White teeth become yellow and weak. And according to Hopkinsmedicine.org, if an addict neglects routine coffee intake, his or her body has a freak out. The person becomes anxious, because the stimulant, psychoactive drug that was once soothing is now causing caffeine withdrawal. The result is drowsiness, lower concentration levels and headaches.
Information about finding alternative routes to put pep in students’ steps can be found at MU’s Health Center.
Coffee Brews Unknown Troubles
By Christina Kelljcheain
Published: Sunday, February 8, 2009
Updated: Monday, February 9, 2009 22:02
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