SE 5

The Miracle Drug

There is a miracle drug in the form of a beverage that billions of people around the world take for granted.  Only those who are lucky enough to know the truth about this drink are able to harness the greatness within.  It is primarily consumed to accompany breakfast however it is not uncommon for the lucky few to enjoy it throughout the day and even into the night, especially on college campuses.  Surprising to most people is that coffee has numerous health benefits to the consumer, making it virtually unhealthy to not drink coffee.

Even though it is one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages, many associate coffee with negative tributes such as addiction and unhealthy habits.  That could not be further from the truth.  It is true that older tests seemed to have deemed coffee to have some negative health affects but with every new test being published, we see more and more health benefits of coffee.   It is even believed that coffee could prolong one’s life span.  This is not due to any specific chemical in the drink that prolongs life, but the benefits of the drink combined.  Through various studies it has been determined that certain chemicals in coffee reduce the chances of cardiovascular disease, liver problems, diabetes, Parkinson’s and certain cancers like brain and neck cancer (Cano-Marquina).  These benefits combined are what make coffee a potential substance to prolong life.  Cardiovascular disease alone is the single most deadly disease in the United States, by reducing the odds of obtaining this disease or any other mentioned above automatically increases one’s chances of surviving longer (Anonymous).  Other major diseases that sadly end multiple lives prematurely are Alzheimer’s and dementia.  Moderate consumption decreases the odds of contracting these diseases by as much as 65%.  Now that there are more accurate tests available, it is becoming blatantly obvious that the health benefits from consuming coffee are enormous and demolish any old claim that it is an unhealthy product.

                Not only does this amazing beverage improve one’s ability to stay alive longer but it also boosts one’s daily performance.  It is known to increase characteristics such as attention/focus, decision-making, reaction to time and increased energy while being consumed moderately (Chu).  This is what makes coffee ideal for students; it gives them these key abilities when they are exhausted from work, it is what helps them stay awake late at night or during the 8:00 a.m. class.   The description above causes coffee to sound like the drug NZT from the movie Limitless, where Bradley Cooper is introduced to a drug that increases his energy, focus and memory; effectively making him superhuman.  There is no evidence that coffee will bestow the consumer with superhuman abilities to the same extent as in the movie, but it has been proven to increase one’s abilities mentioned above.  Combined with the previously explained health benefits and the increased abilities just mentioned, why would one not drink this beverage; it is practically the only medicine that truly helps you and tastes amazing. 

In fact, the only recurring “negative” health tribute of coffee is due to the most widely abused drug in the world, caffeine.  This drug is in so much more than coffee such as chocolate and coke.  One negative aspect of quitting anything with caffeine is that it will cause headaches, although coffee has dopamine which prevents headaches so there is no real reason to stop permanently (CPGrey).  The thing that makes coffee different from coke and other products with caffeine is they do not contain all of the health benefits that coffee has.  If one would be addicted to the caffeine in coke, it is fairly unhealthy due to the other sugars and chemicals in the coke, whereas coffee does not.  It is not well known, but black coffee is very low calorie, only seven calories in a 6-gram cup (Anonymous).  The part of the coffee that is somewhat fattening is the sugar and milk/creamer added to it.  Even the “negative” aspects of coffee are not actually negative if one continues to use it moderately.

Unfortunately coffee has had a negative reputation in recent years due to perceived disadvantages.  In reality it is one of the few drinks that provide so many health benefits from increased focus to protection against cancer. The beauty is that these benefits can be achieved through as few as two and as many as six cups of coffee a day (Anonymous).   It is true that the sugar and milk added to coffee is what really make it fattening, but as long as the consumer practices a healthy lifestyle of continuous exercise and healthy eating, there is no reason to stop drinking this miracle drug.

                                                                                                                                                                    

Works Cited

Anonymous. "To Your Health: Coffee." Automatic Merchandiser 53.1 (2011): 12. Print.

Cano-Marquina, A. "The Impact of Coffee on Health." Maturitas 75.1 (2013): 7-21. Print.

Chu, Yi-Fang. Coffee: Emerging Health Effects and Disease Prevention. Ames, IA: Wiley-Blackwell/IFT, 2012. Print.

Grey, Colin. "Coffee: The Greatest Addiction Ever." Video blog post. Youtube. C.G.P. Grey, 22 June 2011. Web. 13 May 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTVE5iPMKLg>.