Dear coffee,
You’re always there for me. When I’m down, you are the only one that can pick me back up. I would hate to start my day without you. Thanks for being my rock.
Sincerely,
– A bunch of caffeine-loving college students
Let’s face it – coffee is a college student’s best friend. It’s kind of… a fact. An online survey conducted by the National Coffee Association earlier this year showed that 50 percent of 18-24 year olds in the U.S. are coffee drinkers.
Grubhub analyzed the delivery orders sent to over 100 colleges during the school year beginning in 2014 to create a list of the 50 Most Caffeinated Colleges.
SJU was #13.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but maybe we shouldn’t be so “tight” with coffee. Here are four reasons why we should all consider cutting back on our caffeine intake.
Anxiety
Several studies proved that drinking too much coffee can cause feelings of anxiety, or make anxiety worse. Consuming more than 4-8 oz. cups of coffee per day can “lead to jitteriness, anxiety, heart palpitations and may even exacerbate panic attacks.”
Restlessness
Coffee can also disrupt our sleep. The effects of an 8 oz cup of coffee can last for up to 4 to 6 hours, so if you plan on drinking a Venti from Starbucks after 2 P.M., you’re probably not going to sleep too well that night.
Addiction
Another issue we could be facing is caffeine addiction. If you are used to drinking a 16 oz. coffee each day, and you go a day without it, it’s likely that you’ll feel symptoms of withdrawal. Headaches, irritability, and tiredness are common.
Expense
Let’s say you spend $3 on a cup of coffee each day. That’s $1,092 a year. Specialty drinks at Starbucks range from about $4-$6. If you buy one of those just four times a week, that’s $832-$1248 per year. Imagine if you’re buying several cups of coffee each day – that’s a lot of money down the drain.
There are many positive health effects associated with drinking coffee and there are ways to cut back on the expense, too. No coffee drinker should give it up entirely, but it’s not such a great idea to drink 8 cups of coffee per day, either. All I’m saying is that coffee should just be more of an acquaintance from now on.
