I’m Not Kicking the Habit

Along+with+its+health+benefits%2C+coffee+is+extremely+aesthetically+pleasing.+Photo+Per+CC+License%3A+http%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2Fzcaepj3

Along with its health benefits, coffee is extremely aesthetically pleasing. Photo Per CC License: http://tinyurl.com/zcaepj3

I LOVE coffee. Ever since my freshman year, I haven’t failed to make a steamy mug of the stuff in the morning. However, coffee-skeptics around me try to convince me that I should cut it out of my daily routine because it’s going to make my eyes fall out or whatever. All I have to say to them is, “HAH!” Coffee has a myriad of health benefits, which might convince even the most zealous card-carrying members of the Anti-Coffee Club to turn on their coffee makers in the morning.

First of all, coffee is the most popular source of antioxidants. A study performed by researchers from the University of Scranton revealed that compared to berries, tea, and chocolate, coffee remains #1 on the list of antioxidant sources. This is important to note because antioxidants may lower the risk of heart disease, subsequently adding another benefit to the bean juice.

Black coffee prevents cavities. If you’re like me, and you only drink coffee straight out of the coffee pot, free of any additives, you’re in luck. A study performed for the Journal of Conservative Dentistry took a random sample of 1000 participants, split them into three groups: black coffee, coffee with milk, and coffee with sweeteners. The group with the least cavities was the black coffee drinking group, followed by the coffee-with-nothing-but-milk-added group.

For all you gym-junkies out there, say goodbye to those post-workout cramps, because coffee lessens your post-workout pain. All you tough dudes and dudettes wearing your “I Heart Pain” shirts as you lift weights: be honest, you’d chop your aching arms off if you could lift them after an intense weight-lifting session. Be nice to your muscles and have a cup of coffee before hand, because this study performed for the American Pain Society (awesome name) shows that the unique muscle contractions caused by caffeine intake lessens the amount of pain after over-exerting the muscles.

Here’s the kicker for all students out there: caffeine acts as a cognitive performance booster. Caffeine has been shown to improve people’s concentration and alertness, and attention to detail. There have also been several studies that suggest that caffeine improves reaction time. You may notice an improvement in your grades after adding a mug of coffee to morning routine, as these benefits would boost your understanding of class topics, as well as your additions to class discussions.

Now that I have made my case, take your grubby hands off of my coffee pot.