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Sokolova 1 Tatyana Sokolova Professor Maenhardt EN 1010 53 18 November 2013 IS COFFEE REALLY GOOD FOR YOU?

Many of us like the taste and aroma of a hot cup of coffee in the morning, or iced coffee in the summer afternoon. For many of us coffee became a routine; almost a ritual, which brings comfort in our life. During the morning rush hour if you look around you can see people driving their cars with coffee mug or Starbucks coffee cup in their hands. Coffee isnt just keep you awake, it makes you smarter; caffeine improves both mood and brain function. It gives the energy boosting effect in the morning. It makes you feel almost like a celebrity. This was my position until one day I read about the image of spider-web:

Fig. 1. The spiders exposed to caffeine spin webs that differ from their normal web.

Sokolova 2 In the journal Life Sciences, in April 1995, was published a scientific article with pictures of spider-web patterns. This research was done by scientists of Marshall Space Flight Center. The name of the article was Using Spider-Web Patterns to Determine Toxicity. The result looks shocking. The web looks badly deformed in comparison with normal web. This one article got me thinking not only about effects of caffeine on spiders, but also focused my attention on my own habits and my friends behavior and health. It has opened a pathway for conversations, debates, and a search for more information about coffee drinking among my family members, my friends and co-workers. Everybody enjoys this topic, no matter if they are pro-coffee or against it. I decided to do more research on the issue Is coffee really good or bad for you? Does coffee makes you smarter or more confused (like that coffee -drinking spider); does it improve physical performance and health? Is this actually one of the healthiest beverages on the planet? So I started to do my own research project and here is what I have found: debates about coffee have long history and are endless. There is certainly much more good news than bad news. A very small percentage of people have written about negative concerns. One of these concerns is that caffeine is a stimulant to the central nervous system, and regular use of coffee does cause mild physical dependence. Health researcher Frederic Patenaude said that for him coffee has always been a love/hate relationship. Because he is more sensitive to caffeine than most people , he was experiencing following symptoms: irritability, clouded thinking in the morning until he had coffee again, regular migraine headaches, back pain, extreme depression. (Patenaude). Also,

Sokolova 3 he wanted readers to know that caffeine gives the illusion of heightened alertness by dilating pupils, quickening heart rate, and raising blood pressure. In fact, caffeine does not increase overall mental activity. (qtd.in Caffeine Blues 1). From his article I see that he drinks coffee too. I suspect there is probably something else wrong with him. His statement is clear, Treat coffee for what it is: Not a beverage like fruit juice, or an innocent little habit, but like a DRUG. Regular consumption of coffee can cause caffeine intoxication and withdrawal symptoms. To recognize caffeine withdrawal you must experience at minimum three to five symptoms during 24 hours of stopping or reducing coffee consumption. These symptoms are; headache, fatigue or drowsiness, depressed mood or irritability, difficulty concentrating, and flulike symptoms such nausea or muscle pain. (Reddy 2-3). Because some of my friends and coworkers belong to the LDS church, they will appreciate seeing facts about negative effects of coffee consumption on peoples health. There are many researchers who present both negative and positive effects of the coffee on our health. They show both sides of the coin. That is interesting, because like many other problems, the problem is neither white nor black. It is a mix of good and bad effects. It is a mix of white and black. You could almost say there are many shades of grey. Most of these doctors and researchers said that they drink coffee; the important thing is to drink it right; when, how mush and how often.

Sokolova 4 Dr.Lane had found in his research that caffeine can raise blood pressure, as well as blood levels of the adrenaline. Also he said that high consumption of coffee is associated with decreased risk of Parkinsons and Alzheimers diseases. This one fact is enough for someone to enjoy 3-5 cups of coffee daily. They are less likely to develop dementia compare with nondrinkers. (Lane). There is more surprising news about coffee. Caffeine makes pain relief to come faster. According to WebMD, caffeine can make pain relievers 40% more effective in treating headaches, and also speeds the bodys reaction to the medications. This is why many over the counter headache medications also contain caffeine. Coffee + pain medication = extra relief. (Gonzales). One from my favorite sources is Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health, because it is related to my job. I work in the Hospital. Researchers looked at the relationship between coffee consumption and overall mortality in the Nurses Health Study. The expert is Dr.Rob van Dam assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health. He said that their study included around 130,000 volunteers: At the start of the study, these healthy men and women were in their 40s and 50s. Researchers followed them for 18 to 24 years, to see who died during that period of time, and to track their diet and lifestyle habits, including coffee consumption. They did not find any relationship between coffee drinking and

increased risk of death from cancer or cardiovascular diseases. (Dr.Rob van Dam).

Sokolova 5 Steven Miller is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Health Sciences in Bethesda. His research was focus on identifying the best time for drinking coffee. This is how he began his article: Ever wonder what the best time is to drink your coffee? You probably know it is not a good idea to drink part of your daily caffeine in the afternoon. Especially for those who have problems sleeping. But, do you ever drink your coffee and feel like it just didnt work? I know I have that feeling sometimes. The explanation for this has to be with a concept I think is extremely interesting but rarely discussed: chronopharmacology. (Miller) Chronopharmacology is the study of the interaction of biological rhythms and drug action. Dr.Miller wrote about your sleep-awake cycle, feeding and energy consumption, sugar homeostasis, hormones and cortisol (stress hormone). He told that cortisol level peak is between 8 and 9 oclock in the morning. So the best time to enjoy your coffee is the early morning before the cortisone level peak and between 9:30 and 11:30 AM. (Miller).

There are so many different effects of coffee on our health that it has both health benefits as well as negative effects. The benefits do outweigh the negatives but everyone should decide for himself. And remember the old maxim Everything in moderation. (Hensrud).

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Works Cited Anitei J. 10 November, 2007. Top 15 Effects That Coffee Has on Your Health. Retrieved from http://news.softpedi.com/news/Top -14-Coffee-Effects-on-Your-Health-70537.shtml Gonzales R. 25 March 2013. 10 Things Coffee Does to Your Body. Retrieved from http://www.alternet.org/drugs/10-things-coffee-does-your-body Dr.Hensrud. 4 November 2013. What Goes the Research Say about Coffee and Health? Is Coffee Good or Bad for Me? Retrieved from http://WWW.mayoclinic.com/health/coffee-and-health/AN01354 Kristjian K. May 23, 2011. Is Coffee Bad For You, Or Is It Good? Retrieved from http://www.kriskris.com/is-coffee-bad-for-you/ Dr.Lane J.D. (2009). Coffee and Your Health. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/feature/coffee-new-health-food?page=2 Miller S. 23 October 2013. The Best Time for Your Coffee. Retrieved from http://neurosciencedc.blogspot.com.au/2013/10/the-best-time-for-your-coffee.html Noever D.,Cronies R.J., Relwani R.A. April 1995. Using Spider-Web Patterns to Determine Toxicity. Retrieved from http://www.endalldiasese.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/NASA-Study.png Reddy S. 26 October 2013. The Coffee Withdrawal Diagnosis. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324904004578537263312778902 Patenaude F. 1 November 2013. The Dangers and Side Effects of Drinking Coffee. Retrieve from http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/blog/?p=2600 Reddy S. 26 October 2013. The Coffee Withdrawal Diagnosis. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324904004578537263312778902 Dr.van Dam. 5 November 2013. Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health. Retrieved from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsoursce/coffee/

Fig.1

http://www.endalldisease.com/nasa-studies-spiders-injected-with-marijuana-caffeine/

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