Infographic: Is the caffeine in coffee really worth it?
By Dallas Head
Coffee and studying go hand and hand, like mac and cheese or Netflix and chill. But does coffee really give you the extra energy and the push you need in a healthy way?
We can all agree that caffeine is necessary in this day and age, especially being a college student. But with all the coffee shops around charging an arm and a leg for a small cup of gold, there has to be a healthier and cheaper way.
According to Living Stingy, a blog site dedicated to finding cheaper ways of doing things in day to day life, the average price of coffee is almost $450 more expensive (over a year) than tea.
But do you get the same effect from coffee, tea or any other form of caffeine. In the info graphic below, I’ve laid out some information on what caffeine actually does to your body and what other substitutes there are for coffee.
Caffeine is a compound that affects the central nervous system. Because of that, it can affect your brain, spine and all the nerves in your body. It provides a sense of feeling awake and alert, but only temporarily. It can also increase focus, short term memory and mood.
Caffeine, whether ingested through tea, coffee, or soda, can also increase your heart rate, blood pressure and cause a huge “crash”, especially through coffee.
As a college student, finding something to keep you awake and alert is important to get through finals or just a hectic week. But, instead of reaching for that pot of coffee again, reach for milk or just plain water instead. Coffee dehydrates and can cause fatigue, but water helps alert the body and keep you hydrated. Milk can also help with all the Vitamin D, an important vitamin for the brain and it’s development and focus.
Though coffee is amazing, and I still reach for it often, if you’re finding it hard to concentrate and you’ve already used the whole bag of beans, maybe try the tap instead.
