And Today’s Special Is…Death By Coffee
The foghorn-like alarm sounds off, forcing her awake. Groggily, she reaches out her arm, fumbling along, until her elbow makes contact with that infernal machine with a resounding crack. Wincing in pain, she at last manages to hit the snooze button, and collapses back upon her pillows in exhaustion. Suddenly, her senses are awakened, and she springs upright. Is that…? No, it couldn’t be…
Yes. It’s coffee!
Her morning is rescued as the fragrant aroma wafts through the room. Hurrying to her kitchen, she discovers a fresh pot ready, thanks to the wonders of the automatic brewer. Sitting down at last with a bagel in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other, she is ready to face the day. Coffee, coming to the much-needed rescue as usual.
But what if the events of this story had occurred in a slightly different fashion? What if our leading lady had not received her daily dose of miracle brew?
When coffee is taken out of the equation, do our stories change?
The “Coffee” Monsters
For some poor, unfortunate souls, the absence of coffee is indeed devastating.
Analisa Hurt, a journalism student at the University of Nevada, Reno appears to have a somewhat alarming codependence with her liquid heroin.
“Ana Hurt is a coffee addict, and she can’t control herself,” she remarked jokingly.
Laughing at her own situation, she continues, “I just need it.”
Ana began drinking it at the age of ten, believing that it would stunt her sudden, unwanted exponential growth in height.
“I just got taller any way, so it didn’t really matter,” she explained with a rueful chuckle.
But why did she continue drinking this admittedly foul-tasting substance if it was no longer suiting its original purpose?
“I needed it,” Ana admits, grinning sheepishly as she describes her chronic panic and alarm that follows a day without coffee.
This mindset of needing coffee is what has become increasingly alarming to health specialists, prompting the question, “Is coffee a harmful, addicting substance?”
However, it is only right for coffee consumers to be allowed the chance to determine the answer to this question individually.
Coffee: Harmful, or Healthful?
Here are the facts:
- Coffee is one of the leading causes of sleep disturbance.
Researched by Healthy.net, studies have found coffee drinkers to be far groggier and sleepier than their non-coffee-drinking counterparts in the mornings, forcing them to drink even more coffee in order to rectify this discrepancy. However, it is uncertain whether this apparent grogginess is caused by their body entering a state of caffeine deprival during the night, from having difficulties falling asleep in the first place, or if both factors are the root causes.
2. Coffee can be a cancer repellant.
According to Alternet.org, several studies conducted have proven a definitive correlation between coffee consumption and a reduced risk of cancers, such as oral/pharyngeal, esophageal, breast, liver and prostate. However, these correlation does not beget causation, so these studies cannot be entirely proven true.
3. Coffee is a good source of magnesium, a necessary nutrient in our diet.
Magnesium is a natural nutrient in our system, essential to the muscle and nerve functions, and vital for energy production. Unfortunately, the average American is deficient in magnesium, falling short of the required supply count by approximately 100 mg.
The Harvard Health Letter, while admittedly not allowing coffee to be a “health drink,” did discover that it contained a passable amount of magnesium per cup (7 mg).
Although, it is not certain whether or not coffee is harmful or healthful, the principle of “everything in moderation” is generally a good one to judge one’s consumption by.
But there is one aspect of coffee consumption that is still being hotly debated amongst medical professionals.
Are coffee/caffeine addictions prevalent problems, or harmless dependencies?
Nevada Recovery and Prevention (NRAP) Associate Project Coordinator, Jordan Fugate, believes that it is dependent upon the user.
“I think it’s very subjective, so I know a lot of people who get clean off of drugs and alcohol, who still smoke cigarettes and then start drinking a lot of energy drinks, especially people who were using methamphetamines. You know, it’s socially acceptable to drink a pot of coffee, or a couple Monsters. In that respect, yeah, that could definitely be an addiction,“ she concluded.
“My name is _____, and I am addicted to coffee.”
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Volume 5, describes the possible diagnostic characteristics of Caffeine Addiction/Intoxication, stipulating that developing five (or more) of the listed symptoms during, or shortly after caffeine use is characteristic of a fairly serious caffeine dependency.
- Restlessness.
2. Nervousness.
3. Excitement.
4. Insomnia.
5. Flushed face.
6. Diuresis (increased or excessive production of urine).
7. Gastrointestinal disturbance.
8. Muscle twitching.
9. Rambling flow of thought or speech.
10. Tachycardia (an abnormally rapid heart rate) or cardiac arrhythmia (a group of conditions in which the heartbeat is irregular, too fast, or too slow).
11. Periods of inexhaustibility.
12. Psychomotor agitation.
“One of the definitions of addiction is dependency on it (a substance) as well as continued use despite negative consequences,” explains Fugate. “If you wake up and you need coffee to start your day and you can’t function without it, then you have a dependency. If you have negative consequences where you’re not going to bed at night, you have insomnia, you’re not eating well because you drink your calories, and you have so much caffeine that you’re not hungry, then you’re having negative consequences.”
Alarmed? One might think as much.
However, a coffee dependency does not necessarily mean caffeine addiction.
“Do I think that everyone who drinks a little too much coffee is an addict? No. Just because you drink coffee doesn’t mean you’re going to go and smoke meth,” says Fugate, laughing at the ludicrous comparison.
“But, What About Me?”
Yes, one may have viable concern over coffee consumption if consuming excess amounts, such as five or more cups a day, but if not, then it is quite likely that addiction has not taken hold. So get out, enjoy the sunshine, and, if desired, have a nice, steaming mug of coffee.
