Thursday, 2 May 2013

Caffeine in coffee, double-edged sword

Coffee has consistently been one of the most classic drinks around the world since it has classy and special taste, which no other things can replace this. Not only does its taste, it also contains caffeine which is used as a stimulant drug worldwide.

According to "Why Caffeine In Coffee Is A Miracle Drug For The Tired", individuals respond to caffeine in different ways due to "genetics, tolerance and other factors" (2013, ¶ 7). Caffeine stimulates brain and mind particularly in exhausted people ; however, it harms to people who are anxious to be less productive.

The characteristic of caffeine is to arouse the brain to be more active then one who drink a cup of coffee will feel fresh and energetic. Moreover, coffee has a good taste that many people are fascinated. There are many kinds of coffee such as arabica and robusta but the most expensive coffee is civet coffee (Kopo Luwak). The origin of this coffee is in Indonesia and it is collected from the feces of civet this is why it is called "civet coffee". Civet eats only the good quality of beans, then this is the selection of coffee by itself and it will not be digested in civet's digestive system. When people collect its excretion, the shape of coffee is still the same as before eating but adding unique smell. The process of producing this coffee takes time and is not easy, so the retail prices of civet coffee reach € 550 / US$700 per kilogram.

However; consuming a large amount of coffee also has bad effects. If one takes a high dose of caffeine, he or she will be addicted and this harms his or her 's health. One of my bosses is the one who is addicted to coffee then she needs to drink two cups of coffee everyday to make her feel normal. If she does not have coffee, she will be frustrated and will not concentrate to her works. One day when she got down from a taxi and her ankle flipped, it was immediately broken. Her doctor said that her bones were so flimsy because she drank a lot of coffee then they were easy to break whenever she stepped inappropriately.

Not only does drinking coffee consumes just caffeine, it also included sugar, milk and cream which is unhealthy. The best way to drink coffee is to drink black coffee with no addition of any seasoning and drink only when you feel tired.

References

Barclay,E. (2013, April 26). Why Caffeine In Coffee Is A Miracle Drug For The Tired. NPR Eating and Health. Retrieved May,1 2013. from http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/04/23/178627908/why-caffeine-in-coffee-is-a-miracle-drug-for-the-tired

Kopi Luwak. (2013, April 29). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:27, May 1, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kopi_Luwak&oldid=552731955

10 comments:

  1. I have to disagree with Poom about the dangers of drug addiction, especially with regard to coffee.

    I've been addicted to this delightful drug for years, and the pleasure, the social conviviality and the other joys of this drug far outweigh the negative effects. In fact, the only negative effect I can think of is that if I miss my dose of drug, I get a nasty head ache, but the solution to this is simple: don't skip or miss enjoyable drugs to which you are addicted.

    Now, back to my morning coffee.

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    1. Like you, my mom has to drink at least a cup of coffee a day. Otherwise, she will get a terrible headache. I think that this is because she has to drink a cup of coffee every morning on the working day in order to arouse her. Therefore, at the weekend, she also needs it in order to make her day a typical.

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  2. I often see new researches in articles related to pros and cons of coffee, claiming with evidences on both sides. The conclusion is still vague. One possible reason is that everyone might respond to caffeine in different ways. So the best thing for us to do now is probably having moderate consumption, not only coffee but also all kinds of food and drinks.

    I have an iced latte almost everyday since it's been my afternoon delight. I've found that I love rich milk cream and vanilla syrup more than anything else.

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    1. I've seen the same. It appears that there are good things about this drug and bad things, as with most drugs that people like to enjoy: alcohol is the most harmful drug used, but it has its benefits as well, which is why so many people love it, and the same for heroin, marijuana and every other drug.

      If people know what they are doing, and do not directly harm others, I don't think there is any good reason to interfere in their decisions.

      I'm pretty sure my coffee use does not harm others. In fact, by creating demand for this product, it stimulates the economy - creating jobs and value. And it gives me a lot of pleasure. All benefits. I'm sure that there are some harmful health effects, apart from the nasty withdrawal symptoms, but is being unhealthy a good reason not to do something?

      today is my day off, and I've just gotten up, so I'm having my morning coffee a bit late as a do some quick response writing.

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    2. But I like my coffee strong and black, so at least I'm saved from the really unhealthy sugar. Perhaps governments should ban sugar - it's such a dangerous and unhealthy thing for citizens, causing a range of increasingly serious and costly healthy problems from dental decay to diabetes and heart problems.

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  3. Peter, I agree with you that [your] coffee use [do] not harm others but it harm yourself, especially health. I still insist that the negative effects of coffee outweigh the positive ones. When people are addicted to something, they will require more doses to fulfill their needs, and I think it would not be great to consume high doses of coffee. As far as I know, drinking high doses of coffee affect people's routine life ;for example, bones are easily to fragile. I also agree with Sorn that we should "[have] moderate consumption, not only coffee but also all kinds of food and drinks".

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    1. Poom and Sorn raise a good point in their notion of a "moderate amount". Let's look at four examples of unhealthy things people like to use.

      What is the "moderate amount" of alcohol, of sugar, of yaa baa, of cigarettes and of fatty pork?

      All of these are unhealthy and unnecessary - no one needs any of them, but a lot of people enjoy and want each of them; the serious over consumption of all four examples causes health problems with resulting costs to society, especially the consumption of sugar and fatty pork.

      Is the government justified in banning any or all of these four substances that are popular with large numbers of citizens? Why or why not? What, precisely, justifies criminalising a the sale and use of something? What does not justify a ban?

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    2. Sorry, five examples, not four.

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  4. Yeah, like a case of my friend. She ever told me that she was addicted to coffee. She always has to drink it daily especially in the morning in order to refresh herself and get rid of frustration. However, I asked her about the effect that could render sleep hard. She mentioned it has never happened to her. It's amazing

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    1. I never have trouble sleeping after coffee. The drug does act like a stimulant, but for those used to it, it's not a bit effect. I think it's a bit like smoking, and I guess every other drug: the first hit gives a much stronger high than when the body has built up a tolerance with repeated usage over time.

      I could't sleep if I had a headache from coffee withdrawal, but a late espresso double after a good meal is no problem.

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