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Hey! Wildfire9 here, hyper off of a cup of coffee!
So, what's making me run around the room? Caffeine! Caffeine is a stimulant that speeds up the heart. It is also found in tea and chocolate (more of my favorite things!)
Tea is the most popular drink worldwide, besides water. Coffee comes right
after. Caffeine is naturally found in both tea and coffee, but coffee contains much
more! There are 60-120 milligrams in 6 ounces! Caffeine also boosts the analgesic
effects of aspirin and other pain relievers. That's why it's added to some of
these drugs. In large enough amounts, it can cause heart palpitations, stomach
upset, and insomnia. Think twice before hitting the Brew Now button!
According to bereklywellness.com, coffee has been linked, though not proven, to
cause serious illnesses.
It was linked to heart disease, as well as pancreatic cancer
-- but then
exonerated. Research suggesting such links hasn't been supported by subsequent
studies. Some researchers still worry that coffee drinking may promote
hypertension -- but many studies have failed to show that it does. When risk
factors like cigarette smoking and heavy alcohol consumption are taken into
account, any apparent link between coffee and heart attacks disappears.
Coffee was blamed for fibrocystic breast disease (lumpy, painful breasts), but
there proved to be no connection there, either.
Coffee was a suspected risk factor for osteoporosis, but it does not appear to
increase the risk, even in heavy coffee drinkers -??? though there is still some
controversy about this. (It's true that heavy coffee consumers are more likely
to eat poorly and smoke, which boosts the risk of osteoporosis.)
Coffee was suspected of raising the risk of miscarriage and birth defects,
but -- again -- studies haven't supported this, except perhaps for people with high intakes. Some
researchers are still not willing to let coffee off the hook. Pregnant women
should probably drink no more than a cup or two a day. -UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, February 2001
Drinking 5-8 cups of European-style unfiltered coffee, made in a French press,
raises blood cholesterol. Wait... who drinks that much coffee anyway?
So, the bottom line? If you are healthy, it's okay to drink small amounts (no
more than four cups a day) of coffee. If it keeps you awake, stick to decaf in
the evening. (That's why I drink my coffee in the morning!)
Hope you learned about this highly caffeinated drink!
Still running around the room,
Wildfire9
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