Students, teachers, and hipsters alike all agree on at least one thing; coffee is the answer to many problems. Four hours of sleep? Coffee. Need some pep in your step? Coffee. Have a paper due at exactly 11:59 p.m. and you haven’t even started to write it? Coffee. Grabbing your girl and pulling out of here to win? Coffee . . . and Bruce Springsteen. Though we aren’t always on a midnight run to get out of our loser towns, we still have coffee. So, what is it? What makes coffee so utterly irresistible? Is it the routine of getting out of bed, groggily shuffling to the kitchen to make a fresh pot, and pouring that first cup (or second, or third) before you start your day? Somehow, that ritual alleviates, albeit temporarily, the stress of the coming day.
As it turns out, coffee has a myriad of health benefits. According to the website, “Caffeine Informer,” “[Coffee] reduces suicide risk and depression. A 10-year study of 86,000 female nurses shows a reduced risk of suicide in the coffee drinkers. From the Archives of Internal Medicine. Another study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that women who drink 4 or more cups of coffee were 20% less likely to suffer from depression.”
“Caffeine Informer” also claims coffee aids in the longevity of life. “Greek boiled coffee linked to longevity and heart health. Another study published in the June 17, 2008, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that women who consume coffee had a lower risk of death from cancer, heart disease, and other factors, which therefore promotes a longer lifespan. Yet another study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that coffee drinkers were at less risk of dying prematurely from diseases like diabetes, heart disease and forms of cancer.”
The website, “Coffee Science,” stated, “A regular cup of coffee can keep cognitive decline at bay. It’s no secret that coffee provides a temporary boost in memory and brain activity. But what most of us don’t know is that frequent consumption of coffee can as well prevent cognitive decline related to mental anomalies such as Alzheimer’s disease. In an extensive study, experts found that taking around three to five cups of coffee every day has some unique benefits that can’t be replicated elsewhere. They associated it with 65% reduced a risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s in later life . . . ”
As a full-time student, I typically depend on coffee to give me the energy to accomplish things. Being busy is one of the most tiring and stressful things out there, but it is also the most rewarding. While drinking my morning coffee, I take time to reflect on things I don’t have time to think about during the day. The instant caffeine kick also helps me shake the fogginess from sleep which, in turn, helps me gear up for the day. A quote by Alan Packer has been going around in my head during my reflections over coffee lately, “We can do hard things—it’s the impossible that takes a little longer.” If you are a coffee drinker, cheers! If you are not, that’s okay, too. Just hold on to whatever makes the world a little bit of a nicer and brighter place for you. Remember, we can do hard things.
--Mackenzie Slusser