2010-19031

FIGUEROA, Jovianne G. Breaking the Myths: Perks of being a Coffee Lover

You are guilty. Just like golem, hunched over his precious ring, you are one of the many who have been guilty of harboring a love-hate relationship with coffee. Tales and rumors of the detrimental effects of caffeine on the body have been causing coffee-lovers to drink their favorite beverage with a cloud above their heads. However, several researches have been coming out of their shells recently to end this phenomenon and in a good note for coffee-holics too. Here are some of the myths that have been broken and facts delivered by some of the most coffee-absorbed institutions around the world. MYTH: Coffee sobers you up According to Medlineplus, an online service of the US National Library of Medicine, caffeine does not make a drunk person sober. Caffeine in coffee acts as a diuretic, meaning it increases the amount of urine a person excretes. Because you lose water with increased urine output, this does not do well to eliminating the effects of alcohol. If as an alcohol-fan you find that coffee isnt your best friend, maybe GCs (gradeconscious people) and workaholics would look at coffee otherwise. FACT: Cheers to good grades and work attitude A lot of people look at coffee as their morning savior. One that would help you get it on with the early birds without giving the impression of not having at least five hours of sleep. Well you are right on track according to the The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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FIGUEROA, Jovianne G.

Of all the physiological effects of coffee, the best known is that it is a stimulant to the nervous system, FDA says. This means it helps you feel more awake and alert. Or right as rain. Or good as sunshine. Whichever metaphor youd prefer. Bottomline is, it would wake you up considerably well and help you concentrate to doing your morning tasks. Another good news for aspiring copy editors and writers is the recent study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. According to their research, caffeine in coffee can help you spot grammatical errors better and correct subject-verb agreement slip-ups. How true is this? "It improves cognitive functions", says Joe Vinson, Ph.D., a food chemist at the University of Scranton. When you drink coffee, your neurons start firing in your brain and the brain-slowing adenosine is blocked. Just like a signal for your brain to work double-time with all the adrenaline being pumped up. One could also look at it as caffeine being the bossy PE teacher who orders her (or his, to avoid sexist comments) students to run around the 2.2km oval within a 10-minute mark. And Im telling you, thats a lot of work. Do you feel that all those adrenaline stuff sounds too harsh for you brain? Will coffee tire you until you rest on your deathbed? Well according to Arnel Pineda of the band Journey MYTH: Too much love will kill you Or in this case, too much caffeine will kill you. Of course too much of anything is poison to the body. But a healthy amount of caffeine, or love, will certainly not. In fact, Professor Gary Williamson, from the department of food science at Leeds University, has produced a list of 20 "lifespan essential" food and coffee ranked 9th just next to cherry tomatoes and right before cranberries.

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FIGUEROA, Jovianne G.

Basically, if you want to grow old with someone, a healthy amount of coffee and good healthy food will keep you both okay until your hair turns gray. But what exactly is too much coffee? According to Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. of Mayoclinic, caffeine should be consumed by adults in amounts less than 400mg per day. Thats three to five cups of coffee per day. Well unless youre suffering from a heart problem, anxiety attacks or sever hyperacidity, thats a different story. Again, dont worry on overdosing on caffeine from coffee. To OD [overdose] on caffeinated beverages, you would have to down dozens of cups of coffee, hundreds of six-packs of soda, and thousands of mugs of tea at the same time. The excess water would kill you before the caffeine would, says Dr. Ernesto Illy, Ph.D., an Italian biochemist. In addition to living a long life, you can also count on coffee to give you a happy one. FACT: Goodbye depression with coffee appreciation Not only will you enjoy your every cup but according to a Harvard study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, women who drink four or more cups of coffee a day have a 20 percent lower risk of depression.

Study research Dr. Albert Ascherio says that caffeine modulates the release of mood transmitters. It still isnt proven to completely prevent depression but he says: It also increases dopamine levels, stimulating pleasure centersmaking you feel relaxed. I think you can be reassured that if you are drinking coffee, it is coming out as a positive thing."

Aside from this, more researches have been coming out on the magical effects of coffee. Apples are not the only ones which keep the doctors away these days.

2010-19031 FACT: A cuppa joe a day, keeps a disease or two away

FIGUEROA, Jovianne G.

Coffee is not just caffeine. Actually, its 2 percent caffeine and 98 percent other stuff. Antioxidants are part of that other stuff, says Ms. Ellen Cabuso, a nutritionist from the Angeles University Foundation Medical Hospital. Antioxidants are part of the cell processes doing their daily thing. Working hand-in-hand with caffeine, this helps the body fight off Parkinsons disease and other age-related brain problems. To add into the bargain, journals published by the National Cancer Institute and Breast Cancer Research say that women who drink five or more cups of coffee a day are 57 percent less likely to develop estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer. Men drinking six or more cups, on the other hand, had a 60 percent decreased risk of developing lethal prostate cancer. FACT OR MYTH: So coffee is healthy? While it is not concluded that coffee could be a cure to cancer, stroke or diabetes, as the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure. And as long as coffee could somehow prevent these illnesses, its not an ugly thing to keep drinking. But we must always remember our limits. Anything in excess is sure to rear its ugly head. As long as you do not stray on the dark side of excessive caffeinism, and with all the facts that it isnt as bad as people think it is, you and I are sure to keep brewing a fresh pot everyday. How guilty can you get?