Charger Blogger Shares Her Research on the History and Effects of Coffee
Beatrice Glaviano '26, a nutrition science major, digs into coffeeӰԭs origins, its ups and downs, and her love for the perfect brew.
November 6, 2024
By Beatrice Glaviano Ӱԭ26
Coffee, as defined by Urban Dictionary: the Ӱԭjuice of a plant that gives life and suppresses the urge for murder.Ӱԭ
Well, Urban, I canӰԭt say thatӰԭs incorrect.
Coming in all shapes and sizes, coffee has been an art in the modern age. While IӰԭm a big fan of lattes, others may prefer espresso rich in crema, a simple black coffee, or something extravagant from Starbucks. Growing up in a Sicilian household, I was quick to realize the standards and quality a good brew consists of:
A strong, dark flavor that is not overpowering in itself
Is amicable with a wide variety of additions; sugar, cream, milk, water (for psychopaths)
Joy. Pure joy should come with coffee, as well as all food and drink
However, as I grew closer to the medical field, coffee became a rather controversial concept. Was it bad for your health? Was it good? What were the limits of the coffee spectrum? Were there any? Was my latte about to send me into V-Tach?
There was only one way to find out.
Cracking open the internet, it didnӰԭt take me very long to find some interesting facts about coffee. Funnily enough, after being discovered in the Arabian Peninsula by Europeans, it was brought back to Europe only to be called Ӱԭthe bitter invention of SatanӰԭ and actually required papal approval by Pope Clement VIII (National Coffee Association).
Imagine being such a dark roast that you need Catholic approval to be consumed.
Anyhow, despite the controversy, Ӱԭcoffee houses were quickly becoming centers of social activity and communication in the major cities of England, Austria, France, Germany, and HollandӰԭ (National Coffee Association). This trend soon resulted in the creation of coffee shops, becoming a well-loved and known phenomenon across the globe. Now, Ӱԭestimates state that as high as 90% of American adults consume coffee (1-2cups/day), while 40% will consume 4 or more cups/dayӰԭ (Hyland).
ThatӰԭs... a good chunk of coffee. Doing the math out:
95mg caffeine = 1 cup of coffee
That would mean that there is 376 mg of caffeine in four cups of coffee. To reach heart attack levels, one would have to drink 687 mg or more a day of caffeine to even put themselves at risk of a cardiac arrest.
Author: ...
Author: Hm. *Coughs* Alright, well-
Aside from tasting good, there are practical uses of coffee. Not only does it keep me alive during a particularly long shift, but coffee is also capable of improving Ӱԭalertness, wakefulness, and flexibility in acceptance of otherӰԭs opinionsӰԭ (Hyland). IӰԭm honestly not so sure about that last one Ӱԭ IӰԭve definitely had an argument or two sipping on a latte Ӱԭ but for the rest, I can agree with. By increasing heart rate and blood pressure, blood flow to muscles and the brain is expedited, making the body more aware and ready to rock and roll.
Until you stop rolling and rocking, that is.
Caffeine crashes include the following side effects: Ӱԭcognitive clouding, fatigue, sleepiness, +/- anxiety commonly occurs 4-6 hours after ingestion of coffee, lasting 1-2 hoursӰԭ (Hyland). Crashes can also be influenced by when one drinks coffee. Last year, I found that if I had coffee before 10 a.m. IӰԭd crash pretty hard around noon and was unable to remain very focused in classes following that time. But, if I had the stuff after 5 p.m. I had fairly steady energy for the remainder of the day. If youӰԭre looking for that caffeinated kick, experiment with different times to figure out when caffeine will work the best with your bodily chemistry.
And it just tastes good, lol. Nothing wrong with having your morning cup of joe alongside your favorite type of breakfast (my current go-to is fried eggs on avocado toast). IӰԭm not sure if anyone is curious, but if youӰԭre looking to get started in your coffee journey, IӰԭd recommend looking at a few YouTube channels for pointers! Whether it be latte art or perfecting your espresso shot, there are plenty of talented creators on there who are willing to guide you in your coffee journey.
I hope you all enjoyed this little de-bunking article, and that Fall Break was restful for all of you. As we lean into the holiday season, I encourage you guys to delve into what youӰԭre thankful for, even if theyӰԭre things that you wouldnӰԭt quite expect.
I love you all very much, and I hope you enjoy the sun today; thereӰԭs only going to be so much warmth left in the season now.
With peace, love, and all the peanut butter, your friend Tulio,