5 Common Myths About Coffee

My love affair with coffee started when I was a junior in high school, meaning I’ve been in love for almost a decade. But ever since I started drinking this divine beverage people have told me how bad it is for me.

Well most of the myths about coffee being unhealthy are just that, myths.

1. Coffee will stunt your growth. This is the myth that I have personally heard the most. There is no evidence that backs up this one. From personal experience, I knew a guy in high school who was about seven feet tall, and he drank an entire pot of coffee in just the morning!

2. Coffee dehydrates you. I believed this one for the longest time, right up until a few months ago! Caffeine itself has dehydrating effects, but the amount of water used to make coffee cancels out these effects.

3. Coffee stresses you out. It is a commonly held belief that coffee makes you jittery when you drink it, but actually coffee does not directly increase your stress or anxiety levels or make you nervous. Coffee is a natural stimulant which relaxes your mind.

4. Coffee is addictive. There are many people that say they are addicted to coffee because they feel such a dependence for it, but researchers claim that caffeine consumption does not cause any kind of addiction. Other forms of addiction usually cause severe social and physical consequences, but this is not the case with coffee.

5. There are no positive effects of caffeine. A lot of people think that there is no good in caffeine, but there are actually multiple positive effects of caffeine. Obviously, it increases alertness, but it can also improve memory and logical reasoning. Coffee contains antioxidants that have health benefits such as heart health and cancer prevention. Additionally daily intake of coffee can reduce risk of colon cancer, Type-2 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Coffee eases headaches and fights depression. And these examples are just a sampling of many more!

So you see, coffee is not such a bad drink after all!

AF