« The Best Part Of Waking Up »

Blogging is the world’s newest forum; blogs are where we can rant, praise, inform, question and answer. Here we discuss pitbulls, coffee, Keanu Reeves, and the 2011 earthquake.

If you are like me, you feel like you need a coffee in the morning (whatever time that happens to mean to you) to start the day off right. If I can't get my hands on some, I am immediately irritated. Is this an effect produced from my body, crying out for its caffeine boost? Or is it from instinct, the disappointment in not receiving what was expected? Or maybe something more? Perhaps coffee has become more to me, not only serving as "nourishment" for the body, but maybe the soul.

The facts: one cup of coffee can typically contain anywhere from 100 - 200 mg of caffeine per cup depending on its preparation method. The effects of this caffeine consumption can be negative. Studies have shown that an excess amount of caffeine can lead to magnesium deficiencies, raised levels of cortisol (resulting in higher blood pressure) and possible increases in stomach acids, to name a few.

On the flip side, coffee offers antioxidant power, increased metabolism and a lowered risk of Parkinson’s disease and heart disease. Clearly, the cost-benefit relationship with coffee is complicated when it comes to health. The studies are endless and often their results are disputed. As long as the coffee is consumed in reasonable amounts, the effects of coffee on our overall health is probably minimal. 

Many foods and beverages have equal cost-benefit relationships, and yet people still consume them. Coffee, however, seems to be one of these few that is marketed towards daily intake. So, why do people all over the world love coffee so unconditionally? What makes it so wildly popular?

To claim it an addiction to that caffeine high is too simple.

Holding the warm cup in hand, breathing in the aroma of the rich brew, a sense of comfort ensues.  Here, we see a relationship forming with coffee, a deeper meaning of the beverage being created. I believe that this is why people keep coming back to this source for their caffeine rush.

Coffee companies bank on this bond between consumer and beverage. The cafés, beckoning you in on cold winter days, offering you plush seating in shades of brown and tan are ideal places to meet friends, relax, finish work, read. The gurgling and whirring created by the barista fills the room with a sense of excitement, and you feel cultured and urbane and homey and peaceful all at once. Ordering to go, consumers can take a piece of this atmosphere with them. You have your warm cup to keep you company. An immediate link is forged with the countless individuals on the street, beverages in hand. You are not alone.

It is because of these emotions invoked by coffee that people continue to drink it, to use it as a social tool, to feel like something is missing without it. Coffee appeals to almost everyone, from the sophisticated esspresso machiato to the down home double-double, and the endless array of blends in between.