coffee---is it bad for you or good?

AntMan530

Senior member
Dec 22, 2000
769
0
0
coffee good or bad? micheal savage says its good..he says its the best drug..my teacher says its good too...but i heard from my aging class that its bad heheh...so whats up...i think its been talked about once..but its here again
 

nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
42,808
83
91
I'd put it in the bad category just because it's addictive. I was up to ten cups a day at one point in college (not to mention caffine-filled colas like mountain dew). I started almost every day with a cup on my way to my 8 am Honors Bio class, but if for some reason I missed my morning cup, I had migrane headaches by 9 am (the headaches stopped as soon as I had some caffine in my system).

I still drink coffee (in fact, I'm drinking it right now), but I'd recomend avoiding drinking it so much that you can build up an addiction... I know a lot of people who can't even start the day without a cup of coffee in the morning (my parents, for instance). that just kinda sucks.
 

crazycarl

Senior member
Jun 8, 2004
548
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most very excellent! esp if it keeps me away from drinking tequila and or smoking weed in the morning!!!
 

T2T III

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
12,899
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Coffee/caffeing is good - in moderation. However, I removed the page on moderation from my book and have more than my share of caffeine each day. It's very addicting. In fact, I've stopped (and restarted) with it about 10 times in my life. I doubt if I'll ever stop again, but rather, work on the moderation of it. At least my first few cups of coffee in the morning are the 1/2 caffeine variety.
 

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
84
91
its only addictive for some. some people get addicted to cola for f*ck sake. i can go without coffee for a couple days and not feel different.

as for studies, some show its bad, other show its good. its a cr@p shoot. ussually goes headline"coffee lowers risk of xx cancer", and another headline "coffee increases risk" :confused:
 

rezinn

Platinum Member
Mar 30, 2004
2,418
0
0
Moderation is a good idea for just about anything.

Caffeine can help some people stay alert, can reduce headaches, and can even make breathing easier. It has found a wide variety of roles in the body. It's used in treatment of apnea, asthma, some pain relievers even include caffeine. For this I'd say it's good.

However, overconsumption of anything is bad. Drinking too much coffee can be dangerous for some people with immune disorders, heart disease, etc because they have trouble metabolizing it. Women, in late pregnancy and when ovulating, have been shown to be more effected by caffeine. People develop a sort of immunity to it, so to speak, just like anything else. But it is different for everyone, depending on their unique physiology and situation. And it can be addictive just like nicotine, which has been hypotheized to be healthy in moderation (nicotine, not smoking).
 

Gurck

Banned
Mar 16, 2004
12,963
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I've never had a problem. I drink a lot of it, but on days where I don't happen to have any I feel no different, really. One thing in particular that imo is very bad for people is worrying 24/7 about what is or isn't good for them ;) Aside from the obvious - smoking crack, lion-taming, etc. - most things are worth enjoying rather than worrying about.
 

Jeraden

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,518
1
76
I used to never touch the stuff, although I drank a lot of caffeinated diet sodas. A couple years ago I started drinking coffee. I really like the stuff, which is a plus, and its fairly cheap if you make it yourself. The bad thing is, I get headaches if I don't drink it every day, which I guess is the caffeine addiction.
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,765
614
126
I drink one cup in the morning, and about half the time one cup in the afternoon. If I'm really dragged down I may have one more cup, but thats pretty rare. I feel a little run down if I don't get my morning cup, but no headaches or anything. Then again, I'm not one of those guys who brews a whole pot and drinks it himself.

I read some study that said in moderation its actually good for you, not unlike having a beer for dinner.
 

MikePanic

Senior member
Apr 5, 2004
913
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i luv that "w/ moderation" line... they say the same thing for wine but shortly after it, they also state, "if you don't drink now, don't start" - so you decide
 

sniperruff

Lifer
Apr 17, 2002
11,644
2
0
coffee causes:

1) increased heart rate
2) vasodilation, meaning the widening of blood vessels, which causes the warm feeling
3) dehydration, by sweating and urination
4) coffee does stimulate the brain, but not by caffeine. i forgot which chemical it was...
5) smooth muscle contraction, which causes the tightening of your throat, and supresses your appitite

however from my personal experience:
1) coffee IS highly addictive. when i was studying for my finals in college i NEED it to study, even though i know i'll pee 5 times in 20 minutes, have an urge to puke, and is harmful to my stomach
2) i think a higher dosage is required overtime: aka you'll "get used" to coffee, and more/stronger coffee will be required to get that energized feeling over time

that is all pretty much i can think of. a 12oz cup a day wouldn't hurt i guess... you can always try tea with milk
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Its very dangerous - its a drug, a high powered stimulant.

Not to mention all the deaths and health care costs caused by second-hand coffee smell and ulcers. I hope we ban cofee drinking from bars/restaurants.
 

Triumph

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,031
14
81
What is coffee, really? It's just some ground up beans mixed with hot water. Compare that to your average brand of pop, which is chock full of corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, guar gum, xantham gum, red #5, goat hair, eye of newt, etc., all of which are completely unnatural ingredients and can't be good for you.

Another benefit of coffee is that caffeine is a natural antihistamine. It's great for me in the spring when my allergies are really bothering me and the medicine isn't working.
 

sniperruff

Lifer
Apr 17, 2002
11,644
2
0
Originally posted by: Triumph
What is coffee, really? It's just some ground up beans mixed with hot water. Compare that to your average brand of pop, which is chock full of corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, guar gum, xantham gum, red #5, goat hair, eye of newt, etc., all of which are completely unnatural ingredients and can't be good for you.

Another benefit of coffee is that caffeine is a natural antihistamine. It's great for me in the spring when my allergies are really bothering me and the medicine isn't working.

yes it is a very good vasodialator... but then comes the various side effects too (peeing...)

but as for natural, marijuana is all natural too.. so is tobacco...

actually tobacco has be proven to be more harmful than marijuana because weed is not addictive...

all part of my pharmacology class...
 

XZeroII

Lifer
Jun 30, 2001
12,572
0
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It's bad. Just about everything is bad for you in some way. The issue is that some are worse than others and it very much depends on the person. For some, they can drink it all their life, no problem. For others, it can greatly increase the risk of heart attack and such.

Personally, I don't care for it. I'd rather keep my list of dependancies down to a minimum.
 

BladeWalker

Senior member
Aug 31, 2002
892
0
0
Don't let Starbuck owns you. They say drinking water regularly is just about as effective as keeping you awake. If you're not addicted to it yet, don't start.