The college coffee obsession is very real, especially if you have any classes before 11 am. However, the coffee community has many preconceived ideas of what our caffeine intake is doing to us that are false. This article pinpoints these myths so you can regain your peace of mind while drinking all those pumpkin spice lattes
Myth #1: The stimulant effects of coffee take action fast, and don’t last too long.
Nope! According to Active.com, coffee usually takes an average of 15-45 minutes to take effect and can last for hours. So yes, that coffee you had at 5 pm on a Monday might be keeping you awake at night.
Myth #2: Breaking my coffee addiction is going to physically hurt.
False! If you slowly decrease your cup count over the course of about 2 weeks, you will be less likely to feel the potential effects. The Huffington Post recommends that you should cut out the “latest” cup and slowly work toward only having morning cups of coffee. However, if that does not work there are plant-based alternatives that work just as well- you can find those here!
Myth #3: Coffee will help you sober up fast.
This dangerous myth is VERY false. The only way to ensure you are actually sober is by waiting for time to pass and getting the alcohol out of your system. A study mentioned by BBC stated that coffee has been proven to decrease the cognitive effects, and trick the mind into thinking you’re more sober than you actually are.
Myth #4: Coffee will help you lose weight.
Fake news! While coffee has been proven to speed up your metabolism, it only does so in small amounts. Healthline.com says that in order to see meaningful change one should take additional steps, other than just drinking coffee!
Myth #5: There are no long-term benefits to my coffee addiction.
Thankfully we aren’t drinking all this coffee just to stay awake during 8 ams, but it does have actual positive effects! Healthline.com states that in the long run, coffee can lessen a person’s risk of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Also it can boost your workout and attention span.
So, coffee isn’t all bad, and your slight addiction to your perfectly crafted Starbucks order isn’t secretly killing you!