For the past several years, there has been a rise in studies done on caffeine, or the dark and bold, magical drink that college students thrive on”¦ coffee.

It is the answer to a late night of studying for a test and the essential for powering through a 10-paged paper that is due the next day. For some students, it is simply just part of a routine that is performed every morning in order to get the day started.

Some people claim coffee to be, “addictive” . The bottom line is that coffee is a stimulant to the central nervous system, and regular doses of caffeine do cause mild physical dependence, according to an article written by WebMD. However, it does not threaten your physical, social, or economic-health the way that addictive or heavier drugs do.

With that being said, students should become aware of the side effects that regular use of coffee has. According to WebMD, if you abruptly stop drinking coffee after consuming for a regular amount of time, various symptoms occur such as; headache, fatigue (surprisingly), anxiety, irritability, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating). Hmmm, sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? This so called magical drink that is supposed to keep us awake, alert, and increase our focus can actual cause harm in the end if we are suddenly cut off from our consumption of it.

According to an article written by Health Ambition, overly large amounts of coffee consumed over time has been associated with an increased risk of high cholesterol, heart disease, and osteoporosis. It also can cause heavy drinkers to have difficulty in receiving enough minerals in their diet, even if they eat mineral rich foods or take supplements. This problem is due to the way coffee affects iron absorption in your stomach and in the way your kidneys retain calcium, zinc, magnesium, and other important minerals.

On the other hand, there have been many studies done on the ways that coffee can benefit us. By drinking lots of coffee, it can promote the release of many stress hormones that our bodies hold, according to Health Ambition. This can especially come in handy when under a long period of stress or tension, and in need of a quick fix. Coffee can push you through that lump and rid of the ongoing hormones that your body will consume. It can also help you with your digestive system, as most people know that coffee assists as a laxative.

In conclusion, it is up to us as students, who are relying on coffee so much to help us get through college, to realize the benefits that it could hold on us in the long run. We must not be so quick to become addicted or thinking we “need’ coffee to get through school, and to pass our tests, or make excellent grades on papers.

At the same time that we are becoming aware of our school work, we must become aware of our health and the risks we are taking with over-consuming this magical drink.