By Nurman Lazim
Caffeine is a substance widely used by the Americans, almost 83 percent of them start their day by consuming caffeine and yet some of us are still debating on the good and bad aspects of caffeine. In my opinion, consuming caffeine can bring good to some persons and it can also bring harm to other group of consumers. However, generally caffeine is harmless if consumed in considerable amount.
There are some benefits that are highlighted by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). According to Walter Willett, coffee is an amazingly potent collection of biologically active compound. He said that a mild stimulant caffeine can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Meanwhile in Japan, researchers have found that consuming caffeine can increase memory. The study is supported by John Hopkins University which found that consuming a 200mg caffeine pill helps boost memory consolidation.
[su_youtube_advanced url=”https://youtu.be/7Y2EcfEViH8?t=79″]
In the video, we can see that consuming coffee can also help us to get boosted even after taking a nap or rest.
In another study, NIH’s National Cancer Institute and AARP conducted a project which they did a study on caffeine consumers and non-consumers deaths rate ranging from men and women age from 50 to 71 and the result of the study showed the caffeine consumers were less likely to die from respiratory disease. A study conducted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine concluded that caffeine seems to open airways and help asthmatics breathe easier similarly to theophylline, a drug currently used and one that’s a close cousin to caffeine.
Other benefit of caffeine is that it can boost the focus of drivers which can reduce driving error. Australian Department of Defence found that soldiers who chew caffeinated gum can focus while driving even though they had been sleep-deprived for 50 hours. This shows that consuming caffeine can be one of precautious actions to reduce accidents on the road.
Lastly, this can help those who are struggling to maintain their weight. A research was carried out by German scientists and they found that drinking two to four cups of caffeinated coffee a day can help to maintain weight compared to the non-consumers.
Despite of all benefits mentioned above, we have to bear in mind that caffeine is a form of drug and over consuming can lead to other thing and not everyone can freely consume caffeine, this is when caffeine brings harm to the consumers.
By over consuming caffeine it can increase anxiety and disturb sleeping pattern. As advised by professionals, caffeine should be consumed eight hours prior to bed time as it can make us feel active during bed time and when it gets worst, it can lead to insomnia.
Next, caffeine is not suitable to be consumed by those who are suffering from type 2 diabetes. This is because caffeine increases blood sugar levels.
As a conclusion, caffeine has its good and bad sides. It is up to the consumers whether to consume it wisely or to abuse it. Anything in the world has its benefit and harm, only for us to decide whether to consume it or to leave it as it is.***