The Caffeine Debate: Black or White?

  Caffeine is vastly popular in today’s society. Found in various products such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and even certain medications, it is widely consumed by people of all ages. An article from the Journal of Women’s Health (2010) states that men and women aged 35 to 64 yrs are among the highest consumers of caffeine, with an average intake of 250 mg/day (about 3 cups of brewed coffee).
Questions have been raised concerning the effects of caffeine and the possible health risks associated with it. Some state that caffeine is beneficial whereas others state that it is harmful to the human body. Let’s take a look at some of the claims made on both sides to see the conclusion of the matter.
   Let’s first take a look at just 3 of the popular claims pertaining to the “benefits”of coffee.
Pro-caffeine
   1).  You may have heard the claim that drinking coffee is beneficial to the body. Well, it turns out that these benefits are due to the antioxidants found in the coffee beans (therefore in the coffee) rather than the caffeine. Fruits, vegetables, and herbs are loaded with disease-fighting nutrients such as antioxidants. However, not all edible plants are completely beneficial to the body because some also contain substances that give our body a hard time. So, why bother taking in the bad stuff along with the good stuff to rob yourself of all the benefits t ...

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