A drink that dates back to 800 A.D., a beverage that is loved and hated by many, has several positive and negative impacts on everyday life. It has several health benefits such as improving happiness, detoxing harmful substances, etc. 

Annalise Benedict, a sophomore at AL, explains some of the negative effects of coffee. 

“Coffee can be dehydrating, give you headaches, and give you stomach aches too (or at least me) which I think is the downside of coffee,” Benedict said. “I think coffee could improve by making it less bitter and more flavorful.” 

For being one of the top coffee consumers in the world, only two states, Hawaii and California (as well as the US Territory of Puerto Rico), produce it. Coffee has several requirements that a very small number of states in the US inhabit. Warm tropical climates, rich soils, and few pests and diseases are some of the things the rich crop needs for successful growth. Unfortunately, as deforestation and climate change become bigger issues, certain species of coffee risk extinction. For more information and interesting facts, visit this website.

“People really don’t understand what climate change and us expanding outwards really do to the environment or what impact it will have,” Benedict said. “Personally, coffee isn’t something I thought would be affected because coffee grows in warmer climates but really it’s the water that is affected and everything is so different.”

Scientifically speaking, caffeine does not contain any addictive substances, but it does create a small rise in dopamine levels. However, when consuming less coffee than you may usually drink, you may experience a mild “withdrawal” with symptoms such as tiredness, insomnia, and headaches.

When it comes to caffeine, there are several different varieties you can order. In fact, Starbucks offers more than 80,000 drink combinations.

“It’s crazy how many combinations that we have established,” Benedict said. “I wonder if anyone has tried all the different combinations.”