Coffee is the background savior of many school assignments. From essays and late-night study sessions to waking up for school, many students would agree that coffee plays a vital role in their academics. On the other hand, some students view coffee as a caffeine addiction that does more harm than good. With the recent addition of Steam, a café located in the Paducah Innovation Hub, the drinking of coffee has been on a rise at PTHS, which begs the question, what change will this small coffee shop have on students?

Coffee is one of the most consumed drinks in the U.S., but are there actually any dangerous side effects to this habit? According to Donald Hensrud, M.D. on www.mayoclinic.org, “Coffee may offer some protection against Parkinson’s disease, Type 2 diabetes, liver disease, liver cancer, heart attack and stroke.”

This drink still has potential problems that could arise from the extremely high caffeine content. It can raise cholesterol levels as well as blood pressure. These symptoms, while problematic, are most often caused by the mass consumption of coffee rather than a moderate rate of drinking it.

The caffeination of coffee is not necessarily a problem, but the high amounts of sugar in the drink can be. According to Brunilda Nazario, M.D. at www.webmd.com, “when your [blood] levels drop as your cells absorb the sugar, you may feel jittery and anxious.” Sugar can also cause major damage, when consumed in mass amounts, to the liver, pancreas, joints, teeth, skin, kidneys, heart and overall mental health. Large amounts of sugar should be avoided in coffee. Sugar is not very dangerous in smaller doses, so a small amount in coffee should be fine.

So next time you go to Steam or make some coffee at home, consider going for a sugarless option. You might find out that it will make you feel quite a bit calmer while still waking you up.