“Don’t Drink That, It’ll Stunt Your Growth”
I remember distinctly every morning how my father would pour himself a mug of black-brown liquid before work. Though intimidated by the color and the idea that it was a “grown up drink”; I was intoxicated by the smell that had become such a regular part of my morning routine. Once, I worked up the courage to ask my father for a sip of his beverage and was shocked when he replied, “Nah kid, it’ll stunt your growth.”
He burst out laughing at my confused face and pushed his mysterious drink across the table. But before I touched it I was sure to ask if I would really stop growing, to which my father responded, “It definitely won’t kill you.”
So after I got over the thought that grown-ups started drinking coffee when they were satisfied with their height, I became curious as to the true heath effects of the drink I had grown to love so much.
So what’s the truth? Is it actually good for you, or should we turn from coffee and seek solace with a cup of chamomile?
Recently, the New York Times printed an article about coffee and its effects on mental health. In an observational study that spanned many years, middle aged coffee drinkers were tracked and tested. It was discovered that people who drank three to five cups a coffee a day were at less of a risk for developing dementia than those that drank a lot less.
Coffee has many properties that might result in this benefit. For one, coffee lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes which has been linked to dementia. Also, caffeine reduces plaque in the brain, which is characteristic of Alzheimer’s.
In other research, caffeine has lost a lot of the fearsome myths surrounding it and has proven to be good in many ways. A cup of regular coffee may stop that headache in its tracks, boost your mood, and even prevent Parkinson’s disease.
In short, coffee lovers need not be too worried about cutting down on their intake because in the long run the addiction might do them some good. As for stunting your growth, there is no research that says drinking coffee will keep you from being as tall and strong as your morning cup.
For more information check out:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/health/research/24coffee.html?em
-Aubrey Davis
