Coffee… Where do I even begin? Personally, I feel as if I’m obligated to drink it once a day. Yes, the obsession is real. Is this obsession to the amazing iced coffee with crème and sugar real, or is it all in our heads? Is coffee really bad for you, or is it only bad if you have more stuff in it than actual coffee? If you love your coffee and drink it regularly, DON’T WORRY! You don’t have to stop.

In previous years, rumor had it that coffee lead to higher rates of cancer and heart disease. According to an article from Time magazine, it’s not actually bad for you! Dr. Rob Van Dam, a nutrition and disease expert, says coffee has even been linked “to lower rates of type 2 diabetes, a reduced risk for some cancers, and protection against Parkinson’s disease.” It has even been said to positively alter your memory and energy level.

Of course this doesn’t mean you can chug coffee by the gallon! If you have high cholesterol, you shouldn’t drink that much coffee. You should seriously cut back if your heart races or you have trouble sleeping, but other than that, it should be okay. Dr. Van Dam doesn’t recommend to start drinking coffee if you don’t already, but if you’ve been fine this whole time, no need to stop.

This should be great news to all Academy girls since most of us drink coffee at least 5 times a week. When discussing if coffee is good or bad for you, senior Siobhan Lynch exclaimed, “Without coffee, what is life really? I drink four cups a day and get really bad headaches if I don’t drink it, it’s basically my life line”. However, some people strongly disagree. “I drink coffee maybe once a month. I don’t like the bitter taste and it gives me a raging headache” Senior Cristina Baldor explained. If you look in the trash cans at AHN, there’s more empty Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts cups then actual papers! Personally, I’ve never felt like drinking coffee was bad for me. It helps me start my day and fills me with energy for the whole school day. In fact, I’m drinking some right now!