A few days ago I was running late for school, and instead of taking the time to eat a hearty breakfast, I quickly downed a cup of coffee.  I didn’t care about having coffee breath or how bad it was for me, all I knew is that this cup of coffee was good, and it would hold me over. But as I was driving to class I stopped and wondered, “How bad is this for me?”

I decided to ask around. My friend, Malloy Seymore, a senior nursing student said, “I have to say that it’s bad because most people don’t drink coffee black, so what they are drinking are just empty calories.” Her comment had me doing more research. I learned that coffee has some surprising pros as it does cons.

Among the pros, according to Christina Simmons of HealthAssist.net, coffee helps prevent aging, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, liver cirrhosis, gallstones, kidney stones, and helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease. This was enough for me to pat myself on the back.  However, I read on and found the cons: heart disease, osteoporosis, dehydration, bad cholesterol, and heartburn. I started to cringe.  Should I banish my beloved coffee?

Since there are three, count them, three coffee shops on campus (Starbucks, Java City, and Einstein Brothers), I know that the die-hard coffee consumers and franchises are about to have a heart attack. Coffee is the most popular drink in the world. People drink coffee for all types of reasons, from making it through the day to its great taste, or to just socialize with friends. It seems hard to believe this little taste of heaven could be so bad.

There, there, if I have frightened you, just take a deep breath and settle down. Simmons assures us that as long as we drink in moderation, coffee is just fine.  To be specific Simmons says that 3-4 cups a day is considered drinking in moderation. That’s 300-400 mg. In fact, according to nestle-family.com, “Coffee compliments your breakfast as it provides the stimulating boost for your mind and body to kick start your day in a good mood.”

In today’s high paced world we often feel too rushed to have a good breakfast. But as I’ve stated above, having breakfast along with your beloved coffee may be well worth your time, and health. So go ahead, raise your cup and drink to its goodness.