Maya Little

Is Your Cup of Joe Really Keeping You Up?

Coffee becomes one of the most consumed beverages around this time of the year with midterms and cold weather rapidly approaching. Whether this beverage is digested hot with sugar and cream or chilled with ice cubes does not change the overloading amount of caffeine being distributed throughout the bloodstream. Or does it? Final results and say so from accredited sources may still be under way, but coffee drinkers whose intentions is to awaken themselves, but add their favorites in may be somewhat defeating their purpose. Those with exact intentions who drink flavored coffee several times a day may just be wasting their money.

“I drink coffee often, but it does nothing for me,” said MC sophomore, Cara Rostant while pouring a great amount of half and half into her small cup of hazelnut coffee. Before stirring, Rostant continues into adding three sugars and a dash of whip cream. In a different manner, real estate agent Verline McFadden orders a small coffee with a bit of skim milk after greeting the Starbucks employees. Before McFadden started drinking coffee, she ate pure coffee beans to keep her up for her real estate studies. “Before I started this real estate lifestyle my daily caffeine intake was the least of my worries, but while undergoing week’s worth of studying for real estate, I ate the pure beans to keep me awake. Those things kept me up until the birds started singing,” said McFadden. Starbucks employee, James Stevens, recalls during the early morning hours more patrons have a request to highly caffeinated drinks with a less amount of additives. “It’s obvious that the chemical substances from the sugar, cream and milk would somewhat breakdown some caffeine substance,” said physics instructor Joaibi Freeman. “A lot more chemistry studies would have to be done on this matter before anything is set into stone,” said Freeman. The bigger question would be how much caffeine substances are you really breaking down once you add your “favorites”. “This should definitely be looked into. Some people who spend their earnings on coffee expect for their bodies to become waken for a certain length of time, but if they are adding all the extras- as I do, which may cause a decrease in caffeine then that defeats the whole purpose,” said Rostant.

Unlike Dunkin Donuts, Starbuck’s displays each caffeinated beverage along with the amount of caffeine on their website. The caffeine intake for a Starbucks drink with no additives showed a higher number than a drink that did include additives. A plain Starbucks short 8oz coffee with no additives consists of 180mg, while a tall 120z iced coffee that consist of milk and sugar has 90 mg. In addition, a grande 16oz caramel frappacino only consist of 5 mg more than Starbucks iced coffee. “I prefer drinking Dunkin Donuts coffee because I drink at least two cups of coffee throughout the day and Starbucks coffee has way too much caffeine. I don’t need all of that,” said Megan Brice, employee of a childcare center. Instead of Dunkin Donuts including the amount of caffeine intake along with their nutrient facts, at the bottom of their page they list a customer service number after a statement that reads: “Any customers with specific dietary concerns are advised to call our customer care line”. After calling the number for a third time and being disconnected nothing could be concluded however, a Dunkin Donuts customer gave a pretty detailed description of the coffee. “I don’t drink Dunkin Donuts because it tastes so watered down. I drink coffee so that my body wakes up. I need the caffeine. I prefer to spend money on coffee that will benefit me,” said Aisha Pervaiz, Howard University senior.

Once scientist further research and finalized the possible chemical of the additives and caffeine, Starbucks and other coffee outlets could then go the next step into catering to patrons who share interest upon this topic. Informing the patrons does not only benefit them, but the coffee outlet may foresee benefits as well. “If this chemical breakdown is certain, It would be nice to go into Starbucks and be informed on the beverages with the least and most caffeine depending on the customers additives,” said McFadden.

“I would definitely recommend the drinking of pure black coffee especially if your expectations are to stay up a long length of time. The more additives you add the more time of you being awake you are subtracting. Think about it,” said nutritionist, Drew Palin. If your motives are to stay awake, don’t add a thing. “Pure black coffee is not only highly caffeinated, but it also brings upon good health,” said a doctor of Washington Hospital Center.

So the next time you decide to indulge in a Cup of Joe, before adding you creams, sugars and other favorite additives be sure question your reasons for drinking it as well. Am I drinking this to extend my awareness? – Or – am I just in it for the taste?