When I was 12 years old, I took a sip of coffee at a local Hess gas station. I hated it. I have to say taking that one sip was one of the worst experiences of my life. After trying to see how many sugars and creams it would take to actually make that cup of coffee taste good (approximately 10 each), I realized that I would have to step away from the mainstream crowd and live a life devoid of mocha lattes and cappuccinos.

Yes, I do not drink coffee or tea, in any form. Sure, if I drank coffee, I might stay awake more in my morning classes, but why should I subject my body to a wholly unnatural substance. I’m sure if one searches through the literature, there is some evidence of the adverse effects of caffeine on the lifespan of hamsters or gerbils or some type of rodent.

I have learned in BIO310 that caffeine prevents the breakdown of cyclic AMP (cAMP), a secondary messenger in intracellular signaling pathways. Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but over a period of 60 years, I’m sure taking in caffeine on a regular basis isn’t all that good.

People shouldn’t drink coffee because it tastes bad. Another good reason, over-charging beverage chains like Starbucks will go out of business. An even better reason, people might live longer.