As college students, we often need to stay up late to keep up the good work, and drinking coffee is a crucial part of that process. Nonetheless, have you ever thought about the effects of drinking coffee on a daily basis? Regardless of the proven health benefits, coffee can still be harmful to your body as well without you even realizing!

To start, living caffeine free, or reducing your caffeine intake as much as possible, can give you less anxiety. Caffeine comes with a burst of energy, which is what most of us use it for; however, that energy also stimulates our “fight or flight” hormones. This may cause an increase in anxiety, nervousness, heart palpitations and even panic attacks.

Secondly, not partaking in caffeine can be good for your blood pressure. Caffeine has been shown to raise blood pressure levels due to the stimulatory effect it has on the nervous system. In fact, in some cases when the caffeine intake reaches 3-5 cups a day, the risk of cardiovascular disease is increased. Your heart can be affected, so watch out!

Finally, living caffeine-free can give you a balanced brain chemistry. We all know those kinds of people who say "don't talk to me until I have had my coffee." Well, they are not joking. In fact, caffeine can alter brain chemistry in a similar way that drugs like cocaine do, and researchers agree that caffeine does fulfill some of the criteria used to measure drug dependence.

To conclude, I am not telling you to completely cut off caffeine consumption, but you might want to put a limit to it. In the end, your health is more important than anything, and who wants a cup of coffee to control their mood?

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