“I can’t function without my morning coffee” and “you know how dangerous energy drinks are, right?” are likely both sentences said by the same person. It is kind of ironic, considering that in both scenarios, they are referring to drinking caffeine. The only difference is the method of digestion, and in this case, the way consumers judge the quality of each drink. One person is drinking a “delectable” coffee, while the other is drinking a “nasty, despicable, heartstopping” energy drink.
A person can wake up early, go to Starbucks before work or school, spend $6-7 on a coffee of choice, and continue to do it every day, and be essentially praised for it. Compare this to when someone picks up an energy drink; suddenly, everyone is a doctor who knows exactly how caffeine is terrible for you. But whether it is an energy drink or classic coffee, it does not take a lot of caffeine for your body to become addicted. Studies from the National Library of Medicine have shown that by ingesting caffeine regularly, it can take as little as three days to experience symptoms of caffeine addiction.
Despite the fact that caffeine is unhealthy regardless of the drink it is in, people believe that energy drinks are worse than coffee because of greater caffeine content. However, it is a common misconception; eight fluid ounces of coffee contains 95 milligrams of caffeine while 16 fluid ounces of a Monster Energy drink contains 150 milligrams of caffeine. By volume, coffee contains more caffeine than Monster Energy when drinking it black. Realistically, most do not drink coffee black; they instead stuff their drinks with sugar, creamer, salt, honey, or other flavorings that can be just as unhealthy as caffeine. Instead of worrying about this at all, people are praised for drinking it. Coffee has become a norm and is accepted as a fact of life, while energy drinks are still considered taboo.
The difference between energy drinks and coffee is not as striking as many people think. But instead of recognizing this, many people continue to drink coffee, and at the same time, treat energy drinks like the devil incarnate. Instead, we should realize that in either manner, people are still drinking caffeine, and obtaining those negative symptoms. Because in the end, all caffeine is created equal.
