# Does Coffee Really Work? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [August 14, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648 "2017-08-14T17:49:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/41 "2017-08-17T11:20:20Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I like my coffee like my women: black & bitter!! I, too, like my coffee like I like my women: bottomless and Irish. All kidding aside – well, no, that wasn’t me _kidding,_ it was literally true – if that’s just the placebo effect kicking in when I’ve made use of espresso beans, then I’m so good at the placebo effect that it’s apparently a superpower. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/42 "2017-08-17T13:35:04Z")
I drink about 10 cups a day, on the few occasions I don’t have access I don’t notice anything to speak of beyond very minor agitation. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/43 "2017-08-17T18:39:47Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Some of you in this thread need to know about [Death Wish Coffee.](https://www.deathwishcoffee.com) I just ordered some. 🙂 Thanks for the mention, I hadn’t heard of this yet. Much hype, very excited. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/44 "2017-08-17T21:12:12Z")
I drink about 2-3 cups of coffee daily and have since I was about 8. As I get older, I seem to feel the effects of caffeine and sugar more strongly - I get jittery if I have too much more than 2-3 cups of coffee when having 5+ never affected me at all in my 30s and before. But I can’t stop drinking coffee because I love the smell and the morning ritual of it so much. If I don’t have my quiet time and coffee in the morning, the rest of the day seems off. Oh, and I get a massive withdrawal headache around 10 or 11 in the morning that just won’t go away. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/45 "2017-08-17T21:21:13Z")
> [@Crazy\_Canuck](#): > > I just ordered some. 🙂 Thanks for the mention, I hadn’t heard of this yet. Much hype, very excited. According to Caffeine Informer, [Death Wish](https://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-content/death-wish-coffee) has 728mg per 12 oz. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/46 "2017-08-17T21:57:05Z")
> [@](#): > > When I wake up in the morning, I just can’t get started until I’ve had that first, piping hot pot of coffee. Oh, I’ve tried other enemas… - Emo Philips ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2017, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/47 "2017-08-17T22:12:00Z")
FWIW, I don’t drink coffee, tea, or soft drinks, but I occasionally take a caffeine tablet if I feel myself getting drowsy during a long drive, and it wakes me right up. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/48 "2017-08-18T02:51:45Z")
Not only does coffee work for me, but if I substitute a mild tea–say, Earl Grey which is relatively low in caffeine–I feel the same as if I didn’t have any caffeinated drink at all. Yep, the monkey’s on my back, to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/49 "2017-08-29T07:19:13Z")
In the news: **Study says four cups of coffee per day can lower risk of death** [link](http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/study-cups-coffee-day-risk-death-article-1.3449446) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/50 "2017-08-29T13:09:56Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > What’s the Straight Dope on coffee consumption? Does it do anything at all? I’m guessing plecebo effect. I can absolutely feel a difference. About ten minutes after I have a Tim’s, I feel distinctly energized, to the extent that it often takes me by surprise; I actually find myself sometimes thinking “huh, I feel different. Oh, right, must be the coffee.” It also makes me have to poo. If I drink later in the day, I have trouble sleeping at night. That said, of course I could function without it, I mean, Christ, it’s not meth. People can get a little silly. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/51 "2017-08-29T13:19:54Z")
During my bad time, I often thought “If I can get up and get down to the 7-eleven for that cup of coffee, I can make it through the day.” And it worked. Even now, if I’m depressed I get a cup of Brazilian Dark Roast and take a walk. Coffee makes me less depressed. Even if it’s a placebo effect, I am not giving it. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/52 "2017-08-29T14:55:04Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > [Caffeine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine) is a stimulant. It has scientifically recognized effects on body chemistry; however individuals have different levels of tolerance… > [@Leaffan](#): > > Great video. Thank you. > > My takeaway is that if you aren’t a heavy caffeine drinker then caffeine probably doesn’t do much for you. But once you’re on the treadmill, it’s difficult to get off: complete with headaches and anxiety? > > Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk > [@Mangetout](#): > > I’m sorry to admit that I am physically addicted to caffeine. If I don’t drink coffee in the evening, I will wake in the small hours with a blinding headache. I need coffee in order to sleep. > [@Jackmannii](#): > > It’s a great morning-starter and poop-stimulant. > > Time now for a rant against TPTB for not getting our lounge Bunn-O-Matic fixed, expecting we will instead use the Keurig artificially flavored caramel dishwater machine. I’ll have to start bringing in a thermos of the powerhouse coffee from home again.\* > > \*double strength espresso blend really does the trick. you can buy refillable K-cups and take in your own brew. > [@kiz](#): > > My husband is the same way. It’s not unusual for him to make himself a cup of espresso an hour or so before going to bed. Group response to most of the above - I have been drinking coffee since I was 8 or 9 years old, my husband was career Navy and drank coffee himself from a young age. We have been known to blow through a pound of coffee of a random Saturday morning sitting on the computers killing shit [he also plays MMORPGs, the family that slays together stays together =)] and we both seem to have quite a tolerance built up. That being said, I can go without coffee, tea or other sources of caffeine [not into sodas but sometimes they are the only thing to drink on a road trip if the ice tea is old and soured from sitting and waiting to be served] and suffer no ill effects so apparently I am not addicted to caffeine, but then again I also dropped morphine cold turkey in hospital once [I decided I was tired of feeling all fuzzy, and the pain was what I deemed controllable with something like ibuprophin] so it may simply be me. I have high blood pressure [unmedicated it pops to 210/190 so I try to not go unmedicated ever.] and my cardiologist tracked my BP with and without caffeine to determine I might as well mainline caffeine - my echocardiogram demonstrated that at the age of 53 [when it started] I had no placques, no irregularities in blood vessels or heart muscles, everything was textbook perfect so the BP issue seems to be something in the wiring of my brain. I am someone who can do a triple espresso and wander off to sleep [once back in the days when drugs and sex were fun and safe, the 70s I tried coke, told my BF of hte time it did nothing for me, so he told me it wasn’t the ‘good stuff’ so I tried the good stuff and all it did was put my front teeth to sleep. I would rather spend the $200US at a dentist, at least I would get something positive out of it.] ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/53 "2017-08-29T16:44:35Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Some of you in this thread need to know about [Death Wish Coffee.](https://www.deathwishcoffee.com) So my order arrived yesterday, and I had my first cuppa this morning. I don’t think I’ve blinked all morning and I made it half way to work before I released I forgot my car. I might need to use smaller cups. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/54 "2017-08-29T16:52:28Z")
Started drinking coffee in grad school. Haven’t stopped yet. I do have a physical dependence on it, which is unfortunate. If I go all weekend without it I’ll have a bad headache on Sunday afternoon and will need some to help go to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/55 "2017-08-29T19:19:43Z")
Over time I suspect that you develop a tolerance to the point where you’re not any better with coffee than you were without it. At least, for normal people. My dad has narcolepsy, though, and swears by caffeinated beverages to augment his anafranil–which he can’t get two a day even though that would help him a lot more. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2017, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/56 "2017-08-29T20:23:09Z")
bolding mine > [@BigT](#): > > Over time **I suspect** that you develop a tolerance to the point where you’re not any better with coffee than you were without it. At least, **for normal people.** > > My dad has narcolepsy, though, and swears by caffeinated beverages to augment his anafranil–which he can’t get two a day even though that would help him a lot more. So you get to decide who’s normal based on what you _suspect_? And then you provide an anecdote that contradicts your suspicion? Do you really not see how this is (1) pointless (2) mildly but annoyingly offensive? ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2017, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648/57 "2017-08-30T00:01:17Z")
I can skip coffee for one day with no ill effects but on day two I get a monstrous headache. I bought some caffiene pills for when I do skip a cuppa on the weekend. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-coffee-really-work/793648.md?page=2)