# Is drinking Coffee a Good Thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 16, 2004, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601 "2004-03-16T07:19:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Starguard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Starguard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starguard)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/1 "2004-03-16T07:19:06Z")
I started drinking coffee back in the Army. Since then I’ve been drinking it like water. Although I feel that it helps a great deal with keeping me awake during my late night shifts at work, I often find myself fatigued whenever I’ve been away from the pot for an extended period of time. Is it possible to be addicted to coffee (or the caffeine within )? If so, please explain… ---
**Author:** ![LuckyMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e36b37/32.png) [@LuckyMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LuckyMe)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/2 "2004-03-16T07:39:20Z")
Well see, what you’re on is cocaine or speed, and that fatigue is a withdraw sympton. I used to do the same with cola, I’m now trying to cut my daily soda count down because of my addiction to the caffiene, but I wouldn’t put myself into rehab or anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/3 "2004-03-16T07:47:52Z")
People can become addicted to caffeine (it is a drug) and suffer from withdrawl symptoms. Fatigue is common, as are headaches. I’ve known people who had terrible headaches if they didn’t get their daily dose of coffee/Mountain Dew/whatever. Another problem with excessive caffeine consumption is dehydration. Your body needs water to flush the drug from your system…that’s why you’ll feel the need to urinate more often and more quickly if you’re drinking a lot of caffeine. If you’re not getting enough non-caffeinated liquids, you can become dehydrated even if you’re drinking a lot. So you might want to look into cutting back, and you should certainly be careful to get enough water. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/4 "2004-03-16T13:14:38Z")
You can absolutely be addicted to caffeine, I know I am. Every so often, due to kidney stones, I end up hospitalized and on a clear liquid diet, and have dreadful caffeine withdrawal headaches. Other than that, though, caffeine comsumption doesn’t seem to pose any real threat. It is tempting to drink just coffee, and no water; so what I do is, I drink my coffee in the morning (one big mug), then rinse the mug and fill it with ice water. I can’t drink any more coffee til I drank all the water. I do that (alternating coffee and water) until my daily pot of coffee is gone. Then it’s water the rest of the day, with one 12 oz. can of diet soda with dinner. According to my urologist, my large consumption of coffee (because it’s acidic) and water (because it flushes me out) is good for preventing me from getting more stones than I do. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/5 "2004-03-16T13:19:52Z")
Ooops, forgot a cite: > **[Caffeine: MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/caffeine.html)** > > Many people enjoy a cup of coffee or tea to give them a boost. But is it safe? Learn more about caffeine. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/6 "2004-03-16T14:09:25Z")
Good strong black coffee is a powerful antioxident (anitoxident protect cells, and are linked to prevented disease/cancer/illness/aginf effects). In terms of the diuretic effect, most people get acclimated tom caffeine and don’t experience any great diuretic effect. The boost is also minimal after a while. Caffeine withdrawl is an issue. As you ‘come down’ off a daily dose of caffeine (if you remove caffeine from you doet altogether), you will experience slight mood change, lethargy and headaches - Should be temporary. If caffeine is not a problem for you (no med conditions), in and of itself there is nothing wrong with it. So, most adults can enjoy several caffeinated beverages per day without concern. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/7 "2004-03-16T14:44:12Z")
I rarely drink anything _but_ coffee. It worries me a little, but if I drink one glass of water, I wind up taking six trips to the bathroom to get rid of it. I hate that. Besides, I need my coffee. I _neeeeed_ it! ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/8 "2004-03-16T15:21:57Z")
Coffee is a _very_ good thing… (one must appeal to the coffee gods at least once a day, you know) Is it addictive? Bear, woods, yadayada (any real info I might have given has already been supplied above) Now back to my coffee. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/9 "2004-03-16T15:39:03Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Dung Beetle_ > if I drink one glass of water, I wind up taking six trips to the bathroom to get rid of it. I hate that. If you started drinking water on a regular basis, your body would acclimate, and also stay “flushed”, so to speak, and that constantly being in the bathroom thing would stop. [Mom Mode]Drink your water, dear, it’s good for you. There are thirsty children in Africa who would love to have good clean water to drink[/Mom Mode] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/10 "2004-03-16T15:41:16Z")
About how long do you think that would take, **norinew**? ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/11 "2004-03-16T15:54:54Z")
> [@Dung Beetle](#): > > About how long do you think that would take, **norinew**? IIRC, about 3 days. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/12 "2004-03-16T18:42:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Is drinking Coffee a Good Thing? Yes, it is. In fact, it’s one of the very best things you can do with it—far better than, for example, bathing in it, or washing your underwear in it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Starguard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Starguard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starguard)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/13 "2004-03-16T20:22:38Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > Yes, it is. In fact, it’s one of the very best things you can do with it—far better than, for example, bathing in it, or washing your underwear in it. > > 😃 ROFL- 😃😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drinking-coffee-a-good-thing/234601/14 "2004-03-17T02:45:22Z")
I hear that the hottest new trend is coffee enemas.