Let’s talk about a substance that is near and dear to (almost) all our hearts - caffeine. Originating in coffee forests in Ethiopia, no one quite knows how the human race got hooked. There are many stories and myths. Some say that a shepherd saw how energetic his goats became after eating coffee tree berries, so he tried some himself. Soon, the monks heard about this keep-you-awake plant and they started using it. Eventually, the popularity of the caffeine buzz spread to the Arabian Peninsula, Europe, and finally the Americas.
Coffee and Kids
As kids, grown-ups often told us that coffee was an adult drink, and there is some truth to that. Studies have shown that large amounts of caffeine can affect a child’s neurological development, though it doesn’t seem that health agencies take this too seriously. Today, thanks to soda and coffee chains making creamy, sweet coffee drinks, kids today think they love coffee and there are no government regulations stopping them from binging at Starbucks.
The Hardships of #Adulting
But there’s a reason these coffee chains need to jazz up coffee to lure the kids in. Black coffee is bitter and unpleasant. To love coffee for who it is, you must drink lots of it. Sorry, you must be *forced* to drink lots of it. And this is why coffee is, technically, still an adult drink. Only the hardships of working a job, dealing with long commutes, paying bills, and cleaning your own house can drive someone to chug cup after cup of coffee, day after day. Only adults love coffee unconditionally.
Move Away from the Coffee…
Caffeine isn’t just found in coffee and soda, it’s used in medicine as well. If you’ve ever taken Excedrin for migraines, you'll notice caffeine as an active ingredient next to acetaminophen and aspirin. Small quantities of caffeine actually enhance the effectiveness of the other drugs. Some drugs, like Beechams cold and flu capsules contain caffeine to counteract the drowsiness from the active ingredients.
Unconditional Caffeinated Love
If you are a hard-working adult who loves the boost caffeine gives you, then we have just the piece for you to show your unconditional love. We know that love for coffee brands might be conditional, but caffeine is really what you’re after. So instead of a cup-of-joe necklace, we created the caffeine necklace, ring, earrings, and hooped earrings. Buy it for yourself or for a friend. It makes an excellent gift for adults, young people experiencing their first #adulting moment, hardworking scientists, and really-tired-but-still-starry-eyed medical students.
written by Science with Evie
