Coffee and Starbucks Essay

Attention Getter: You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you that a drug that creates the same signaling activity in the brain as cocaine is sold legally on almost every street corner across the nation. This is a fact however, and the drug is caffeine. It is one of the main ingredients in coffee, and is currently the most frequently used recreational drug in the world. Establish Credibility: I personally consider myself a coffee expert, and have been drinking at least one cup of coffee almost every morning for the last three years. Relate to the audience: Now, I know not every one of you drinks coffee but as you can tell by the multiple Dutch Bros, Starbucks, and other coffee shops around town it is a very big part of our culture today. Preview: Throughout the course of this speech, I will discuss three major points relating to coffee. First, I will give some information on the history of coffee and when it first came into human culture, followed by the positive health benefits and some of the negative health risks associated with coffee. [First of all, I’m going to talk a little bit about the historical side of coffee and how it first got popular in our culture. ] Body I. Main Point: To understand why coffee is such a big part of modern day society, we must first understand where it originated. A. Sub-point: Coffee was first cultivated on the Arabian Peninsula in the 15th century. 1. Supporting details: Not only were the Arab’s the first to cultivate coffee, but they also were the first to trade coffee. 2. By the 16th century, the popularity of coffee was already expanding and Persia, Egypt, Syria and Turkey all had discovered about the amazing beverage. B. Sub-point: By the 17th century coffee was still gaining notoriety around the world, however it was still not a household favorite as it as today. 1. Supporting Details: Coffee houses started sprouting up everywhere in the 1700’s, however tea was still the most popular drink around. 2. In 1773 a heavy tax on tea was inflicted by King George, which led to a pretty famous revolt called The Boston Tea Party. 3. Since people couldn’t afford tea after the tax, coffee quickly took over as the most popular morning beverage across the world, and remains the most popular today. [Although coffee has been drank for hundreds of years, the majority of its health benefits have only recently been discovered in the last few decades. ] II. Main Point: The majority of people drink coffee just to get through each day, however it does have many positive benefits to your health. A. Sub-point: Within just the last few years alone there has been research done showing that coffee may protect against type 2 diabetes, liver cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. 1. Supporting details: According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, liver cancer is the ninth leading cause of cancer and coffee has been shown to reduce risk of liver cancer by 40%. 2. Drinking coffee reduces the risk of diabetes as well, which is a common risk factor of liver cancer. B. Sub-point: One of the other medical uses of coffee is in preventing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. 1. Supporting details: The most common neurodegenerative disease and number 1 cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s. 2. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, however it has been shown that coffee drinkers have up to a 65% lower risk of getting the disease. [You might be thinking coffee is a miracle drink after some of those statistics, however it also has many negative effects on health as well. ] III. Main Point: There are a great deal of health issues that can result from drinking coffee, with some of the most common being addiction, insomnia and increased blood pressure. A. Sub-point: As a college student, one of the last things you will ever want to experience is insomnia, but it is a regular side effect of coffee. 1. Supporting details: By blocking certain receptors in the brain, coffee prevents chemicals that induce sleep from being used. B. Sub-point: Another widely studied effect of coffee, specifically caffeine, is how addictive it is. 1. Supporting details: Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and regular use will result in a physical dependence. 2. If a regular coffee drinker doesn’t have their daily cup, they will feel fatigued, irritable, and experience headaches within the first 24 hours. Conclusion 1. Transition Signal: In conclusion, coffee isn’t for everyone but if you do choose to consume it, you at least now know how it affects you. 2. Summary of Main Points: Throughout this speech we looked at how coffee first gained popularity in the human race, some of it’s positive health benefits as well as some of the negatives. 3. Call to Action: Even if you’ve never been a fan of coffee, try drinking a cup before your next study session and see if you still don’t like it. 4. Memorable end: Although it may be addicting and cause serious potential health problems, there must be something special about coffee considering over half of adults in the U. S. drink it daily. References: 1) â€Å"Coffee Acts Just like Cocaine, Says Scientist. † BeverageDaily. com. Beverage Daily, 02 Sept. 2002. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. 2) Goldschein, Eric. â€Å"11 Incredible Facts About The Global Coffee Industry. † Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 14 Nov. 2011. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. 3) Gunnars, Kris. â€Å"13 Proven Health Benefits of Coffee† Authority Nutrition. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. 4) â€Å"The History Of Coffee. † – National Coffee Association. NCA, n. d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. 5) Stromberg, Joseph. â€Å"This Is How Your Brain Becomes Addicted to Caffeine. † Smithsonian. N. p. , 9 Aug. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. 6) Van Dam, Rob. â€Å"Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health. † The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health, n. d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014. 7) Weber, Belinda. â€Å"Coffee Consumption Cuts Liver Cancer Risk. † Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. .