Each day of the week, 2.25 billion cups of coffee are sipped by people across the world. However, this drink isn’t for everyone. In a singular day, the globe additionally drinks 8.2 billion cups of soda beverages.
“I’ve tried every kind of coffee known to man,” social studies teacher Lula McCaskill explained, “and it doesn’t work for me.”
Years ago, McCaskill was tested and found out that she is a ‘supertaster.’ According to Healthline.com, supertasters have more taste buds and receptors, so their perception of flavor is stronger than a normal person. This can mean that they are sensitive to bitter tones in foods such as broccoli, chocolate, and coffee among other things.
“I’ve never liked coffee or tea. Things like [coffee] are very bitter to me. And so, when I started teaching 20 years ago, I needed caffeine to stay up in the mornings to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. So that’s when I started having a Diet Coke for breakfast.”
As stated on the Wikipedia website, caffeine is a stimulant of the methylxanthine class, affecting the central nervous system. It is mainly used as a cognitive enhancer, making its consumers feel more awake. As reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a cup of coffee contains 95 milligrams of caffeine. A Diet Coke, as stated by the Coca-Cola Company holds 46 milligrams of the stimulant.
Caffeine, German teacher Jordan Pullen explains, isn’t the only reason why he drinks coffee over soda.
“I do drink [coffee] as a source of caffeine but also for its taste. Soda and energy drinks have lots of sugar and other ingredients that coffee doesn’t, and that’s another plus for me in limiting the amount of sugar I consume. I also have seen students drinking lots of energy drinks and the effects it has on them.”
However, the fact that coffee doesn’t have very much sugar in it is exactly why English teacher Joanne Miller chose soda over the drink.
“Coffee is good if it tastes like hot chocolate, which means that it has a ton of other stuff in it. If I were to drink coffee black it would probably be okay, but I can’t. So my drink of choice is Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper,” Miller said.
Because of the effects of consumption, both Pullen and Miller try to limit the amount of their drink that they consume.
“Sometimes I’ve noticed that I’m drinking more coffee than I usually would in a day, and I don’t feel great (jittery, tired, anxious, etc). So that’s when I begin to cut back and drink more water. But I don’t think I’ll ever quit drinking coffee,” Pullen said.
“I have tried to stop drinking soda because I know it’s bad for me, but I love the taste of it,” Miller said.
“There have been times in my life when I have been completely off caffeine. But it only takes one incident of my drinking a caffeinated drink to get hooked again,” Miller went on to say.
Similarly, McCaskill also found herself also dealing with a related issue.
“I was at one point in time where I drank up to probably nine or 10 Diet Cokes a day, but not anymore. Now I drink one Diet Coke a day usually, because of course, they say now, the diet sodas aren’t good for you, etcetera,” she explained.
According to Healthline.com, both caffeine and soda pose problems with sleep disturbance and are linked to the risk of certain diseases. However, both drinks also help millions of people around the globe stay awake throughout the day, including teachers.
