The British cuppa this tea-loving nation has always been famed for has grown out of favour in recent years with the rise and rise of the American-originated coffee shop. Coffee is now the number one fix of the bleary-eyed London worker – count the number clutching lidded cups of it during the morning rush and the percentage of those with is highly likely to be higher than those without. Skinny; wet; triple-shot; tall, there’s something to suit all tastes. And now we’re even buying our very own espresso makers so that we can get the real thing at home. You can see the attraction; it hits the spot, it wakes you up, and it tastes good too. But what exactly is all this coffee doing to our bodies?
The affects of caffeine on our health is often brought into question and many hours of research has gone into scientific studies to establish just how bad, or good, it is for us. But Jasmine Willis, 17, carried out her own unintentional study with horrifying results. The teenager drank seven double espressos, thinking they were single shots, in just four hours, resulting in her overdosing on caffeine and being rushed to hospital. Her symptoms included crying and laughing uncontrollably, palpitations and hyperventilation. Thankfully she is fully recovered but the experience has left a bad taste in her mouth, if you’ll excuse the pun. So remember, dear reader – everything in moderation, everything in moderation.
