Coffee Might Make You Smarter

by Sarah J. Gim, Posted Jan 15th 2006 @ 2:38PM

coffee Well, not exactly, but according to CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, coffee does make you more alert and energzied.

I'm pretty sure I knew that already, and I haven't even had one cup of coffee yet this morning.

Because intelligence is an inherited trait, outside factors like caffeine cannot change it. However, caffeine, which is a drug that blocks those neurotransmitters that normally calm the brain and cause sleepiness, simply makes people more alert and more efficient. I suppose it's like motor oil, doesnt give you more horsepower, but lets you use what you have maxinally.

The effects of caffeine are always debated, but according to the citations at CNN, drinking a couple of cups of coffee a day is not harmful, and claims that caffeine raisees blood pressure or causees cancer have not yet been proven. However, there is evidence that caffeine can protect against liver damage, gallstones, depression, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.