As tired high school students tend to bring in their favorite drinks each day, there has been some disagreement between two of the most popular, coffee and energy drinks. 

   A lot of times students can be seen walking in the halls with a coffee or energy drink in the morning. A recent poll of 93 students showed that 53.9 percent of WHS students prefer energy drinks over coffee. Although this number represents the majority and is relatively high, 61.8 percent of students polled said that they also believe coffee is the more healthy between the two. 

   As this may be true, coffee can actually still have the same amount of caffeine as energy drinks. A McDonalds frappe, any lattes, or anything with added milk and/or flavoring added into it, has increased caffeine and sugar level. About 26.6 percent of WHS students prefer their coffee as lattes. Each eight ounce cup of coffee contains roughly one calorie. The caffeine, tastes and natural oils from the beans are extracted during the brewing process. The brewed cup won’t contain any oil if a paper filter is used, which could be proven beneficial for the heart. I found this information on thecommonscafe.com. 

   Coffee can be served in many different ways; black, latte, macchiato, mocha, cappuccino and frappe. According to recent polls, Warsaw High School students claim that they prefer coffee over energy drinks because it wakes them up more and isn’t as strong. 

   “I like coffee more because it doesn’t have the carbonation so I can drink it easier. Also, with coffee, you can do so much more with it than you can with energy drinks,” senior Whitney Brown said.  

   Some WHS students even prefer coffee more over energy drinks because it just makes them feel better throughout the day. 

   “Honestly, coffee being bare has no calories aside from all the extra added stuff,” senior Isaiah Galvan said.

    “Energy drinks tend to be loaded with tons of sugar. If I personally have an energy drink, I will not be able to drive home,” Galvan said. 

   Unlike energy drinks, each of the mentioned coffee beverages may contain up to 200mg of caffeine, at the most. Those same drinks are also high in sugars and could  contain up to 14 teaspoons (56 grams) per 472 mL in each can, bottle or cup, according to an article from Mayo Clinic. 

   With caffeine and sugar levels at those heights, there are many ways that these drinks can be harmful. According to an article on Sutter Health website, having energy drinks in excess or on a frequent basis can cause anxiety, migraines, elevated blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms. 

   Most students claim that they prefer energy drinks only because it is the taste that they desire.

   “I like fruity drinks over the taste of coffee,” freshman Madilyn Raney said.  

  Energy drinks are produced by many different companies and brands are available in even more flavors, mostly in an attempt to be craved by a wide range of consumers. 

   Raney claimed that she enjoys the fruity flavored Alani beverage the most. To add, while retrieving data throughout the school, it was determined that 42.9% of students polled prefer Monster as their energy drink of choice as compared to Red Bull at 23.4% that came in second in the same poll. 

   With hectic schedules between school, extracurricular activities, homework and jobs, students feel that they need a pick-me-up, and oftentimes that comes through their drink of choice.  But as they take on those tasks, they should also be aware of what they are putting into their body and make just as much of a responsible decision.  

According to a different article found on National Institutes of Health (.gov), energy drinks used in excess or on a frequent basis can cause anxiety, migraines, elevated blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms.