The Newest Verdict On Coffee

I love coffee! Of course, I like it best when it’s got cream and sugar added, but I swore off those evil demons years ago. And eventually got my habit down to about 4 cups per day. (A little more when I felt stressed because, despite the caffeine, I consider coffee to be the ultimate comfort food.)

Then, about three years ago, I realized that my first few days of dietary cleansing were always accompanied by awful headaches. Could it be coffee withdrawal, a friend asked me. No, I thought. But I couldn’t get the question out of my head.

So to test the theory, I quit my habit. Totally. No caffeinated coffee. No decaf. And began to substitute with a chicory root beverage that tastes nothing like coffee but, when hot, is the same color. And if brewed really strong, it has a deep bitterness that definitely beats the blandness of herbal tea.

I’ve missed coffee, of course. But my headaches have completely stopped. It feels like a miracle!

Then yesterday, my whole world changed when I read about the very newest study on health benefits and risks associated with coffee. This one is a mega-analysis – which means it combines the results of several large investigations. The conclusion? Drinking 3-4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day is hands-down the best way to go. (Because different studies used different cup sizes and brew strengths, the 3-4 cup recommendation is a rough estimate.)

Overall, the researchers conclude: “Coffee consumption was more often associated with benefit than harm.”

Not only did the review conclude that drinking coffee won’t hurt you, it found almost miraculous benefits to the beverage. For example, it correlates with a lower risk of heart disease and death from any cause, a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, gallstones, renal stones, gout, some types of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Here’s another interesting note: while the biggest benefits are associated with a 3-4 cup daily regimen, drinking even more coffee wasn’t found to be harmful. The benefits just weren’t as pronounced.

So go ahead and fill ‘er up!