Coffee

On June 14, the World Health Organization concluded no proof exists that coffee causes cancer, reversing its 1991 conclusion that coffee was "possibly carcinogenic."

In 2007, while researching an article for the book Coffee Time, I discovered two things: 1. Caffeine has been studied a lot; and 2. All that scrutiny has revealed few drawbacks and, with moderate use, a surprising number of possible health benefits.

Here's the spread from the book, with the text repeated below.

Coffee & Health

While drinking too much coffee can have undesirable consequences, including insomnia and excessive urination, scientific studies have shown moderate caffeine consumption to have a number of positive health benefits.

Antioxidants: Coffee (regular, decaf, or instant) contains four times the antioxidants of green tea.

Enhanced Performance: Coffee can improve performance in tests of reaction time, memory, and spatial reasoning. Athletic performance and recovery time have also been shown to benefit from caffeine intake.

Reduced Risk: Research indicates that moderate caffeine consumption can alleviate asthma symptoms in some people, decrease the risk of contracting type-2 diabetes, and reduce the odds of developing Parkinson's Disease (in men, at least), and Alzheimer's. It also can lessen the likelihood of both kidney stone and gallstone production and has been shown to significantly lower the chance of developing colorectal cancer.

And More: Studies have found coffee can fight an array of bacteria, including one that causes tooth decay. It can also lessen headaches, suicidal feelings, depression, and irritability, so go ahead, drink up. Coffee may be doing more than keeping you awake.