Go ahead — have that second cup

Good news! Drinking coffee, which frequently gets a bad rap, might not be as healthy as drinking a glass of carrot juice, but apparently isn’t the liquid evil
some claim it to be. Writing in the health section of the New York Times, Jane Brody reports in Sorting Out Coffee’s Contradictions that there are even some benefits to that beautiful fuel so many of us rely on to get going in the morning (and sometimes, again, in the afternoon).

Citing a study released in March by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Brody summarizes the debunking of a number of coffee-related myths:

• Unless you’re slamming an awful lot of the stuff (to the tune of clearing 575 milligrams of caffeine, or more than 8 espressos), coffee is is not acting as a diuretic. In fact, it counts as a hydrating liquid.
• Average doses of caffeinated beverages will not increase risk of heart attacks.
• Same goes for hypertension — apparently cola drinks can increase the risk, but not coffee.
• Coffee has been associated with increased cancer risks in some studies. Brody points to research saying this just isn’t so.
• Coffee elevates our mood, enhances endurance, and keeps us alert.

What’s not to love?