In the Woody Allen futuristic comedy Sleeper it was discovered that everything which we think is bad for us is actually good for us. We will probably never find out that hot fudge is actually good for us, but there has been growing evidence that at least we can continue to drink coffee without guilt. Several studies have already demonstrated benefits from coffee but new studies continue to get attention from the media.
A new Dutch study showed that drinking coffee and tea can reduce the risk of heart disease:
Those who drank more than six cups of tea a day cut their risk of heart disease by a third, the study of 40,000 people found.
Consuming between two to four coffees a day was also linked to a reduced risk.
While the protective effect ceased with more than four cups of coffee a day, even those who drank this much were no more likely to die of any cause, including stroke and cancer, than those who abstained.
Coffee and tea contain a variety of components and most likely some are beneficial and some might not be. It is encouraging to see that the overall effect is beneficial, although this would not apply to everyone. This study has no impact on those who have problems with arrhythmias which are exacerbated by caffeine.
