Coffee is the most consumed drink worldwide and possibly the biggest source of antioxidants in the diet of those who consume it. We are now a coffee society, so what is the real truth about coffee?

The good news is that across the board it generally is very good for us to take some coffee.

The important provisos are pregnancy and osteoporosis. Pregnant women have a higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth directly proportional to the amount of coffee they consume, so they need to avoid it. People with a strong family history of osteoporosis should have no more than 2-3 coffees a day.

However, the news is fantastic for everybody else, because coffee reduces mortality from all causes―this includes cancer, heart disease, blood clot type stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and it even reduces type 2 diabetes.

Coffee helps you lose weight by encouraging breakdown of fats and ‘uncoupling’ the energy production process. In addition to that, coffee keeps shift workers awake and enhances mental and physical performance.

Now you don’t want to go overboard, so just have as much as you know you can tolerate.

Copyright © Dr Frances Pitsilis 2008