You Now Have Permission to Drink 5 Cups of Coffee a Day
Research has debunked the theory that coffee's bad for you and proven its benefits
There's an old Dutch saying that says: "Coffee has two virtues: it is wet and it is warm." Now we can add a third: It's good for you.
Over the years, researchers have run hot and cold on the health benefits of coffee. We've read conflicting reports on how much coffee is safe to consume — and felt pressure to limit our caffeine intake. But according to the latest report percolating from a Harvard research scientist, coffee is, in fact, more good than bad. Vasanti Malik, nutrition research scientist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says that drinking five cups of that tasty brew has "shown associations with reduced risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality."
And if that's not enough of an excuse for you to grab a jolt of joe, check out this video from Dr. Aaron Carroll, professor of pediatrics and associate dean for research mentoring at Indiana University School of Medicine. Carroll's YouTube series covers everything from health care policy to people's questions on medicine and health. In his coffee episode, Carroll affirms research showing that drinking five cups of coffee a day is associated with a lower risk of disease, compared to drinking none.