Article:
Newly released study hails the benefits of coffee

Updated Mon. Aug. 29 2005 6:34 AM ET
Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- When the Ink Spots sang "I love the java jive and it loves me" in 1940, they could not have known how right they were. Coffee not only helps clear the mind and perk up the energy, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the American diet, according to a study released Sunday.

Of course, too much coffee can make people jittery and even raise cholesterol levels, so food experts stress moderation.

The findings by Joe A. Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, give a healthy boost to the warming beverage.

They concluded that the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. According to the Agriculture Department, the typical adult North American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily."We think that antioxidants can be good for you in a number of ways," including affecting enzymes and genes, though more research is needed, Vinson said.His findings were released in conjunction with the annual convention of the American Chemical Society in Washington.

The protective effect occurred in people who drank one to two cups a day and increased at three to four cups. Last year, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that drinking coffee cut the risk of developing the most common form of diabetes.