Leading up to the American Revolution in December 1773, the Boston Tea Party was the historical event that began to make over America into a coffee drinking nation. Today the U.S. is conscientious for more than a third of international coffee utilization at 400 million cups every day. Over the years, thousands of studies have been done examining coffee’s crash on health and, for the most part, their results are as pleasing as the aroma of that freshly brewed cup of java.

In general, the study shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful,said Dr. Tomas DePaulis, explore scientist at Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Coffee Studies. For the majority of people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good. Coffee not only perks up energy and helps sharpen the mind, it has been shown to lessen the severity of a heart attack or stroke and defend against certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and gallstones. There’s also confirmation that coffee may help stop a headache, boost mood and even prevent cavities. And a study obtainable this week at the Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research discussion in Houston, Texas shows that men who drink coffee on an ordinary basis have an added advantage—a appreciably decreased risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.
Some of coffee’s reported benefits are a straight consequence of its high caffeine content. An eight ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee contains about 85 mg, which is about three and a half times more than the same serving of tea or cola or one ounce of chocolate. But the researchers say the fact that the same risk reduction was seen regardless of whether the man drank regular or decaffeinated coffee suggests it isn’t the caffeine but rather coffee’s pressure on insulin and hormone levels that caused the positive effect on prostate cancer risk. Coffee has effects on insulin and glucose metabolism, as well as sex hormone levels, all of which play a role in prostate cancer, said lead author Dr. Kathryn M. Wilson, an investigate fellow in epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.