Coffee & Tea

New research shows there’s no reason to feel guilty about your daily cup of joe. Studies find that drinking coffee may reduce your risk of developing parkinson’s disease, diabetes, colon cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. Coffee has even been shown to reduce the risk of inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women. One reason? It contains significant amounts of flavonoids, antioxidants that can combat a host of ilnesses.

Since drinking too much coffee can have adverse health effects, however, it’s best to limit yourself to one to four brewed cups per day. Consuming more than 200 to 300 milligrams (the amount of caffeine found in two to four cups) per day can be especially risky to those with high blood pressure because it can make pressure rise immediately after consumption. Heavy daily caffeine use–more than 500 mg-can cause restlessness, anxiety and headaches, even abnormal heart rhytms.

Tea has health benefits, as well. Researchers are studying it for possible use in the prevention and treatment of certain cancers. Both black and green varieties have significant quantities of diesese-fighting flavonoids (although less than coffee) and also contain catechins, which may inhibit the growth of cancer of the digestive system, according to the recent studies.

Avoid loading up your drink with sugar, flavored syrup or whole milk. Decaffeinated coffee and tea still contain beneficial antioxidants and other compounds and can be a good choice for your afternoon cup if caffeine makes you jittery or gives you trouble sleeping.