I must confess — I am totally addicted to coffee. I love my morning cup and usually have at least five or six cups by lunchtime. I'm not alone in my love for java — 50 percent of Americans consume three or more cups of coffee daily, at a cost of $18 billion per year. It is widely believed that coffee is not particularly healthy. The potential adverse effects of coffee are relatively well known. Caffeine can cause an increase in heart rate or irregular beats (premature ventricular contractions). It can also lead to high blood pressure, anxiety and agitation and can impair insulin function, aggravating diabetes. But perhaps most annoying, caffeine is a mild diuretic and can keep you awake at night with recurring trips to the bathroom.

However, it seems we may have gotten the coffee debate all wrong. Much to my relief and to that of all addicted coffee drinkers, more and more evidence emphasizes the substantial health benefits of coffee. In a recent study just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers examined the effects of coffee on 84,210 women and 41,736 men followed in the Nurses Health Study and Health Professional Study conducted by Harvard Medical School.

After a follow-up ranging from 18 to 24 years, the researchers found that the risk of death was reduced by 7 percent in women who drank one cup of coffee daily and by 26 percent in those who consumed four or more cups daily. Men benefited less, but the trend was toward coffee prolonging life. In this study, coffee did not decrease cancer risk, but two to three cups daily decreased the risk of heart disease by 25 percent and four to five cups daily reduced the risk by 35 percent. In this study, the benefits of coffee were present whether the coffee was caffeinated or decaffeinated.

Many other studies have shown that coffee has significant health benefits, particularly in the prevention of diabetes. In 2006, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine examined the effects of coffee on the risk of diabetes in 28,000 postmenopausal women participating in the Iowa Health Study. Women who consumed more than six cups of coffee per day had a 22 percent reduction in the risk of diabetes.

The researchers in this study believed that the benefits were greater in decaffeinated than caffeinated coffee. The journal Diabetes Care also published a study examining the link between coffee and diabetes. Here, 85,000 pre- and postmenopausal women who consumed three or more cups of regular or decaf were 50 percent less likely to develop diabetes. Studies from Harvard have shown similar reduction in risk of diabetes in men.

Coffee has also been shown to reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease by as much as 80 percent, colon cancer by 20 percent, cirrhosis by 80 percent and gallstones by 50 percent.

Why does coffee induce these numerous benefits when we thought it was so bad?

We know that taking caffeine pills makes diabetes worse and contributes to anxiety and insomnia. However, at least in relation to Parkinson's disease, researchers believe the benefits of coffee can be directly linked to caffeine.

It has been suggested that caffeine reduces the concentration of chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. This, in turn, allows the brain to accumulate dopamine, which reduces the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Caffeine has also been shown to improve athletic performance and, until recently, coffee consumption was strictly limited by professional athletic societies. Furthermore, it is felt that it is the caffeine in coffee that may improve mental agility and slow the rate of decline in intellectual function in older men and women.

Clearly there is much more to coffee than caffeine. Coffee contains numerous phytochemicals, minerals and very powerful antioxidants that actually may be enhanced by the roasting process. With few exceptions, the health effects of coffee persist whether or not caffeine is present. Unless you are drinking coffee for a little pickup either after breakfast or lunch, it seems prudent to stick to decaffeinated. Furthermore, coffee seems a better choice than the ever-popular highly caffeinated energy drinks. But remember, a long and healthy life is much more than an apple or many cups of coffee per day.

Dr. David Lipschitz is the author of the book "Breaking the Rules of Aging." To find out more about Dr. David Lipschitz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. More information is available at www.drdavidhealth.com.

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