The Verdict on Coffee

It looks like the verdict is in on coffee. Coffee is good for you...in some ways. While coffee has been much maligned in the past, it appears to have some health benefits according to recent research.

It is one of few drinks these days that doesn't come loaded with sugar and calories. The experts say it may guard against gout, diabetes, and alzheimers among other health problems. Studies have also suggested coffee could lower the risk of Parkinson's disease, depression and suicide.

That's quite a list of possibilities for something that is still considered a guilty pleasure. Coffee consumption has picked up in the last 10 years or so. With the explosion of Starbucks and other coffee chains, more than half of Americans are drinking coffee regularly. The problem comes when cream and sugar is added to coffee along with whipped cream and flavorings that add up to hundreds of calories.

Doctors haven't gone so far as to prescribe coffee, but they aren't telling people to give it up, either. Two cups a day is considered okay for most people. Everything in moderation.