Don’t get too excited, coffee isn’t exactly a “health” drink but it is a good beverage choice. Make sure you’re drinking FILTERED coffee; the filter removes a substance called cafestol, which boosts “bad” cholesterol (LDL). Some Scandinavian coffee is made in French presses and is not filtered.

Diabetes: Twenty studies worldwide show that coffee, both regular and decaf, lowers the risk for Type 2 diabetes, in some studies by as much as 50%.

Heart disease and stroke: Recent studies suggest that frequent coffee consumption does not increase the risk of either condition. In fact, coffee might slightly reduce the risk of stroke. A study published in March in the journal Circulation looked at data on more than 83,000 women older than 24. It showed that those who drank two to three cups of coffee a day had a 19% lower risk of stroke than those who drank almost none. A Finnish study found similar results for men.

Liver Cancer: Research consistently shows a drop in liver cancer risk with coffee consumption, and there is some, albeit weaker, evidence that it may lower colon cancer risk as well.

Cirrhosis: Coffee seems to protect the liver against cirrhosis, especially that caused by alcoholism. It’s not clear, either for cancer or cirrhosis, whether it’s coffee or caffeine that may be protective.

While this is good news, I still maintain that tea is a healthier choice of drink. If you’re worried you’re drinking too much coffee, try simply cutting back. Replace a few cups of coffee a day with tea, or water if you don’t need the caffeine. Cutting coffee cold turkey can be hard. Like most things though, coffee is fine in moderation. It’s not going to hurt, and may even help a little.

Hopefully coffee drinkers can enjoy this new information, and their next cup with a little less guilt.