According to a new study drinking coffee may offer protection from type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
These latest findings also suggest that the antioxidants present in coffee can also lower the risk of heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver.
Coffee contains hundreds of components including substantial amounts of chlorogenic acid, caffeine, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B3, trigonelline and lignans.
Chlorogenic acid has been shown in animal experiments to reduce glucose concentrations; coffee also contains tannin, which is beneficial for heart and arteries.
Researcher Dr. Rob van Dam of the Harvard School of Public Health, says that coffee, if taken in moderate amounts, can actually prevent colon, liver and rectal cancer.
Other experts also believe that coffee reduces the amount of cholesterol, bile acid and natural sterol secretion in the colon which accelerates the passage of stools through the colon and cuts down the exposure of the lining of the intestine to potential carcinogens in food.
Recent research in Norway has found that people who drank four to six cups of coffee a day had a 28 percent reduced risk compared with people who drank two or fewer.
They also found that women who drank one to three cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent compared with those drinking no coffee at all.
It is also suggested that coffee contains more antioxidants than a serving of grape juice, blueberries, raspberries and oranges.