Question: How can coffee be good for you?

Believe it or not, mounting evidence suggests that for most people, drinking coffee does more good than harm. Research now suggests that if you drink enough of it, you'll lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, asthma, gallstones, Parkinson's disease and possibly even colon cancer. And you'll feel more alert and work out harder at the gym. The most promising evidence for coffee's health benefits come from studies on diabetes. In a report that combined data from nine large studies, people who drank 4 to 6 cups of coffee per day were 28% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those who drank two cups or fewer. Drinking more than six cups each day reduced the risk by 35%.

Some of coffee's benefits are linked to its naturally occurring antioxidants. Antioxidants in coffee - both caffeinated and decaffeinated - are thought to reduce inflammation in the body and improve how the body uses insulin, the hormone that lowers blood sugar. Coffee also contains magnesium, a mineral linked to blood sugar regulation. It's the caffeine in coffee that enhances physical performance and boosts mental alertness and may protect against gallstones and Parkinson's disease.

Question: But isn't coffee - or caffeine - dehydrating?

Actually no, coffee is not the dehydrating demon it's often made out to be. Research has shown that moderate caffeine consumption is no more a diuretic than plain water. And if you regularly consume caffeinated beverages, you have a higher tolerance to the diuretic effect. In fact, the revised fluid guidelines published in 2004 state that coffee - and tea - can be counted towards your daily water requirement.

Question: Doesn't coffee increase blood pressure?

Drinking coffee does not increase your risk for developing high blood pressure or heart disease and heart attack for that matter. Caffeine does boost your blood pressure, but its effects are very short-lived. People who have hypertension that is not under control should limit or avoid caffeinated coffee. Studies also suggest that the combination of stress and caffeine have additive effects on boosting blood pressure.

Question: Does coffee cause bone loss?

Caffeine does cause your body to lose a little calcium from your bones, but adding milk to your coffee or having a latte negates this effect. Bone loss can be a concern if you are not meeting your daily calcium requirements. Research has shown that in postmenopausal women who don't get enough calcium, consuming 450 milligrams of caffeine per day - about three eight-ounce cups of coffee - has been linked with having a lower bone density. If you're a coffee drinker, make sure you're getting your 1000 (aged 19-50) or 1500 milligrams (aged 50+) of calcium per day.

Question: Should kids be drinking coffee?

Kids should definitely limit their caffeine intake. Caffeine has the same effects in kids as it does in adults. At higher doses, caffeine can make kids restless, anxious and fidgety and cause sleep disturbances, headaches and rapid heart rate. And it doesn't take much caffeine to impact a child's mood and behaviour. Research has shown that all it takes is the amount of caffeine found in a single can (355 ml) of cola. Caffeine's effects are based on body weight, so it packs a more powerful punch for kids who weigh less than adults. And because small children haven't been exposed to caffeine as much as older kids and teens, they are especially sensitive to its effects.

For kids aged 12 and under, Health Canada recommends a maximum daily caffeine intake of 2.5 milligrams caffeine per kilogram of body weight. For average weight kids, that means no more than 45 milligrams of caffeine for children aged 4 to 6, 62.5 milligrams for those aged 7 to 9, and at most 85 milligrams daily for 10 to 12 year-olds. These numbers are equivalent to one to two 355 ml cans of cola each day.

Question: Okay, how much caffeine is too much for me?

Health Canada contends that healthy adults - i.e. you don't have high blood pressure, insomnia or osteoporosis - are not at risk for adverse effects from caffeine, provided you limit your daily intake to 450 milligrams. This translates into about three 8-ounce cups - not Starbuck's Grande sized cups - of coffee per day.