Coffee drinking is not linked to chronic diseases

Numerous studies of coffee's links to myriad diseases have provided head-spinning results, but a new paper finds java drinkers have no more risk of illnesses such as heart disease or cancer.

In fact, they are less likely to end up with type 2 diabetes, the form of the disease that does not require insulin and is linked to obesity.

“We do not encourage people to start drinking coffee if they do not enjoy this, but the overall evidence on coffee and health suggests that there is no reason for persons without specific health conditions to reduce their coffee consumption in order to reduce their risk of chronic diseases,” said Rob van Dam, a professor at National University of Singapore, who was not involved in this study.

In some cases, coffee drinking has been tied to an increase in heart disease, cancer, stroke and more. In other cases, coffee drinking appears benign or even linked to better outcomes.