The Virtues of Coffee Drinking

Coffee is no longer a considered a health villain, and that's grounds for celebration.

Since there are so many bad habits to feel guilty about, it's awfully nice when one of those vices actually turns out to be something of a virtue. Take coffee: Over the years, it has been accused of causing everything from birth defects to breast cancer.

Now -- with thousands of medical studies showing little or no adverse health effects from coffee -- all the decades of nay-saying are finally coming to a close. In fact, there are a number of proven benefits to partaking in a daily cup or two of joe:

Coffee drinking may lower your risk of colon cancer by up to 25 percent because of its ability to help keep you regular.

Two observational studies found that regular coffee intake reduced the risk of developing kidney stones.

People with asthma who drink coffee can have up to 25 percent fewer symptoms because one of the compounds in coffee -- theophylline -- acts as a bronchodilator.

Other diseases that coffee may help prevent: cirrhosis of the liver, Parkinson's disease, skin cancer, and gallstones.

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