All right. We all know that Coffee is that mystical beverage that almost everyone grew up smelling in the kitchen as a child and in the coffee isle at the grocery store while walking through with mom. But healthy?

It was not long ago when the beverage was considered to be somewhat questionable in the health department. Today, the professionals are taking a much different view of the aspects this little bean has on the health of the human body.

Alcohol and chocolate took their turn on the health chopping block and eventually managed to come out with an approval from the health folks. Now it looks like coffee gets its turn at the health professionals limelight. Not saying that it is completely off the hook, but it is getting some good health reviews.

One reason for that are antioxidants. Coffee contains them and, as we all know, antioxidants offer an amount of cardiovascular protection.

What this does is to lower the risk of diabetes which contributes to heart disease, so that is a good thing for you coffee lovers out there. Actually, if you are a heavy drinker, you are half as likely to develop diabetes as your light coffee drinking friends

Now we all know that a cup of coffee can bring up your blood pressure. But there have now been some long-term studies that seem to be showing that coffee may not increase the risk for high blood pressure over time, which is what the professionals used to think. It’s also somewhat possible that over a period of time people will develop a tolerance to coffee’s hypertension effects.

The latest studies also seem to lend credence to the theory that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop liver cancer - a full fifty percent less than non-coffee drinkers. A pretty impressive fact in and of its self. It also can lower the risk for colon, breast and rectal cancers.

They is research that shows that a coffee drinker is less likely to develop gallstone disease because coffee alters the cholesterol content of the bile in the liver

It also appears the men - though not women - can get some protection from Parkinson’s disease by the regular use of coffee.

Coffee has also been linked to have a positive effect on Alzheimer’s disease, Skin Cancer, Liver Disease, and more. Not a bad rap sheet for a small little bean.

Some research even comes to the conclusion that drinking two cups of coffee before that workout at the gym can reduce your muscle pain after the workout. The claim here is that the caffeine acts as a pain blocker to the sore muscles. A lot of people take ibuprofen or aspirin but recent studies show that the caffeine is actually more beneficial than the pain reliever for moderate workout pain.

Since coffee is one of America’s favorite beverages, it is nice to know that it is also America’s number one source of antioxidants. What wonderful news. Something we like that is actually GOOD for us.