AHHHHHHHHHH!  The weekend and I can relax…..speaking of relaxation…..I cannot imagine a day without my good steady friend coffee……my fave is Jamaican Blue Mountain…..a bit pricey but I get it and ration it……I have been told….in the past that as much coffee can be bad for my health…….

That was years ago and today it appears as coffee is not the evil addiction that they originally wanted me to believe…….

Rejoice yet again, coffee lovers: A new study says that four or more cups a day may reduce your chance of getting multiple sclerosis, LiveScience reports. An international group of researchers looked at two datasets—one Swedish and one American—and found that people who didn’t drink coffee were 1.5 times more likely to develop MS than those who downed about four cups daily. The analysis of nearly 7,000 people echoes earlier research that mice, raised to get an MS-like illness, never developed it when given hefty doses of caffeine. Why caffeine? Well, with MS, the immune system strikes nerve fibers by attacking a protective covering called myelin. And scientists believe that caffeine blocks a body chemical that allows immune cells into the central nervous system to crush myelin.

Now, the caveats: The new study finds no causal link between caffeine and reducing the chances of MS, the LA Times notes. Further, it’s based on self-reported coffee habits that date back 10 years and may be sketchy. “I think from the MS perspective, there are too few data to support changing coffee intake at this time,” says study leader Ellen Mowry. “Further research should be done … as it may lead to identifying new targets for [MS] treatment.” On the bright side, she says, the two data sets came up with very similar results. Coffee has also been found to reduce the chance of skin cancer and breast cancer, Yahoo reports, and a Harvard study of over 130,000 volunteers found that even six cups daily led to no greater chance of dying

So coffee is not the villain as they once thought…….but wait….there is more……..

Indulging in coffee may lower your risk for melanoma, make for awesome naps, and even help fend off retinal degeneration. Now there’s another possible health benefit: According to a study published in the Heart journal, people who drank a moderate amount of coffee (three to five cups a day) had the lowest levels of CAC (coronary artery calcium), which when built up can be an early indicator of heart disease, the Los Angeles Times reports. Individuals who drank one to three cups had somewhat higher CAC levels, followed by elevated calcium levels in both those who had one cup or less and java junkies (more than five cups a day). This research only compounds the “coffee good/coffee bad” debate, the BBC notes.

Scientists tracked 28,138 male and female subjects from two South Korean cities who had a health screening complete with a CT scan to figure out their calcium levels; participants also had to fill out a food survey. The researchers controlled for other lifestyle factors as well, including smoking and exercise. The study does have its limitations: Scientists still have no clue if it’s the caffeine in the coffee that does the trick or some other element, and the study may not readily translate to the general public because the South Korean diet and lifestyle is so different from ours. “While this study does highlight a potential link, more research is needed to confirm these findings and understand what the reason is for the association,” Victoria Taylor of the British Heart Foundation tells the BBC

I can remember when eggs were going to kill me…..now not so much…….with each new study coffee has more health benefits than harm…….that is good news….but to be honest….I would give up coffee anyway…….

Go out and have a great cup of coffee today….it cannot hurt!