If You're Going to Drink Coffee, Don't Cut Back

So far this year, we've had stories on coffee drinking as a health benefit: cutting the risk of liver failure and cutting the risk of adult onset diabetes. Now we hear that if you drink coffee, go whole hog. The headline is misleading, but if you are a light to medium coffee drinker, you have slightly increased risk of heart attack once you are past middle age. Why do the heavy drinkers not have to worry? The researchers "suspect that heavy consumers develop a complete tolerance to the short-term cardiovascular effects of caffeine, whereas light to moderate drinkers remain susceptible." So, drink four or more cups of coffee a day, or you may have a premature date with a cardiovascular surgeon.