For some, the unmistakable aroma is enough to perk up the senses and get the mouth watering. An estimated 100 million Americans consume coffee daily. And while many of us rely on (and joke often about) our morning cup o’ joe to kickstart our days and keep us going, coffee is far more than a vehicle for caffeine. This complex beverage contains hundreds of various compounds with diverse health outcomes. More than 18,000 studies have been conducted on the health effects of coffee in recent decades, and more and more, we’re learning that coffee can have a significant number of health benefits, but these must be balanced against potentially bitter health risks and side effects.

Why the Back and Forth?

Studies on the health effects of coffee have yielded wildly varied results -- but according to experts, the risks aren’t necessarily in the beans.

Dr. Rob van Dam, Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, explains, “Coffee is also a bit more complex to study than some other food items. Drinking coffee often goes along together with cigarette smoking, and with a lifestyle that’s not very health conscious. For example, people who drink lots of coffee tend to exercise less. They are less likely to use dietary supplements, and they tend to have a less healthful diet. So in the early studies on coffee and health, it was hard to separate the effects of coffee from the effects of smoking or other lifestyle choices.”

The good news for java junkies, however, is that coffee is found to have more and more health benefits when included as part of a healthy lifestyle -- for even moderate to heavy drinkers.

The Perks

Check out these amazing perks that come with your morning pick-me-up: