Coffee, which many of us rely on, does tend to get a bad reputation among health advocates. Coffee has long been seen as unhealthy, as some sort of drug that people need to quit in order to improve their lives. Health nuts have often been searching for alternatives, for types of tea and supplements they can take to reduce or eliminate coffee from their diets.

However, coffee’s reputation as an unhealthy choice may not be justified. While it’s almost definitely true that giant, coffee-based drinks loaded with cream and sugar are basically a dessert in a cup, regularly consuming some plain, non-dessert coffee may have some actual health benefits.

Coffee is loaded with antioxidants, more than any in the western diet. Antioxidants are important for heart health and so getting an adequate amount each day is important for overall health. Adding antioxidants to your diet is not the only health benefit that come from coffee; reduced health risks are also associated with habitually drinking three to five cups of coffee a day.

Mild coffee consumption has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, heart failure, several types of cancer and type two diabetes.

While more research has to be done on the effects of mild coffee consumption, the studies are promising. Many health professionals previously believed that coffee consumption could cause increased risk of many of these diseases. Studies have shown are, however, that the risks are actually decreased. Drinking three to five cups of coffee a day could lead to reduced risk of many chronic diseases that could occur later in life. Not only does coffee reduce health risks, it has been proven not to stunt growth, as many parents would have us believe. While coffee can be addictive and is probably not the best for kids, it’s definitely not going to stunt their growth.

Whenever people told me they were giving up drinking coffee to try to be healthier, or when someone says to me that I should try to stop drinking coffee, I never understood or thought that the claims coffee wasn’t healthy were very serious. Coffee is always reliable for an energy boost in the morning and almost always leaves me feeling better. Coffee has been proven to have some health benefits, but they are most likely minor and require more research.

The point is, however, that coffee is not the unhealthy choice many people believe that it is. In moderation, without being loaded down with copious amounts of cream and sugar, there is no reason to give up your morning cup(s) of coffee. Everyone is different, and health means something different and everyone should do what feels best to them but don’t be afraid of a few cups of coffee every day. If someone tells you it will stunt your growth or increase your risk of serious, chronic diseases, they’re probably working with false information. If coffee is what you need to get you going in the morning, don’t let people tell you that you’re making an unhealthy choice.