Hi there this is Monica Reinagle and you're listening to the

nutrition diva quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous.

Today's nutrition tip is that for most people, caffeine probably does more

good than harm. Ever notice that smug look people get when they tell you that they don't

do caffeine? As if this somehow makes them morally

superior.

Hey, there's no need to feel guilty about your little coffee habit.

In fact, the caffeine addicts of the world may end up having the last laugh.

It turns out that caffeine has a lot of positive health benefits, and despite what you may have

heard, relatively few drawbacks. People who drink coffee every day, for example, have a significantly lower

risk of diabetes, Parkinson's, colon cancer, gallstones, and Alzheimer's disease. Now, that may not all be due to caffeine.

Coffee contains a lot of volatile compounds and antioxidants that may have beneficial effects

by themselves or in combination with caffeine. For example, drinking tea doesn't seem to reduce your

risk of diabetes even though tea contains caffeine. On the other hand, people who

drink decaffinated coffee do have a reduced risk, but decaf only seems to work about half as well as

caffeinated coffee.

It's definitely the caffeine that protects against Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, though.

Not only just caffeine stimulate the brain and the central nervous system, but it appears to protect it as well.

Caffeine doesn't make you any smarter, but it does make you more alert and it boosts your ability to concentrate, which can make you a better test taker or a better driver.

Note that caffeine is not an antidote to liquor, however.

If you or one of your guests has had too much to drink, having a cup or two of coffee isn't going to make you or them fit to drive.

You're far better off skipping the coffee and sleeping it off instead.

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