Ask Dr Miriam

Q I’m a coffee addict and my husband keeps telling me I drink too much. Is it really bad for me?

A Well, reassuring research would suggest that relatively large intakes of 3-4 cups a day won’t do you any harm and may even do you some good.

One study concluded that coffee consumption is generally safe. This beneficial effect would be diluted if you drank milk with your coffee or you’re tempted to eat cake and biscuits with it. In a comprehensive study, it was found that coffee benefits certain conditions like gout, chronic liver disease, Parkinson’s, renal stones, oral cancer and Type 2 diabetes. However, the effects of coffee aren’t all good. It can be harmful especially in cases of lung cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, throat cancer and during pregnancy. Three to four cups seems a lot to me, but the news of this research may reassure you both.