Cheers, Coffee Drinkers

Many of the beans you buy are grown in countries that don't regulate use of chemicals and pesticides. Look for the USDA Organic label to ensure you're not buying beans that have been grown or processed with the use of potentially harmful chemicals.

Go a step or two further, and look for the Fair Trade Certified and Rainforest Alliance (or Bird Friendly) labels to ensure that your purchase supports farmers who are paid fairly and treated well. And look for shade-grown (Rainforest Alliance- or Bird Friendly-certified) varieties for the trifecta; that way you know the coffee is being grown under the canopy of the rainforest, leaving those ancient trees intact, along with the wildlife – particularly songbirds – that call them home.

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Well, the research is in: A study from the University of Madrid found that drinking up to six cups of coffee a day does not lead to early death. (Yes, this is the good news.)

Lead researcher Esther Lopez-Garcia is quoted in the New York Daily News: "Our study indicates that coffee consumption does not have a detrimental effect."

Lopez-Garcia tracked 84,214 American women from 1980 to 2004 and 41,736 American men from 1986 to 2004 to see what effects heavy coffee-drinking resulted in, according to the article. The researchers found "some beneficial effects," such as lower risk of heart disease, cancer and other illnesses, and they think antioxidants may have played a role. Coffee drinkers in the study had slightly lower death rates than non-coffee drinkers over time, whether their drink of choice had caffeine or not, according to CBS News.

Of course there is conflicting information available on the health benefits of coffee. Some studies have suggested that heavy coffee consumption can lead to adverse health effects such as increased blood pressure and heart rate due to the caffeine content.

Whether or not you want to force down more venti lattes in hopes of prolonging life, you should make sure the stuff you are drinking is organic and fair trade.

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