The apprehension that coffee could be harmful to you when over-indulged seems to engage the attention of coffee drinkers. You might recall that not long ago, it was concluded that drinking coffee really increases your chances of heart disease.  It was a study that originated in Scandinavia  where people generally drink boiled coffee, rather than paper-filtered,as it is customary to do so in the United States.  In these studies, researchers found that boiled coffee does significantly raise blood cholesterol, making it likely that it could cause heart disease. It is now known that the method of preparing coffee in Scandinavia is boiling the beverage. This serves to extract compounds from coffee that are bad for cholesterol levels.  Regular coffee, when filtered, is safe, according to Alan Chait, M.D., past chairman of the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee.

A cup or two or three cups of coffee a day is not a hazard, although large amounts of caffein could cause arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats) in the upper chambers of the heart. Moderate consumption should not cause any grief, according to Thomas Kottke, cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, at Rochester, Minnesota.

While coffee at breakfast is considered to be a wake-up call, it does not not, by itself, provide any nutritional benefit.  People profess to be more alert after drinking coffee.   It is considered to be a potent stimulant by many, but tests have not confirmed its stimulant effect.   Excessive indulgence in coffee drinking  may lead to coffee jitters, along with insomnia, anxiety and , perhaps, even paranoia or depression.   Doctors have concluded that heavy users of coffee might restrict performance. Caffeine interferes with the body’s absorption of iron, proving that any chronic intake of  caffein  causes energy deficiency.  But the problem occurs only when caffein is taken in large amounts and does not actually affect those that drink a minimum of three cups a day.