OK - fibroid and anxiety sufferers close your ears, but the rest of you, check this out, fresh off the Medscape press.

The best part of waking up...is reducing your risk of neuro-degeneration. And depression, and cancer, and cardiovascular disease... It's becoming increasingly clear that coffee is more than just a morning routine. The body of data suggesting that the world's most widely used stimulant is beneficial in a variety of mental and medical conditions is growing at a staggering rate. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that coffee consumption lowered all-cause mortality by over 10% at 13-year follow-up.

Coffee has been shown to:

Contain anti-oxidants that prevent oxidation of LDL ("bad" cholesterol"), which is associated with lower risk of heart disease. Moderate consumption (2 cups per day) has been shown to reduce stroke risk 22-25% in women, reduce the risk of Type II diabetes, reduce the risk of many different kinds of cancers (uterine, prostate, skin and head and neck cancers), and reduce risk of depression by 15-20%.

So enjoy the morning routine!