Coffee has long been considered a health beverage, with moderate to low consumption potentially lowering risk factors for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. But how many cups a day are considered healthy? You might be surprised to hear the answer!

A recent UK study suggests that up to three cups a day is both acceptable and may even extend your life expectancy. Researchers examined the coffee habits of over 450,000 participants over 12.5 years; participants self-reported how many cups they consumed on an average day. Researchers divided people into groups: none, one to two cups per day, three to five cups and more than five cups daily – and then compared these groups in order to assess who had lower risks of cardiovascular disease and death. Results were striking: the more coffee a person consumed, the lower their risk of heart disease and death was. This held true both for decaf and caffeinated coffee drinks; instant, ground or cafetiere/French press methods of brewing; male participants as well as female ones participated.

Experts speculate that coffee’s health benefits could lie with its antioxidants, which experts believe may reduce inflammation, reduce chronic disease risks and stabilize free radicals that damage cells. Coffee contains chlorogenic acid and polyphenols which have both been proven to improve liver function while fighting cancer – so drinking more antioxidant-rich coffee may just be good for you overall! The more antioxidants your diet contains, the better it is likely.

While this research is encouraging, it must be remembered that it’s only observational and cannot prove causality of coffee consumption resulting in reduced risk of illness. Still, several other studies have found similar outcomes; for example a 2014 study demonstrated that those drinking four to five cups per day had significantly lower risks of Type 2 diabetes as well as liver cirrhosis-a serious condition linked to certain forms of liver disease-than those drinking less coffee per day.

Studies have also demonstrated the power of coffee to combat depression, reduce suicide risk and protect against Parkinson’s disease. But to make sure you get maximum benefit from adding caffeine to your morning routine, ensure it is unsweetened as adding extra calories can increase risk for heart disease. Also be sure to brew with hot water rather than cold as hot brewing releases more beneficial polyphenols into the coffee bean itself.

If you are an avid coffee enthusiast, try to limit yourself to three cups per day (containing approximately 400 milligrams of caffeine). This should give you all of the energy and alertness without causing negative side effects from too much coffee consumption.