Research conducted by Spanish and American scientists suggests that drinking coffee decreases the risk of stroke in women.

Researchers studied data of more than 83,000 women with an average age of 55 for about 25 years to come to the conclusions. When the study was commenced none of the women had a history of stroke, heart disease, diabetes or cancer.

Every two to four years, the women filled out food frequency questionnaires about their diets. 2,280 strokes were reported during the research study. It was concluded that women who drank four or more cups of coffee a day had a 20% reduced risk of stroke compared to women who had less than one cup per month. Drinking two to three cups per day reduced risk by 19%. Drinking a cup five to seven times a week reduced risk by 12%.

The researchers also established that the benefits of coffee are much more significant for nonsmokers and women who do not have high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol.

Esther Lopez-Garcia, lead author of the study and assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain, says, "The beneficial effects of coffee can only be applied to healthy people. Anyone with health problems that can be worsened by coffee (insomnia, anxiety, hypertension, or heart problems) should talk to their doctor about their specific risk."