I knew it was good for me!

Most of antioxidants in average diet from coffee

BY RANDOLPH E. SCHMID

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON -- Coffee not only helps clear the mind and perk up the energy, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in Americans' diet, according to a study released Sunday.

Of course, too much coffee can make people jittery and even raise cholesterol levels, so food experts stress moderation.

The findings by Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, give a healthy boost to the warming beverage.

Antioxidants, which are thought to help battle cancer and provide other health benefits, are abundant in grains, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables.

Vinson's team analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items. They then used Agriculture Department data on typical food consumption patterns to calculate how much antioxidant each food contributes to a person's diet.

They concluded that the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. The typical adult American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily, according to the data used.

That does not mean coffee is a substitute for fruit and vegetables.

"Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber," Vinson said.