Over the past few months there has been a plethora of new data on the beverage front. Here are some highlights:

• For every additional cup of coffee consumed daily, the risk of diabetes decreased by 7%. Those drinking 3 or 4 cups a day were 25% less likely to get diabetes vs. those drinking zero to 2 cups a day. (Archives of Internal Medicine, Dec 2009)

• Study subjects who reported any intake of daily coffee consumption were 27% less likely to develop a stroke than those who never drank coffee. (Annual Meeting of American Stroke Association, San Antonio, TX, Feb 2010)

• In the largest and most rigorous controlled study to date, those consuming alcohol of any type in moderation (2 drinks or less a day) had lower rates of cardiovascular deaths than teetotalers. (Journal of the American College of Cardiology [Online], March 2010) [more on superstar foods for heart health]

• Middle age women with a normal body weight who drank light to moderate amounts of alcohol, especially red wine, gained significantly less weight (about 60% less) over the 13 year study period than women of the same age and weight that didn’t drink at all. (Archives of Internal Medicine, March 2010)

• Moderate drinkers who reported “occasional binge drinking” – defined as 5 or more drinks on a single occasion at least 12 times a year, were 45% more likely to get heart disease than moderate drinkers who never binged. (American Journal of Epidemiology, Feb 2010)

• Over a 10 year study period, moderate drinkers were less likely to develop diabetes than teetotalers. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition [Online], April 2010)