Drinking two or three cups of coffee every day could reduce a woman's risk of having a stroke by nearly a fifth, new research suggests.
Scientists conducted a study of 83,000 women over a period of 24 years and found that those who regularly drank coffee were less likely to have a stroke.
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off, starving brain cells of the nutrients and oxygen they need to survive.
It is thought that the protective effect of coffee may be due to antioxidants and that the results are also likely to apply to men.
Lead researcher Dr Esther Lopez-Garcia, from the Autonomous University of Madrid, commented: 'Antioxidants in coffee can lower inflammation and improve blood vessel function.'
According to the British Coffee Association, scientific evidence suggests that people can safely drink four to five cups of coffee per day and that this may confer health benefits.