Ours is a coffee-obsessed culture. We argue over which is better: [Dunkin’ Donuts](/about/dunkin-donuts, Starbucks, or home-brewed—and any number of the little independent coffeeshops we get our fix at. There are entire news cycles devoted to the release of Starbucks holiday cups. Heck, McDonald’s was even making coffee jokes this morning on Twitter. And coffee’s a habit that might not be terrible for us: It’s been known for a while that the drink can have some health benefits outside of that delicious jolt of energy it brings—like extending your life span and reducing damage from overdoing it on booze. But some of us still worry that we’re too caffeinated and too addicted—especially when we’re craving that third cup at 2 PM. However, a new study has some seriously great news for us.

Published by BMJ, the new findings are based on an analysis of over 200 past studies—and they’re here to help us embrace the espresso. According to the findings, people who drink three to four cups a day are more likely to see health benefits, including lower rates of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, and liver disease. Drinking coffee can also help lower your chances for Type 2 diabetes, dementia, and strokes, according to the study.

Three to four cups?!? We were expecting the results to say that you shouldn’t have more than one. (Which, frankly, is just not something we can live with.) But now that our habit isn’t terrible for us—heck, it might even be good for us—we no longer have to feel guilty having that last mid-afternoon cup. (Side note: This does not apply to pregnant women or anyone prone to bone fractures.)

It’s worth noting that these results are mostly observational and that researchers can’t state with certainty that the benefits are due strictly to coffee intake. University of Southampton professor Paul Roebick, one of the study’s co-authors, told the BBC that “factors such as age, whether people smoked or not and how much exercise they took could all have had an effect.”

To get the full benefits of coffee, researchers recommend keeping your brew as healthy as possible—which means skipping extra sugar and, for the very hardcore, sticking with black.

Roebick did add that “there is a balance of risks in life, and the benefits of moderate consumption of coffee seem to outweigh the risks.” We’ll definitely take that—and another refill, please.

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