There are many of us who seem to need a cup of coffee before we can even start to function in the morning. But most of us wouldn't think that it was actually benefiting our overall health. Scientists and nutritionists are now telling us that there are some perks to drinking a cup of coffee on your way to work or with a friend on a sunny Saturday. But there are still some drawbacks as well.

When comparing people who regularly drink coffee to those that do not it has actually been shown that coffee drinkers are less likely to have Parkinson's disease, Type 2 Diabetes and dementia. There was also fewer cases of heart rhythm issues, strokes, and certain types of cancer. While you certainly shouldn't consider your coffee break based as a health regime, the antioxidants and nutrients in coffee do have their definite benefits.

We have all seen commercials about the need for calcium in our diets and this is also something that you can help take care of with your daily trip to your local coffee shop. By getting everyone in the office a latte on your way to work, for example, you are helping everyone with a good chunk of their daily calcium intake. There are just as many potential benefits to the things that you put in your coffee as in the beans themselves.

While coffee may be helping the health of many people without them noticing, there are still some people who should be weary of drinking too much of this tasty beverage. While a black cup of coffee has a limited amount of calories, the trimmings can add up quite quickly. You should also be careful about the amount of caffeine that you're drinking regularly. Plus, the dentist you see at your next appointment will advise against too much coffee for the sake of the whiteness of your teeth.

When you look at all of the tasty choices that are available on a coffee shop menu or start to think about the great afternoons that you can have sitting on a patio outside, it's easy to see the perks of a good cup of coffee. But you should also sometimes consider what it could be doing to help your overall health.