You know the old saying: “Coffee, tea, water and wine -- Drink the right amount of each, and good health will be mine.”

Well, actually, it’s not an old saying, but it does contain truth. Our daily intake of fluids can have a significant effect on our health. As you know the pendulum of health recommendations swings back and forth, but we’ve thoroughly researched these common drinks and here is the current wisdom.

Coffee

Bottom Line: A new study that reviewed and analyzed more than 200 previous studies found that people who drink as many as 3-4 cups of coffee a day appeared to have a lower risk of heart disease, some forms of cancer(prostate, endometrial, skin and liver cancer), Type 2 diabetes, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and even early death. An earlier study concluded the lower risk of early death was especially strong in people over age 45.

The pros and cons of drinking a cup of coffee have certainly been scrutinized over time. Most of the positive results relate to the fact that coffee is high in antioxidants that protect against cancer, as well as other chemicals that reduce inflammation, which is considered to contribute to aging and the onset of chronic diseases. As it relates to keeping the heart healthy, coffee is believed to have an effect on blood vessels, keeping them flexible and healthy. 

Experts recommend sticking to black coffee and avoiding sugar, milk or cream. They also caution women who are pregnant or who have a risk for bone fractures to limit coffee intake. Since the caffeine in coffee accelerates heart rate, persons who already have heart conditions should limit their intake. It’s important to remember that “decaf” coffee still has some caffeine. In healthy people without certain conditions, probably the biggest downsides of caffeine can be insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, and possible muscle tremors.

For more details: coffee pros and cons.

Tea

Bottom line: All kinds of tea have polyphenols, a natural antioxidant that protects our body’s cells from damage from free radicals and environmental toxins.  Green Tea has a higher amount of polyphenols than either black or white tea, and experts suggest that 1-3 cups of tea per day provide the full benefit of these properties. On the other end of the spectrum, all teas (except herbals) have caffeine, and you may be getting too much caffeine if you drink as many as 6-8 cups of tea a day.

Tea is coffee’s elegant sister, often considered to be the gentler, more civilized, more relaxing and more “zen” beverage. Does it deserve this reputation?

The list of benefits attributed to tea drinking is long: preserving eye and oral health (providing defense against glaucoma and gum disease), protecting our DNA’s telomeres (the “caps” at the end of our chromosomes that can become damaged or frayed over time), promoting good bone health, supporting the immune system, soothing the digestive system, and, like coffee, decreasing inflammation.

Are all teas equal? While it’s true that homebrewed teas have more anti-oxidants than bottled or convenience teas, those easy teas still pack in more antioxidants than many fruits and vegetable. Real tea-lovers seem to prefer hot tea over iced tea, believing that the oxygen in the air depletes the antioxidant properties when tea sits out to cool.

If you want to become an expert on the types of teas and their potential benefits, here’s a good resource.

Water

Bottom line: Water is the best fluid for staying hydrated and has no calories and no caffeine. The recommendation of 8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day is often repeated. Some say a more specific and personal calculation is to divide your body weight in half and that’s how many ounces of water or other hydrating fluids you should drink a day.

What many people don’t know is how serious becoming dehydrated can be -- especially as people get older. Our body’s signals that we’re thirsty diminish with age, so we need to make a conscious effort to drink enough fluids. Being dehydrated leads to a number of symptoms than can be mistaken for other problems: headaches, dizziness, confusion, irritability, fatigue.

Being hydrated improves capillary blood flow, suppresses appetite, flushes out toxins, and regulates body temperature – just to name a few benefits.

“Water” covers many types of beverages. Sparkling water and “smart” water do an equally good job of providing hydration as plain water does. Smart water contains electrolytes, but not as many as sports drinks, such as Gatorade – which, on the other hand, have sugar. Tonic water has additional substances, such as fruit extracts, sugar and quinine.

As long as we don’t drink massive amounts of water, the only real downside is that we may have to use the bathroom more often and disturb a good night’s sleep. Then there is the negative aspect to the way many people transport their water: in plastic bottles that create a huge trash problem. If you’d like to break that habit as a New Year’s Resolution, here is a list of best reusable water bottles compiled by Real Simple magazine.

Wine

Bottom Line: The recommendations for how much wine or other alcohol an average person can drink without increasing health risks are currently very clear. A woman can have a drink a day without increasing her health risks and a man can have two drinks a day. Red wine is healthier to drink than white wine. Clear types of alcohol are easier on the body than other types. And tequila may or may not be as healthy as some people say.

Red wine is not exactly a “health” drink, but it does contain a substance with multiple potential health benefits. The magical substance in red wine is a plant compound called resveratrol found in the skin of grapes and berries. Resveratrol acts like an antioxidant and is credited with helping to lower blood pressure, increasing HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind), decreasing LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind), slowing age-related mental decline, preventing complications from diabetes, easing joint pain, and suppressing cancer cells. In tests with animals, it’s been shown to lengthen the lifespan, but hasn’t been tested conclusively with humans.

There are a couple of disclaimers: It’s not yet known if the amount of resveratrol needed to provide these benefits is in the practical realm of what a person could ingest. And anyone wanting to take in more resveratrol could eat berries, grapes and peanuts instead of drinking wine. Of course, to consume enough resveratrol to experience full benefits, you’d have to eat a mountain of grapes – but that’s probably better than drinking an ocean of wine.

Of special concern to women is the possible link between wine or other alcohol and a greater risk of breast cancer. Normally alcohol increases estrogen levels and encourages the growth of breast cancer cells; however, red wine seems to lower the estrogen level because it contains more aromatase inhibiters.

As for liquor, the advice of experts is to drink it straight and not add mixers or fruit juices that bump up calories and sugar. Among types of alcoholic beverages,  the calorie content is lowest in wine and highest in beer.

What about tequila? Tequila has received a lot of good press in recent years, including claims that it lowers cholesterol and blood sugar. It’s also said to elevate a person’s mood. Well, yes, at least temporarily.

One beverage area we haven’t addressed is soda or diet soda. And the one word of advice from health experts is “Don’t.”

Even though this information may be helpful, each person’s needs and preferences may be different. So we say, “Here’s to making the right choices.” Cheers.

Next in the For Your Own Good series: Getting enough sleep isn’t an option