If you're like 54% of Americans, you enjoy coffee on a daily basis. And that could be a good thing.

Coffee is a good source of antioxidants. And recent research shows it helps to reduce inflammation and may guard against a number of chronic diseases including diabetes.

Coffee is thought to have hailed from Ethiopia and is now produced mainly in Brazil and Colombia. Composed of either a single type of coffee bean or a blend of several varieties of bean (called blended coffee). Blended coffee has a richer, more complex flavor than single-bean coffees. Naturally, the coffee bean contains caffeine, as well as a compound called cafestol.

Because coffee beans are a crop that is treated heavily with pesticides, it is important to choose organic, shade-grown coffee.

To assure the freshest, most flavorful brew, buy fresh coffee beans and grind them as needed. Store whole roasted beans in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Becasue room-temperature ground coffee begins to go stale within a couple of days after it`s ground, it should be refrigerated in an airtight container and stored up to 2 weeks.