Coffee drinking in the United States has reached new highs — commercially and medicinally, according to Dr. Louise O'Keefe, Director of The University of Alabama in Huntsville's (UAH) Faculty/Staff Clinic and Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing. "It is surprising to hear that what once was considered questionable for your health, is now being touted as having major health benefits," said O'Keefe. The centuries old brew accounts for $4 billion spent in imports to the U.S. each year (Statistic Brain Research Institute), and the best news for coffee drinkers, said O'Keefe, is that "recent studies show the health benefits outweigh the risks for the nation's favorite beverage."