Coffee is personal. It’s a drug. A ritual. It’s healthy. Or is it?

For decades, studies have linked drinking coffee to a longer life and reduced risk of an array of health problems. Recently, a big study grabbed headlines linking coffee to healthy aging – women who drank caffeinated coffee were less likely to develop physical problems, cognitive impairment, and chronic diseases as they aged. Another study found that morning coffee drinkers lived longer than people who drank coffee later in the day.

Another recent analysis suggested those longevity benefits may be limited to those whose coffee doesn’t contain a lot of added sugar or saturated fat. Sorry, mocha and Frappuccino fans. Maybe wait for the next study. “Coffee is like the science version of a celebrity – it makes headlines no matter what,” said Susan Albers, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic. “I think that’s because it crosses age, culture, and socioeconomic status. It’s a substance that everyone enjoys and drinks. And it’s one of the most widely consumed psychoactive substances on the planet. We forget that it is actually a drug that is paired with an enjoyable drink.”

Three out of four adults in the U.S. report they are coffee drinkers. Half of Americans drink it daily. That’s a huge number available to researchers, who can then examine countless variables and look for associations. If we’re all doing something and it turns out to be bad for us – or good – public health officials want to let us know.

Coffee is loaded with micronutrients, such as polyphenols that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, and most coffee also contains the drug caffeine. “It’s such a window into the brain and how what we put in our bodies impacts us on every different level, in positive and negative ways,” Albers said of our own and researchers’ seemingly insatiable thirst for more info on coffee.

So will there ever be a verdict? We’ve been let down before. First it was red wine, touted as healthy until recently, when all alcohol has been frowned upon. And like coffee, chocolate seems to forever be switching sides between healthy and unhealthy. “We want to have healthy habits. We want to keep this enjoyable ritual in our lives but make sure that we’re not sabotaging our health,” Albers said. “And so, the more information that we obtain about it, the better. What I think happens is that there might be a little bit of a click bias.”