Enjoy That Caffeine Buzz in the Morning

Europeans have red wine, Asians have green tea but Americans have their own source of antioxidants -- coffee, researchers reported on Sunday. Americans drink plenty of coffee, which is high in antioxidants, compounds such as vitamins that fight damage to cells and to DNA, the study found.

But Americans are not eating enough fruits and vegetables, the sources of antioxidants as well as fiber and other nutrients that dietitians, scientists and doctors recommend, said Joe Vinson of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.

Presenting his findings to a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, Vinson said this did not mean that coffee was necessarily the best source of antioxidants. "Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber," he said.