With finals rapidly approaching, many students may find themselves reaching for an extra cup of coffee to get them through sleepless, homework-filled nights.

However, some research suggests students don't need to feel quite so guilty about their favorite energizing beverage. Recent studies show that coffee is not harmful to a person's health -- in fact, java may be beneficial.

"The general consensus is that 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine (two to three cups of coffee) poses no physical problems for most healthy adults," Melissa Martilotta, director of the nutrition clinic on campus and a nutrition instructor, wrote in an e-mail message.

Only an excessive amount of caffeine could be harmful, said Manfred Kroger, professor of food science. He defined "normal" consumption as one to two cups of coffee and "abnormal" as more than six per day.

Some studies have focused on the long-term health benefits of coffee. Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton, said the antioxidants found in coffee, tea and chocolate can decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

"It's not the caffeine that does the good things for you, it's the antioxidants," he said.

Martilotta wrote that recent medical research has focused on the beneficial effects of caffeine in preventing chronic illness and disease, including Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

"The results have been promising but must be confirmed with future prospective studies," she wrote.

Coffee may even hold certain short-term benefits. According to Vinson, caffeine "makes your brain more alert. Your short-term memory is improved. So you shouldn't take a test without caffeine in your system." Drinking a cup of coffee 30 to 60 minutes before an exam is best, he said.

"If you drink too much, you'll actually do worse," he added.

But coffee drinking does have some drawbacks, including the risk of so-called "caffeine addiction."

Nick Mittereder (freshman-journalism) said he drinks three to four cups of coffee per day.

"Over Thanksgiving break, I didn't drink any coffee, and I was physically shaking from withdrawal symptoms," he said.

Martilotta wrote that withdrawal symptoms depend on how much the individual was drinking.

"A lot of it's psychological," she wrote.

Kroger said only a few individuals suffer withdrawal effects from caffeine. Drinking a moderate amount of coffee per day will not lead to any harmful effects, he said.

Other health risks have also been linked to caffeine.

"Caffeine can increase anxiety, cause insomnia and temporarily speed up heart rate," Martilotta wrote.

Student opinion on the merits of coffee was mixed.

"It's probably bad for you with how much I drink," Mittereder said.

However, Amanda Morgante (freshman-agricultural and extension education) said she doesn't "buy into" the idea that coffee is harmful, although she agrees that it's probably not a good idea to drink an excessive amount.

"No matter what, I'll continue drinking coffee," she said.