Caffeine may benefit the elderly

I've just about giving up on trying to figure out if caffeine is good for you or not. Back and forth, back and forth -- the evidence behind the benefit/detriment of caffeine keeps springing up on both sides, leaving at least this blogger unsure which study(ies) to believe. In a study I recently happened upon, it was discovered that drinking caffeinated beverages may provide significant protection against the development of heart disease in elderly people who have normal blood pressure levels.

It turns out that drinking a caffeinated beverage raise blood pressure to what researchers referred to as a "healthy level" after someone has consumed a meal. This rise can counteract the temporary drop in blood pressure that typically occurs after a meal. This drop is most commonly known to occur in the elderly.

The researchers point to their findings that people who consumed four or more servings of caffeinated beverages daily had a 53 percent lower risk of death from heart disease than did those individuals who consumed less than half a serving a day. And, with respect to the people who only drank two or three servings of caffeinated beverages a day, they had a 32 percent lower risk than those who drank less than half a serving a day.

The verdict is in. For now, anyway. I'm sure I'll come across some information stating just the opposite about caffeine, so I'm at a complete impasse as far as an opinion on this goes. What about you guys? What do you think? Is caffeine good for you or not?