A few months back, Isabel Braverman, the editor of this fine community newspaper, penned an editorial on the sturdy, unpretentious, and flawlessly balanced brew that made its way into the hearts and stomachs of groggy wordsmiths at a journalism conference.

The coffee that poured from the conference carafe was the unsung hero of the fourth estate.  

For those of us who have been on a lifelong pursuit of the perfect cup, we know that coffee is not just a beverage; it is the currency of human consciousness. It fuels the debate of the front-page layout, cuts through the fog of a late-night edit, sharpens the lead, tightens the prose, and sustains the watchdogs until the presses roll. 

While I’m glad that Isabel enjoyed her “Brazilian blend’ I contend that even cantankerous caffeine would have satisfied the palates of those journalists. 

Although it’s been a few years since I’ve spent any regular time in a newsroom, downing endless cups throughout the day, according to recent studies on coffee, I can expect to live another 75 years.

Could be even longer.

I don’t mean propped up in some chair for the next 75 years, attached to tubes and wires as the advances of modern medicine keep me going until someone decides to stop wasting electricity on me.

No, I’m talking another 75 healthy years without any stress or ailments, feeling as fit as the first time I said, “Sure, I’ll have a second cup.”

All because I’ve spent the last 50 years of my life making sure that I had the medicinal miracle of the coffee bean running through my veins like a Kenyan runner.

And as anyone who has spent any time religiously following a strict healthy regimen knows, this can be an arduous task. The type of daily discipline that’s needed to drink some 10 cups of java was as physically and mentally draining as any of those endurance competitions. Remember, these are the days before Keurig, when we actually had to wait for water to boil.

I know it’s been drilled into you for years that coffee is bad for you. It’ll keep you up at night. Make you lose weight. That it’s addictive. So? What about the positives:

* Iowa Women’s Health Study finds consumption of coffee is associated with reduced risk of death attributed to inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases.

* Study done by the National Institute of Health finds that those who drink four or more cups of coffee were about 10 percent less likely to be depressed than those who had never touched the java.

* The American Chemical Society study found that people who drink four or more cups of coffee a day have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

* Researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Miami found that moderate coffee consumption can appreciably reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s or delay its onset.

You want more proof?

* Research from the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that men who drink coffee may be at a lower risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer. Researchers also found ties between regular coffee drinking and lower rates of liver, colon, breast, and rectal cancers.

* Researchers in the Nurses’ Health Study found a positive correlation between long-term coffee consumption and a decreased risk for gout.

* Johns Hopkins University researchers found that caffeine has a positive effect on long-term memory. Their research, published by the journal Nature Neuroscience, shows that caffeine enhances certain memories, at least up to 24 hours after it is consumed.

Exercise is good. So is watching what you eat. But if you really want to stay healthy, take it from Barry. Have a 10th cup.