A new study has claimed that drinking three to four cups of coffee a day could be good for you.

New research published by the British Medical Journal has suggested coffee may reduce the risk of several cancers, as well as diabetes, liver disease and dementia.

Coffee drinkers were also found to experience lower risks of premature death and heart disease.

The study collated evidence from over 200 previous studies finding that three or four cups a day offers the greatest health benefits.

Drinking more than three cups a day was not associated with any risk of harm – however the benefits were found to be less pronounced.

Drinking as many as seven cups a day was found to be beneficial.

However researchers warned that drinking too much could be harmful during pregnancy or to those with a higher risk of suffering fractures.

The study was led Robin Poole, a public health specialist at the University of Southampton.

The “umbrella review” examined 201 studies based on observational research and 17 studies based on clinical trials.