. Studies have shown that pregnant women who drink coffee are more likely than other

women to give birth to small babies. There also is evidence that some coffee drinkers get headaches when they are denied coffee (47) . Drinks with caffeine make brain cells more active.

Now, a new American study demonstrates what may be a good effect connected to drinking coffee. It found a link between drinking coffee and a decrease in the risk of gallbladder disease in men. The findings are reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

The gallbladder is an organ in the body that stores bile. (48) . Someone with gallbladder disease may experience severe pain in the stomach after eating fatty foods. Cholesterol in the bile can form. painful gallstones. Lack of physical activity and being overweight are the two main causes of gallstone disease.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts organized the study. They say coffee has several effects that could reduce the risk of gallstone formation (49) . The new study involved 46,000 men. The men were all doctors or health care specialists between the ages of 40 and 75 years old. None of them bad a history of gallbladder disease.

(50) . The researchers found that more than 1,000 of the men reported having gallstone disease. More than 80 percent of those men required an operation to remove the gallbladder.

A. For years, scientists have argued about the health effects of drinking coffee

B. Bile helps the body break down fat in food

C. Doctors have found a method to cure the disease

D. The men were observed for 10 years

E. That is because coffee contain caffeine

F. Earlier studies had offered conflicting results, however

(46)