Of all the world's professions, what field has the most avid -- perhaps the most addicted -- coffee drinkers? Not too much of a surprise here; it's journalists and other media professionals.
They topped a survey done by a British blog, Pressat, and were followed by law enforcement officers in second and teachers in third.
People in all three professions owned up to drinking four or more cups of coffee daily, Pressat said.
Trailing behind -- but only slightly -- were plumbers and tradesmen, medical staff including nurses, business executives, technical support personnel, retail workers and people who drive for a living.
"It seems that drinking coffee is a necessity on the job in a wide variety of professions," the survey researchers said.
In all the profession surveyed, 70 percent of the 10,000 respondents said missing out on their daily dose of caffeine would affect their ability to do their work.
The amount consumed by men and women was similar, with men drinking around 5 percent more.
Experts have debated what a healthy amount of coffee to drink is.
The morning beverage favored, or often required, by many has benefits including nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, niacin and B vitamins, not to mention being the biggest source of antioxidants in many people's diets. People who like a dollop of milk in their morning jolt are getting calcium and vitamin D.
However, as with anything, too much can turn a good idea into a problem, experts agree.
"Some is good, more may not be better," says Joan Salge Blake, spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Coffee in large amounts can raise the heart rate or increase feelings of anxiety, cause reflux disease or worsen irritable bowel disease, experts say.
In addition, drinking coffee later in the day can lead to problems falling asleep or staying asleep, with the result that people may need to consume even more coffee the next day just to feel awake and alert.
"It becomes this viscous cycle where it can really have an effect on your sleep," Salge Blake says.
People diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes should refrain from drinking coffee because it increases blood glucose levels, and pregnant women are advised to limit their intake of coffee and caffeine, health experts say.
Most medical opinion holds that 4 cups of coffee in a day can offer the beverage's benefits without side effects or other problems, but that differs from person to person.
"As long as coffee doesn't make you jittery, hyper, give you a headache or cause insomnia, there is no limit," says family medicine physician Dr. Arfa Babaknia in Fountain Valley, Calif.
