Addicted to your morning java jolt? Here's a reason why that may not be so bad: A recent study found people who drink three to five cups of coffee a day may have a lower risk of heart disease than people who drink none at all.

The study, published in the journal Heart, involved 25,138 South Korean men and women with no evidence of cardiovascular disease after undergoing a comprehensive exam. The participants answered a questionnaire regarding how often they consumed certain food and drink items, including coffee.

The researchers found that participants who drank between three and five cups of coffee daily had the lowest coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores, averaging a ratio of .59.

A person's calcium score, detected via a computed tomography scan, often predicts the development of future heart attacks, said study co-author Dr. Eliseo Guallar, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.

"As you can imagine, this is a very interesting topic because coffee drinking is very common," said Guallar, who also happens to be a coffee aficionado.

People who drank one to three cups per day also had improved scores, at .66, while those drinking less than one per day averaged .77. And drinking more than five cups of coffee didn't seem to help, as those participants' calcium scores climbed the highest, at .81.

The study authors emphasize that moderate coffee consumption is key in decreasing the prevalence of CAC, which adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting coffee may improve overall heart health.

The relationship between coffee consumption and heart disease has been controversial for some time, which was the basis for Guallar and his team to study the issue. The controversy stems from concerns based on previous research showing coffee is associated with high cholesterol and possible hypertension, though the latter relationship still remains unclear, according to the study.

More research is needed on the topic, according to the study authors, including why coffee appears to reduce the risk of heart disease. But Guallar says it's a good start.

This isn’t the first good news for coffee as of lately, though.

Though unrelated to the aforementioned study, a government advisory panel recently wrote among its U.S. government guideline recommendations that 400 milligrams per day (equal to three to five cups of coffee) is OK, but that coffee drinkers should still limit the cream and sugar intake. The Department of Health and Human Services and the USDA will include that information in new dietary guidelines later this year.

So should noncoffee drinkers consider picking up the habit? Don't take it that far, according to Guallar. He says the study results should be interpreted as more of a reassurance that coffee is OK to drink without health concerns.

"We're not yet at the point where we can say it would be a good idea to start drinking it to reduce the risk of disease," he said. "I think we can reassure people, but we can't say to start drinking coffee because it will be good for you."