Coffee lovers can now reach for a cup of their favourite pick-me-up without feeling guilty.

Dr Chiara Trombetti, a dietician from the coffee capital of the world, believes the beverage's benefits could outweigh the risks.

Trombetti, of the Humanitas Gavezzeni institute in Bergamo, Italy, says coffee contains antioxidants and tannin which protect the heart. Scientists at Harvard in the US, meanwhile, have even linked coffee drinking to protection from diabetes.

Dietician Angie Jefferson says coffee's good qualities are overlooked and she says the idea that coffee causes dehydration is a myth.

"We adapt to caffeine so if you have your couple of cups of coffee in the morning then you will not dehydrate," she says. "Generally speaking, if you are having five or six cups of coffee a day, there's no problem."

So now you have stopped worrying about your coffee, can you handle more good news? You can have a bar of chocolate, too. Chocolates, red wine and pizza are all on the list of "forbidden" foods, which actually have hidden health benefits.

According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), we shouldn't be thinking in terms of good and bad foods at all. "Eating should be enjoyable and no foods should be 'banned'," it says. "What is important is we eat a balanced diet."

Jefferson says: "Everyone will assume chocolate is a negative food because it's nice and therefore it has to be naughty but chocolate is unique in that the fat it contains generally will not raise your cholesterol levels."

What's more, dark chocolate is a rich source of antioxidants.

"The interesting side of chocolate is the pleasure you get in eating can actually boost the immune system. So enjoying a small amount of chocolate is not going to do any harm."

Red wine has long been associated with decadence until recent years when scientists began to appreciate its hidden qualities finding it protected the heart.

The drink is high in antioxidants which is the active ingredient that can even prevent wrinkles.

Jefferson adds: "Red wine in moderation (one or two glasses a day) can also have benefits in terms of heart disease."

Last year, scientists discovered pizza protects against cancer after studying the food diaries of 3,315 patients with digestive system tumours compared to almost 5,000 with other ailments.

Those who ate pizza at least twice a week were 59 per cent less likely to develop cancer of the oesophagus, had a 34 per cent lower risk of throat cancer and were 26 per cent less likely to get colon cancer.

Dr Silvano Gallus, of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmaceutical Research in Milan, said: "We knew that the tomatoes used in the sauce are considered to be a food that prevents certain tumours.

"However, we did not expect that pizza as a whole offered such high prevention against cancer."

And since we're at it: Sex in a loving, intimate relationship has numerous benefits to both your physical and mental health.

In women, the sexual act triggers the release of oxytocin, which promotes feelings of affection and triggers the nurturing instinct and reduces stress.

In men, sex encourages the flow of testosterone, which strengthens bones and muscles and helps transport a hormone that may be important in the function of the body's immune system.

Regular sex is also regular exercise and has similar benefits, including improved cholesterol levels and increased circulation.

The magazine Men's Health also reports men who have sex at least three times a week may have a decreased risk of developing prostate problems.

Sex, like regular exercise, also releases endorphins which creates a natural high and diminishes pain levels.