BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Americans drink about 400 million cups of coffee per day -- and new research suggests our love might be rewarded -- coffee drinking may actually lower the odds of having a stroke.

Researchers in Great Britain tracked nearly 23,000 people who were healthy at the start of the study. Over the next 11 years, people who consumed coffee were 27 percent less likely to experience a stroke than those who did not drink coffee -- even after accounting for other lifestyle habits such as smoking, exercise, and tea-drinking.

Decaffeinated coffee appeared to offer the same benefits, so doctors said it's not caffeine that is causing the reduction in death risk.

They suspected that the antioxidants in coffee could lower inflammation in blood vessels, but more study is needed to confirm this.

In the meantime, experts said people shouldn't start drinking coffee to help their circulation -- and they warned that too much caffeine can cause insomnia and heart palpitations.