Studies Find Added Health Benefits To Coffee, Berries, Soy

BOSTON (CBS) -- If you like berries, soy, or coffee, rejoice.  As Dr. Mallika Marshall reports, they all have health benefits.

Good news for lovers of coffee, tea and chocolate. A new study finds that regular caffeine intake does not cause extra heart beats or abnormal heart rhythms.

This is on the heels of another study which found that drinking 3 to 5 (8 ounce) cups of coffee a day, including decaf, is associated with a lower risk of death, in general.

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We all want to avoid unwanted weight gain and now Harvard researchers say eating more foods like apples, pears, berries, onions and tea might help.  These fruits and vegetables are all rich in flavonoids, nutrients that typically give these foods their bright color. And it doesn't take much, even a half a cup of blueberries a day, for example, can make a significant difference.

Previous studies have shown that low-fiber, starchy vegetables like peas, corn and potatoes, can do just the opposite and make you gain weight.

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Soy may boost a woman's success with fertility treatments through its effects on Bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical found in some cans and plastic containers and present in the bodies of most Americans.

BPA has been linked to reproductive health problems and may interfere with fertility treatments, but researchers found that women with high levels of BPA in their systems who ate soy products had better success with IVF than women who didn't eat soy.