The latest research offers encouraging news for people who get their daily caffeine from coffee or tea. Current evidence points to a positive link between those drinks and health benefits, while energy drinks do not appear to carry the same advantage.

On average, people take in about 200 milligrams of caffeine a day, roughly equal to three espresso shots. That total can come from many sources, including coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, chocolate and other foods, but the science highlighted here suggests the source of caffeine matters.

In other words, caffeine itself is only part of the story. Coffee and tea are being associated with better health outcomes in ways that energy drinks are not, which may reflect differences in the overall makeup of those beverages rather than caffeine alone.

For regular caffeine users, the takeaway is not simply that more caffeine is better. Instead, the latest findings suggest that moderate intake from coffee and tea may fit into a healthier pattern, while energy drinks remain a different category with less encouraging evidence.