MONTPELLIER, France (AFP) -- Bad for the heart, heavy on the stomach and even cancer-producing -- popular views about coffee are doing it an injustice, scientists say.

Not only are some health fears misguided but coffee can actually reduce the chances of developing illnesses such as Parkinson's or diabetes, the International Association on Coffee Science heard here.

Up to six mugs of the beloved beverage a day will not lead to heart or digestive damage in a healthy person. But misunderstandings stem from the fact that for nearly two centuries medical studies on coffee have been confined to caffeine, a stimulant.

"For a long time research has been too simplistic, by largely being centered on just caffeine, while coffee is an extremely complex drink," said Astrid Nehlig, a leading French specialist on the relationship between coffee and health.

Its benefits go beyond the lift it brings to our daily routine.

Coffee contains chlorogenic acids and melanoids which trap so-called free radicals, or atomic particles which damage DNA, and are also powerful antioxidants, involved in the prevention of cellular damage.

Coffee can also cut the risks of cirrhosis by up to 80 percent, according to Carlo La Vecchia, of the Milan-based Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research.

Bertil Fredholm, of Stockholm's Karolinska Institute, highlighted at the conference, taking place here until Friday, "strong epidemiological evidence" that coffee consumption can prevent Parkinson's disease in men.

And diabetes expert Jaakko Tuomilehto, from Helsinki University, said that the risk of type 2 diabetes, linked to poor eating habits and a lack of exercise, can be halved by drinking five to six cups of coffee daily.

Indeed, 10 cups a day -- nothing unusual in Finland which tops the world's coffee consumer list -- can further cut the risk by 80 percent.

Coffee is more efficient than fruit and vegetables in preventing the oxidation of DNA, the source of a number of serious illnesses, especially cancers, according to Siegfried Knasmueller, of the Medical University of Vienna.

However, at the same time coffee harbors a number of potentially carcinogenic substances. American toxicology consultant James Coughlin has recorded about 30, though no study has so far established a link between coffee and cancer.

While studies have tended to measure coffee consumption, they have been unable to distinguish what kind of coffee is being drunk, or, often, how it is taken, with sugar, milk, or decaffeinated, for example.

Most of the studies presented here were based on an American-style cup of coffee -- with 600 milliliters a day considered a reasonable amount -- corresponding to trends in Northern Europe and the United States.

Epidemiologist Cuno Uiterwaal, of the University Medical Centre of Utrecht, has studied the risk of heart attacks in coffee-drinkers and believes that based on current knowledge a heavy consumer can safely continue to indulge.

But, he is less willing to suggest a recommended amount. "It's always very difficult to translate observational results into medical advice."