Coffee ranks among the most widely consumed drinks on the planet. According to a new study, drinking a lot of coffee could reduce your chances of dying early. Earlier research has pointed to possible health advantages of the beverage, including lower risks of diabetes, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and certain cancers. A fresh study — shared at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona, Spain — now joins a growing collection of evidence pointing to coffee’s possible health perks.
The scientists enrolled university graduates and tracked them with diet and lifestyle surveys every two years across a decade. Participants were questioned about how much coffee they drank and about other lifestyle habits, including smoking and exercise. The team also gathered sociodemographic details, blood samples, prior medication use, and measurements such as height and weight. They then examined mortality records while accounting for variables like age, sex, and how closely participants followed a Mediterranean diet.
Those who drank at least four cups of coffee daily faced a 65 percent lower risk of death from any cause than people who reported never or “almost never” drinking coffee. What’s more, each extra two cups consumed per day was linked to a one-quarter drop in the risk of premature death. Among participants aged 45 and older, coffee appeared to help even more, with two additional daily cups cutting mortality risk by 30 percent. The authors noted that “our findings suggest that drinking four cups of coffee per day can be a part of a healthy diet among health people.” I’m Dr. Michael Hunter.
