It seems like one week the media tells us coffee is bad for us and the next it’s fine.
Finally, a group of scientists have looked at all the studies, and the results are shocking.
Coffee drinkers live longer.
This is great news for java junkies.
In the Journal of the American Medical Association, the results of a survey of over 500,000 people scattered throughout the world who ranged in age from 38-73 showed that people who drank 2-3 cups per day had an average rate of morbidity 12% lower than non-coffee drinkers.
If caffeine bothers you, good news, non-caffeinated coffee drinkers got the same protection.
Interestingly it didn’t make any difference how you prepared it.
Instant coffee drinkers had the same benefit that French Press coffee snobs receive.
In the U.S., there are similar findings linking higher consumption of coffee to a lower risk of early death in African-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Latinos and white adults, both men and women.
A daily coffee habit is also linked to a decreased risk of stroke and Type 2 diabetes.
What is it about coffee that may be protective? It’s not likely to be the caffeine.
While studies don’t prove that coffee extends life, several studies have suggested a longevity boost among drinkers of decaf as well as regular coffee.
Why does this happen?
No one knows yet, so scientists are doing more studies about the bean itself trying to isolate the chemicals which lead to longevity.
But despite all the complaints from people who don’t seem to like other people enjoying themselves, coffee seems to be one of those habits which is actually good for you.
Coffee is the most popular beverage on the planet, making caffeine the most widely used drug.
“The coffee bean itself is loaded with many different nutrients and phytochemicals,” nutrition researcher Walter Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health.
“These compounds include lignans, quinides, and magnesium, some of which may help reduce insulin resistance and inflammation.”
“My guess is that they’re working together to have some of these benefits,” Willett said.
The latest study included 498,134 participants in the UK BioBank study. They tracked people from 2006-2010 concerning diet.
The participants were then tracked for 10 years, 14,225 deaths occurred over those 10 years.
Compared to non-coffee drinkers, the more java consumed led to lower mortality:
- Less than a cup – 6% reduction
- One cup – 8% reduction
- 2-5 cups – 12% reduction
- 6-7 cups – 16% reduction
Again, this result was the same for non-caffeinated coffee drinkers.
While this type of study does not mean you automatically live longer if you start drinking coffee, it does suggest that you can ignore those who want you to stop drinking your morning joe.
The positive effects of coffee consumption were highlighted in a 2017 study of all the data related to coffee consumption.
Health researchers looked at more than 200 previous studies and linked coffee consumption to lower risk of premature death, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression, dementia, some cancers, type 2 diabetes, and liver disease, in a study published in the British Medical Journal.
In 2018, Spanish researchers reported 20,000 people who drank at least four cups of coffee a day had a 64% lower risk of death than those who never or almost never drank coffee.
Two studies published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in July of 2018 also connected coffee consumption to a longer life.
It is interesting that while so many studies show that coffee consumers live longer, the medical establishment can not bring itself to endorse coffee consumption.
Along with the study showing a 16% reduction in mortality, The Journal of the American Medical Association had to throw in an opinion piece telling people not to start drinking coffee just because coffee drinkers live longer.
No data was given for this recommendation.
Bonus tip – coffee hydrates you. Click here to read more.
