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- More evidence suggests that drinking coffee can help reduce health risks and prolong your life.
- Researchers found in a seven-year study that coffee drinkers were less likely to die from cancer and heart disease.
- People who drank lightly sweetened coffee also lived longer, so adding sugar may not be unhealthy.
According to a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, your daily coffee habit can help you live a longer, healthier life, even if you add sugar.
Researchers from Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, examined data on coffee habits and health from more than 171,000 UK residents who did not have cancer or had cancer
heart disease
at the beginning of the course over a period of seven years.
Previously, evidence suggested that coffee drinkers live longer – the researchers in China wanted to test whether this holds true even when people add sugar to their daily brew.
They found that people who regularly drank unsweetened coffee were 16-21% less likely to die during the study than their non-coffee peers.
And study participants who drank between one and four cups of lightly sweetened coffee per day were 29-31% less likely to die during the study, according to the data.
The results were less clear, the researchers found, for participants using artificial sweeteners, who had seen similarly mixed results in previous research. Some experts and evidence say these products may be safe, healthy substitutes for sugar, according to the Mayo Clinic, while others raise concerns about possible associations with cancer or metabolic health issues.
According to an accompanying editorial by Harvard professor Dr. Christina Wee on the Southern Medical University study, however, the evidence doesn’t necessarily support high-sugar coffee drinks as healthy. Participants added about a teaspoon of sugar per cup, on average, which is far less than the amount of sweetener typically found in brewed or blended coffee beverages.
The findings are supported by previous evidence that coffee is generally beneficial for longevity no matter how you drink it.
Coffee has evidence-based mental and physical health benefits, with few side effects in moderation
Coffee – and its main ingredient, caffeine – has been extensively studied, with a wealth of data to suggest that it’s not only safe in moderation, but good for your health too.
Previous studies suggest that coffee drinkers live longer because they have a lower risk of diseases like heart disease, cancer, etc
diabetes
.
Caffeine can also increase mental focus and also promote brain health, particularly as we age, and appears to be linked to a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease. The drink is also linked to a lower risk of depression and suicide.
However, you can have too much caffeine. Doses greater than 400 milligrams of caffeine (more than about four to five cups of coffee) can cause minor side effects like anxiety, nervousness, rapid heart rate, and sweating, according to the Mayo Clinic.
And in extreme cases, concentrated caffeine of around 1,200 milligrams can cause serious problems, even though it would require you to drink more than 12 cups of coffee. Serious and fatal caffeine overdoses have occurred with the equivalent of more than 50 cups of coffee in a single concentrated dose of caffeine powder.
But for the average coffee drinker, who has up to five cups of coffee spread throughout the day, the habit is unlikely to result in any major side effects.
In addition to caffeine, coffee contains a variety of other compounds that may benefit your health, including polyphenols, which research shows may reduce inflammation, improve gut bacteria, boost metabolism, and moderate blood sugar levels.
