A ten-year study conducted in the U.S. found that regular coffee drinkers were less likely to die of certain causes than those who didn't drink coffee. The lowest mortality rates were among people who drank four to five cups of coffee a day. Reuters reports:
The more coffee study participants consumed, the lower their risk of dying, and decaf drinkers showed a similar pattern.
“Coffee contains numerous biologically active compounds, including phenolic acids, potassium, and caffeine,” said lead author Dr. Erikka Loftfield of the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Maryland.
Many studies have found that coffee consumption is associated with lower risk of overall and heart-related mortality, Loftfield told Reuters Health by email.
The researchers used data from a previous study on 90,317 adults without cancer or history of cardiovascular disease who were followed from 1998 through 2009. They had reported their coffee intake, along with other dietary and health details, at the start of the study.
By 2009, about 8,700 people had died. After accounting for other factors like smoking, the researchers found that coffee drinkers were less likely to have died during the study than nondrinkers.
Those who drank four to five cups of coffee a day (including decaffeinated coffee drinkers) were at the lowest risk for early mortality. Those who drank two to three cups a day had an 18 percent lower death risk than counterparts. However, researchers noted that the study does not suggest that drinking coffee extends life, but that it may carry an effect on factors related to inflammation or cardiovascular health.
Consuming moderate amounts of caffeine – up to 200 milligrams per day – is also safe for pregnant women, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Dr Marc Gunter of Imperial College London, who was not part of the study, said: ‘Coffee drinking is correlated with other health behaviors.’
Those who drink it regularly may also have other healthy habits – such as exercising and eating healthy – he added.
‘You could argue that people who are already sick might not be drinking as much coffee,’ Dr Gunter said.
