Drink coffee, live longer?
That morning cup of coffee may be doing more than serving up a needed caffeine jolt -- it may be adding years to your life.
At least thats the conclusion of a preliminary study that suggests -- but doesnt prove -- that coffee is associated with a lower risk of death in the next 10 years.
Our findings suggest that drinking four cups of coffee each day can be part of a healthy diet in healthy people, said researcher Dr. Adela Navarro, a cardiologist at Hospital de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain.
The findings were presented Sunday at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, in Barcelona.
For the study, researchers investigated the association between coffee consumption and risk of death. The observational study involved about 20,000 middle-aged people from the Mediterranean region. The participants were 37 years old, on average, at the start of the study and were followed for approximately 10 years.
Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages around the world, Navarro said in a society news release. Previous studies have suggested that drinking coffee might be inversely associated with all-cause mortality but this has not been investigated in a Mediterranean country.
When the study began, the participants completed a survey about their lifestyle, overall health, diet and coffee consumption. The researchers also collected socio-demographic information, such as age, gender and ethnicity.
During the follow-up period, the researchers tracked the participants using information from their families, updates from the post office and a national death index.
Over the course of the next decade, 337 of the participants died. And those who drank at least four cups of coffee a day had a 64 percent lower risk of death from any cause than those who drank little or no coffee on a regular basis, the study authors said.
After examining additional data, the researchers said they found the benefit of drinking coffee was even more notable among the participants who were 45 or older. Among these folks, drinking two extra cups of coffee a day was linked with a 30 percent lower risk of death during the follow-up period.
We found an inverse association between drinking coffee and the risk of all-cause mortality, particularly in people aged 45 years and above. This may be due to a stronger protective association among older participants, Navarro said.
There are good reasons to drink coffee and there are a few reasons not to. This article is for those that are looking for reasons to keep drinking it.
After all, you may have a caffeine-hater in your life. You know the type theyre always telling you whats bad for your health.
Heres a list of some good reasons to drink coffee. Memorize this list so the next time you encounter your favorite coffee-hater you can pull out one of these babies.
While youre at it, you can add the words from a peer-reviewed scientific journal thatll really get your pet coffee-hater frothing at the mouth.
For most people, coffee can be a healthy part of the diet and there is no reason to not enjoy a couple cups a day unless you cant control your consumption.
However, coffee may not be beneficial for everyone. Those with certain heart conditions, caffeine sensitivity, and woman who are pregnant should stick to decaf or tea.
Also, those that drink coffee in excess may be negating some of the benefits because of the large amounts of caffeine they are consuming. These people may benefit from a caffeine detox to reset their caffeine tolerance to more moderate levels.
HealthDay
