Will Coffee Help You Live Longer?

A recent study conducted by researchers from the National Institutes of Health—published in the New England Journal of Medicine—suggests that coffee may lower your risk of dying from chronic diseases.

The study tracked coffee drinking habits of more than 400,000 Americans between the ages of 50 and 71 from 1995 to 2008, Health.com reported. During this time period, 13 percent of the study's participants died.

Those who drank coffee were less likely to die during the study. What's more, those who drank the most amount of coffee tended to live the longest.

According to Health.com, "Compared with people who drank no coffee at all, men and women who drank six or more cups per day were 10 percent and 15 percent less likely, respectively, to die during the study."

The reason for downtick in mortality rate among coffee drinkers has yet to be discovered. Rather than proving that coffee benefits longevity, the study works as an assurance against the worry that it's bad for you.

More Health Benefits of Coffee

Most synonymous with coffee is the chemical caffeine; however, that's not the whole story. Coffee is made up of a variety of compounds-including antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances. Here, a few more benefits of your morning joe:

1. Helps burn calories. Coffee has been found to raise your resting metabolic rate-the rate at which you burn calories when you're doing nothing at all.

2. Lowers risk of diabetes. According to an article published by Harvard Medical School, "coffee drinkers may be half as likely to get diabetes as light drinkers or nondrinkers."

3. Helps battle cancer. Several studies have been conducted linking the drinking of coffee to a lowered risk of colon, liver, breast, and rectal cancers.

 


 

Sources:

Coffee Drinking Linked to Longer Life
Amanda Gardner
http://news.health.com/2012/05/16/coffee-drinking-longer-life/

Harvard Medical School: Health Communications
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/coffee_health_benefits