A decade-long study in the US has confirmed that regular coffee drinkers are less likely to die from many diseases, like heart disease and diabetes than those who don’t. In fact, the more coffee participants consumed, the lower their risk of dying.
Even Decaf Drinkers Have Less Chances of Dying of Disease
Coffee has phenolic acids, potassium, and caffeine, which are all biologically active compounds. Previous studies have proven that it lowers the risk of any heart-related death in general.
This 10-year study took data from another one, which used 90,317 adults without cancer or history of heart disease. This study was monitored from 1998 and 2009, and they reported their coffee intake at the beginning of their study. The data also included their dietary and health details as well.
By 2009, 8,700 participants had died. The research team took into account factors like smoking, and the results showed that coffee drinkers were less likely to die during the study than nondrinkers.
The Risk of Death Was Lowest for People Who Drank 4-5 Cups Per Day
The results, published in the American Journal fo Epidemiology, showed that the people at lowest risk of dying where those who drank between four and five cups per day. A similar figure also goes for decaf drinkers.
Coffee drinkers were also proven to have a lower risk of death from heart disease, a series of chronic respiratory diseases, pneumonia, diabetes, influenza and suicide. This cannot be said for cancer, however.
This Doesn’t Mean Coffee Gives You Cancer
Even though drinking coffee has been associated with cancers like liver cancer, this specific study didn’t draw any reciprocal links between the disease and the drink. In fact, there were no associations with it and cancer mortality overall. It’s possible this is because it reduces risk of mortality in some cancers but not in others.
In the study, people who drank two or three cups per day had an 18% lower risk death between 1998 and 2008 compared to non-coffee drinkers. People who drink 400 milligrams of caffeine per day had no associations with any health risks long-term.
Coffee Drinking for Pregnant Women
The team behind the story revealed that drinking up to 200mg of caffeine per day is perfectly safe for pregnant women, and they tend to have better outcomes than those who take no caffeine at all.
There are some factors that must be mentioned while making the claim that this drink can save lives from many diseases. It’s likely that people who drink it regularly also have other healthy habits. They likely also exercise and keep a healthy diet.
One Thing Coffee Can’t Do is Guarantee You’ll Live Longer
Though there have been many epithets for coffee throughout time, coffee is truly an elixir of life. That doesn’t mean that it’ll extend your life, though. Coffee has mildly diuretic properties, which can dehydrate you, so it’s always safe to drink a glass of water per every cup drunk.
There’s also evidence that shows that it may have a direct effect on inflammation and cardiovascular health in general. There’s been a lot of debate on the relationship between headaches, migraine headaches, and caffeine. While migraines cause blood vessel dilation, caffeine causes constriction, so it can bring some relief to patients with headaches. On the other hand, caffeine is also an addictive compound. People who drink between 4 and 8 cups per day and suddenly stop may suffer from withdrawal, which can cause tension headaches or migraines.
All in all, this study shows the magnificent properties of coffee and caffeine. When drunk in moderation (or slightly above moderately), it can have many benefits. People should still be careful of addiction to coffee and sugar.
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