Those who drink more than two cups of coffee every day have a 14 lower risk of dying as compared to those who are non-coffee drinkers
Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. For many people, coffee helps them open their eyes – for others it works as an energy booster. While it has many health benefits, coffee, according to experts, helps reduce the risk of heart problems, diabetes, and even death.
How experts say it all depends on what you add to your steaming hot cup to reap these health benefits. According to a new study, people who drink more than two cups of coffee every day have a 14 per cent lower risk of dying as compared to those who are non-coffee drinkers. However, that stands only when you drink your coffee black or with minuscule amounts of cream, milk, or sweeteners. Too many additives, according to experts, can undermine the health benefits provided by your cuppa.
“If we add a lot of sugars or saturated fat to our diet, that increases our total [caloric] intake, which could also be linked to adverse health outcomes,” said Dr Fang Zhang, senior study author and professor at the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, which conducted the research.
How does coffee reduce death risk?
The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, explains how researchers followed nearly 50,000 US adults over a decade to see whether mortality risk was connected to participants’ coffee-drinking habits.
When the study began, researchers gave participants a 24-hour diet questionnaire, and based on that information, the average coffee consumption of the participants was noted – which included whether they added sweeteners or products with saturated fats to their cups.
After tracking participants’ health, Zhang and her team found:
- Drinking a cup of coffee daily was linked to a 16 per cent lower all-cause mortality risk
- Drinking two or three daily cups of coffee cut all-cause mortality risk by 17 per cent
- In total, coffee drinkers had a 29–33 per cent lower risk of heart disease mortality, in particular.
Coffee is rich in antioxidants. Experts say one of the main sources of antioxidants in your daily diet is coffee.
Antioxidants are important as they prevent and delay some types of damage to your body's cells. The antioxidants in coffee have been linked to health protection. Chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol abundant in coffee, has been shown to reduce inflammation. It may also play a key role in protection against chronic diseases, including obesity.
Antioxidants in coffee thereby protect against certain cancers, including breast, colorectal, endometrial, and prostate cancers, heart disease, and Parkinson's disease. Studies say lifelong coffee consumption is also associated with preventing cognitive decline and reducing stroke risk. In terms of brain health, caffeinated coffee increases alertness and may also improve memory for up to 24 hours after consumption.
Experts also say in moderation, coffee enhances athletic performance – improving blood circulation, increasing muscular strength, endurance, and power, plus reducing pain. That may help you push harder during workouts, resulting in better muscle strength and/or endurance improvements.
