A US study has found that drinking 1–3 cups of black coffee daily can lower your risk of death by as much as 17%. But there’s a catch: adding sugar or cream appears to wipe out these protective effects.
Published in The Journal of Nutrition, the study by Tufts University tracked 46,000 American adults for over a decade and noted that moderate coffee intake was most protective. The study analysed data from nine consecutive cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2018, linked to National Death Index Mortality Data.
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The researchers found that 2–3 cups of black coffee or coffee with minimal additives reduced overall mortality risk by 17% and cardiovascular death risk by up to 35%. Drinking more than 3 cups a day, however, showed no added advantage. Decaffeinated coffee did not show the same reduction in mortality risk, as per the researchers.
The study also revealed that coffee’s longevity benefits were strongest among non-tea drinkers, suggesting that tea consumption may alter how coffee affects the body.
“Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide. The health benefits of coffee likely come from its natural bioactive compounds. But adding sugar and saturated fat may reduce or negate those benefits,” said senior author Prof. Fang Fang Zhang of Tufts University.
Researchers found no significant link between coffee consumption and a lower risk of dying from cancer.
