Coffee may help us live longer
A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that daily coffee drinkers may be up to 18% less likely to die over the next 10–16 years, versus non-drinkers.
A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that daily coffee drinkers may be up to 18% less likely to die over the next 10–16 years, versus non-drinkers. The researchers note that previous studies have linked coffee consumption with reduced risk for death, but they noted that data for nonwhite populations are sparse.
Using the MEC (Multiethnic Cohort), a prospective population-based cohort study established between 1993 and 1996, the researchers analyzed the coffee intake of 185,855 African Americans, Native Hawaiians, Japanese Americans, Latinos, and whites, aged 45–75 at recruitment. At the study’s start, the participants reported on their diet and lifestyle habits, including coffee drinking.
During the next decade, more than 58,000 study participants died. The researchers found that those who consumed one to three cups a day were 12–18% less likely to die, versus non-drinkers. They also found that the pattern was consistent across racial groups. The researchers believe this finding supports the theory that coffee, itself, might have some beneficial biological effects.