THE WEEK · JULY 29, 2018 7HEALTHGOOD NEWS FOR COFFEE DRINKERS
Coffee drinkers, take heart! You may live longer! Moderate
coffee drinking has been associated with a lower mortality
risk, including deaths from cardiovascular disease and some
cancers. But, what about heavy coffee drinkers, or those
who have genetic variations that affect the way in which they
metabolise caffeine?
According to a US study published in JAMA Internal Medicine,
drinking coffee can boost longevity, even if you drink eight or
more cups a day.
The study was based on nearly 5,00,000 British people aged
38 to 73. Among these 78 per cent were coffee drinkers.
Over ten years of follow-up, 14,225 people died. Drinking
coffee was associated with a lower risk of death across the
board.
Those who drank one cup of coffee per day had an 8 per
cent lower risk of premature death. The risk was 16 per
cent lower for those drinking six to seven daily cups, and
14 per cent lower for those who drank eight or more
cups each day.
The type of coffee didn’t matter either—the benefits
were seen with filtered, instant and decaffeinated
coffee. “These findings suggest the importance of
non-caffeine constituents in the coffee-mortality
association and provide further reassurance
that coffee drinking can be a part of a healthy
diet,” the study concluded.