Regular coffee drinking can protect against fast death

Can coffee really increase life expectancy??
There is an increasing amount of research indicating a positive impact of coffee consumption on human health. Researchers now find that increased consumption of coffee is associated with a lower risk of premature death.

The scientists at the Hospital de Navarra in Spain found in their recent research that increased consumption of coffee can reduce the risk of premature death. The physicians published the results of their study at the ESC (European Society of Cardiology) Congress in Barcelona.

The consumption of coffee can have a positive effect on the health. Physicians now found that coffee can even protect against premature death. (Image: dimakp / fotolia.com)

Physicians are studying the effects of coffee consumption on people in the Mediterranean
For their study, the experts analyzed nearly 20,000 participants. "Coffee is one of the most consumed drinks in the world," says Dr. Adela Navarro, a cardiologist at the Hospital de Navarra. Previous research has already shown that drinking coffee seems to affect mortality. The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between coffee consumption and the risk of mortality in a Mediterranean population.

Physicians examined the data of 19,896 participants
The study was conducted as part of the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) project. This long-term cohort study began in 1999. The current analysis included 19,896 participants in the SUN project, whose average age at study entry was 37.7 years. Subjects had to complete a questionnaire so that experts could gather information about coffee consumption, lifestyle, sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and previous health problems.

Two additional cups of coffee per day reduce the risk of overall mortality by 22 percent
Patients were medically monitored for an average of ten years. During the ten-year period of medical surveillance, a total of 337 participants died, say the scientists. Researchers found that participants who consumed at least four cups of coffee a day had a 64 percent lower mortality risk compared to those who never drank coffee. There was a 22 percent lower overall mortality risk for every two extra cups of coffee a day, the researchers explain.

Older people benefit more from coffee consumption
The experts also examined whether gender, age or adherence to the Mediterranean diet had an impact on the association between coffee consumption and mortality. They observed a significant interaction between coffee consumption and age. When the participants were at least 45 years old, two additional cups of coffee per day caused them to have a 30 percent lower risk of mortality, say the authors. Whereas this relationship was no longer significant in younger participants.

Four cups of coffee a day can be part of a healthy diet
We found a reverse association between drinking coffee and the risk of mortality, especially in people over the age of 45, explains author Dr. Navarro. This could be due to a greater protection of older participants, adds the expert. Our findings suggest that drinking four cups of coffee every day can be part of a healthy diet in healthy people, the researchers concluded. (As)