Black coffee linked to lower risk of death

Coffee lovers, rejoice! A new study from the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University has found that your daily cup of joe might be doing more than just waking you up in the morning—it could actually be lowering your risk of mortality.

Published in The Journal of Nutrition, the study looked at the relationship between coffee consumption and mortality risk, with some interesting findings. Researchers discovered that drinking 1-2 cups of caffeinated coffee per day was associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes and death from cardiovascular disease. However, the benefits of coffee seem to be diminished when sweeteners and saturated fats are added to the brew.

Black coffee and coffee with low levels of added sugar and saturated fat were found to be linked to a 14% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to no coffee consumption. On the other hand, coffee with high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat did not show the same benefits.

Lead author Fang Fang Zhang, a professor at the Friedman School, explained, “Coffee is among the most-consumed beverages in the world, and with nearly half of American adults reporting drinking at least one cup per day, it’s important for us to know what it might mean for health. The health benefits of coffee might be attributable to its bioactive compounds, but our results suggest that the addition of sugar and saturated fat may reduce the mortality benefits.”

The study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2018, including a sample of 46,000 adults aged 20 and older. Coffee consumption was categorized by type (caffeinated or decaffeinated) and sugar and saturated fat content. The results showed that consuming at least one cup of coffee per day was associated with a 16% lower risk of all-cause mortality, with the benefits increasing to 17% for 2-3 cups per day.

However, the study also found that consuming more than three cups of coffee per day did not provide additional reductions in mortality risk. Additionally, the link between coffee consumption and lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease weakened when consumption exceeded three cups per day, with no significant associations seen for cancer mortality.

First author Bingjie Zhou, a recent Ph.D. graduate from the nutrition epidemiology and data science program at the Friedman School, highlighted the importance of the study’s findings, stating, “Our results align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend limiting added sugar and saturated fat.”

While the study has its limitations, such as self-reported data being subject to measurement error, it provides valuable insights into the potential health benefits of coffee consumption. So, the next time you reach for your morning cup of coffee, consider going easy on the sugar and cream—it just might help you live a longer, healthier life.

For more information, you can access the study published in The Journal of Nutrition under the title “Coffee Consumption and Mortality among United States Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study.” The study was conducted by researchers from Tufts University and provides valuable insights into the relationship between coffee consumption and mortality risk.