Could Coffee Potentially Prolong Your Life
Key Takeaways:
- Recent studies suggest a potential correlation between substantial coffee consumption and a decreased risk of premature death, with benefits applicable irrespective of the type of coffee (decaffeinated, instant, or caffeinated).
- The benefits of coffee consumption are likely not just due to caffeine, but to other compounds within coffee. Coffee contains over 1,000 beneficial compounds such as potassium and folic acid.
- As part of a plant-based diet, coffee beans are rich in healthful polyphenols providing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, and antihypertensive advantages.
- While coffee consumption can be beneficial, it is not a magic cure-all and cannot completely offset the negative effects of other unhealthy habits like smoking or maintaining a typical Western diet.
- Some individuals may experience negative health implications due to the caffeine in coffee, suggesting tea as a worthy alternative for those who prefer not to drink coffee.
Starting your day with one, two, or even more cups of coffee might actually elongate your lifespan, according to recent studies.
Remarkably, substantial coffee consumption was associated with a reduced risk of premature death, applicable even to those who consume over eight cups per day.
Contrary to common belief, it isn’t about caffeine. Whether your preference is decaffeinated, instant or caffeinated coffee, you could still experience the benefits, the researchers affirmed.
Coffee’s role in longevity – The Research
“Coffee enthusiasts might find comfort in these findings,” stated lead investigator Erikka Loftfield, an epidemiologist at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
Nonetheless, Loftfield strongly advises that since this was an observational study, it cannot definitively confirm that coffee is the direct cause of increased longevity.
The researchers discovered that individuals who consumed over eight cups of coffee daily had a 14 percent decreased risk of death over the decade-long study, compared to non-coffee drinkers. For coffee lovers consuming six to seven cups daily, the reduced risk jumped to 16 percent, stated Loftfield.
The Real Cause – Not Just Caffeine
“People metabolizing caffeine at different rates can still gain benefit from coffee. Other elements within the coffee, rather than the caffeine, might be associated with the reduced risk,” remarked Loftfield.
Coffee plays host to over 1,000 biological compounds such as potassium and folic acid, often having noticeable physiological impacts, explained Loftfield.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean non-coffee drinkers should pick up the habit for these modest benefits. “If you’re already a coffee lover, continue enjoying it. But, if you don’t drink coffee, these findings aren’t a cause to start,” Loftfield advised.
The Importance of a Plant-Based Diet
Samantha Heller, a nutritionist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, expressed, “Like numerous plant foods, coffee beans are rich in polyphenols that research claims confer health benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, and antihypertensive properties.”
Healthy compounds found in plants including vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and grains often significantly improve health and happiness, according to Heller.
Partly due to these components, people who follow a more plant-based approach to eating record lower rates of chronic diseases such as certain cancers, obesity, diabetes, dementia, heart disease and depression, she said.
However, “While consuming coffee has its perks, it isn’t a magic cure-all, as it can’t counterbalance the detrimental effects of unhealthy habits like smoking or a typical Western diet,” cautioned Heller.
Also, the caffeine in coffee might have negative health implications for some individuals, warns Heller.
“Teas also bring along health benefits, so if coffee isn’t for you, tea can be a worthy alternative. In general, a balanced diet can indeed include coffee,” noted Heller.
The research findings were published online on July 2nd in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal.
Additional Resources
For more details on coffee and health, check out this informative source from the American Heart Association.
