Coffee may help you live longer - if you drink it this way

Coffee is more than just a wake-up call. For many, it’s a daily ritual that brings comfort and energy. But new research suggests that drinking coffee might also offer something unexpected – a longer life. That is, if you drink it right.

Scientists at Tufts University have found that coffee can be linked to a lower risk of dying – but there’s a catch. The benefits depend on how much sugar and saturated fat you add. A splash of cream and a spoonful of sugar could cancel out the good stuff.

Black coffee for a longer life

The research team at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy took a closer look at what people actually put in their coffee. The study reveals something simple but important: less is more when it comes to additives.

The experts found that drinking one to two cups of caffeinated coffee a day was associated with a lower risk of death from all causes, including heart disease.

Those who drank black coffee, or coffee with just a little sugar and fat, had a 14% lower risk of dying compared to non-coffee drinkers. But when sugar and saturated fat increased, the benefit disappeared.

“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,” said Professor Fang Fang Zhang, senior author of the study.

“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.”

Coffee habits of 46,000 American adults

The study didn’t just look at coffee drinkers in general. The researchers analyzed nearly 20 years of data from 46,000 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2018.

Participants shared details about what they ate and drank in a 24-hour period. Their coffee habits were tracked alongside information from the National Death Index, which listed causes of death including cancer, heart disease, and others.

The researchers classified coffee types by caffeine level and how much sugar and saturated fat they contained.

For context, low sugar meant less than 2.5 grams per cup – about half a teaspoon. Low saturated fat meant no more than 1 gram, which is what you’d get from one tablespoon of light cream or half-and-half.

More coffee doesn’t mean more benefit

One cup a day? A 16% drop in overall mortality risk. Two to three cups? Slightly better, at 17%. But drink more than that, and the benefits didn’t keep rising.

In fact, drinking more than three cups a day didn’t seem to offer any extra protection – especially when it came to heart-related deaths.

Also, coffee didn’t show any meaningful connection to cancer-related mortality. The positive effects were mostly linked to cardiovascular health and general longevity.

Study first author Bingjie Zhou is a recent Ph.D. graduate from the nutrition epidemiology and data science program at the Friedman School.

“Few studies have examined how coffee additives could impact the link between coffee consumption and mortality risk, and our study is among the first to quantify how much sweetener and saturated fat are being added,” said Zhou.

“Our results align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which recommend limiting added sugar and saturated fat.”

Cream and sugar dilemma

A spoonful of sugar might make your coffee taste better, but it could also reduce the health benefits. The study offers a clear takeaway: coffee itself isn’t the problem. What you put in it matters.

Coffee contains bioactive compounds like antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents that might help protect against disease and support a longer, healthier life.

But loading your cup with creamers, flavored syrups, and extra sugar changes the nutritional equation. It turns a health-friendly drink into something closer to dessert.

This nuance matters. People often think of coffee as either good or bad. This research suggests the truth is more subtle – coffee can be beneficial, but only if it’s not drowning in additives.

Limitations of the study

As with any observational study, there are limitations. The researchers relied on self-reported dietary recall, which can vary depending on memory and accuracy. What someone reports eating on one day might not reflect their long-term habits.

Also, decaffeinated coffee didn’t show the same benefits in this study. But that may be because not enough people reported drinking decaf to make the data strong enough.

Gaining years of life with coffee

If you enjoy a daily cup of coffee, there’s no need to stop. In fact, if you drink it black or with just a touch of milk and minimal sugar, you might actually be doing your body a favor.

But if your coffee resembles dessert in a cup, you might want to rethink what you’re sipping.

In short: it’s not just the coffee that matters, but also how you drink it. Keep it simple, keep it balanced, and you might gain more than just a morning boost. You might just gain a few more years.

The study is published in the Journal of Nutrition.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–