For people who love a morning cup of coffee, and a few more cups throughout the day, there is good news.
Coffee drinkers may live longer, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
The study looked at nearly 500,000 adults in the United Kingdom over the course of 10 years.
Researchers found a lower risk of death among coffee drinkers, including people who drank eight or more cups each day.
“These findings … provide further reassurance that coffee drinking can be a part of a healthy diet,” the researchers wrote.
Even drinking less than one cup of coffee per day lowers the risk of premature death due by 6 percent, the study found. One cup of coffee lowers the risk of death by eight percent.
Drinking eight or more cups per day drops one’s risk of mortality by 14 percent, according to researchers.
The lower risk of death held true with both caffeinated and decaf coffee, leading researchers to believe the value of coffee lies in the beans.
“There are compounds in caffeine and coffee beans — polyphenols, antioxidants, magnesium — [and] this reduces inflammation, it lowers insulin resistance,” ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton said Tuesday on “Good Morning America.”
“All of this is really beneficial for your overall head to toe health,” she added.
The study showed associations, not cause and effect, Ashton noted.
People should also be aware that some people have a physical sensitivity to coffee. It may elevate blood pressure and cause insomnia, irregular heartbeats and gastrointestinal issues in some, according to Ashton.
Adding toppings to coffee like cream, sugar and whipped cream can also vastly increase calories, and possibly negate it’s positive effects.
Nonetheless, the new study’s findings are a positive for coffee lovers.
“The overall data supports solid, solid benefits to coffee,” Ashton said.
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