Drinking Coffee May Extend Lifespan

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages consumed worldwide. Roasted coffee consists of a complex mixture of over 1000 bioactive compounds including caffeine. Some of these compounds have previously been shown to have potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, or anti-cancer effects. Understanding associations between coffee and health is important in order to determine if it’s safe to drink. There have been mixed conclusions as to how harmful or beneficial coffee can be to our health.

Researchers performed an umbrella review that identified over 200 meta-analysis of observational research studies and data from clinical trials. The results suggest that drinking three cups of coffee a day is more likely to be associated with a lower risk of death. The greatest benefit of consuming coffee was seen in people with cirrhosis of the liver. A beneficial association was also seen between coffee and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, several cancers, type 2 diabetes, and gallstone disease. Interestingly, there seemed to be beneficial associations with Parkinson’s disease, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease as well. Drinking decaffeinated coffee had similar benefits for a number of outcomes, suggesting that the health benefit does not come from caffeine. Coffee is often consumed along with sugars and fats that may impact the health benefits. Smoking, BMI, age, alcohol consumption can all affect the beneficial effects of drinking coffee. Moderate coffee consumption may be incorporated into a healthy diet and lifestyle. However, pregnant or women at risk of fracture should be more cautious.

For more information: http://www.bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j5024

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