Drink up – six cups of coffee a day could cut risk of early death

DRINKING at least six cups of coffee a day could help people live longer, research suggests.

The mortality rates of almost half a million middle-aged and elderly Britons were compared with their coffee intake.

Those who drank six or seven cups a day were 16 per cent less likely to die from any disease over a 10-year period than those who never touched coffee. Those who drank at least eight cups a day – twice the maximum amount of caffeine recommended by the UK Food Standards Agency – saw death rates fall by 14 per cent.

The protective effect was also identi- fied to a lesser degree among moderate and light coffee drinkers. Two to five cups, one cup, or less than one cup a day reduced mortality by 12, eight and six per cent, respectively.

Dr Erikka Loftfield, the study’s lead author, from the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, said the results applied to all types of coffee, including ground, instant and decaffeinated. She said the study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, added to mounting evidence coffee should be part of a healthy diet.

They found no association between any amount of coffee and long-term health risks, including cardiovascular or respiratory disease and cancer.

Dr Loftfield said the findings suggested the importance of its “non-caffeine constituents”. However, she pointed out that, as the results were based on observation, they could not prove cause, so should be treated with caution.

“Nevertheless, these results provide further evidence that coffee drinking can be part of a healthy diet and may provide reassurance to those who drink coffee and enjoy it,” she said.

Coffee has long been linked with combating heart disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes and depression. It is rich in antioxidants, which reduce inflammation and boost lung function and sensitivity to the glucose-controlling hormone insulin.

However, people are normally advised to drink no more than four cups a day – about 400mg. Too much caffeine can trigger insomnia, a fast heartbeat and even muscle tremors.

Prof Kevin Mcconway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at The Open University, said the study had been carefully performed, but could not establish whether coffee had protective qualities or if those drinking it were healthier in other ways.