Drinking more coffee leads to a longer life, two studies say

According to two new studies published Monday, greater consumption of coffee could lead to a longer life.

People who drank two to four cups a day had an 18 per cent lower risk of death compared with people who did not drink coffee, according to the study. These findings are consistent with previous studies that had looked at majority white populations.

The new study shows that there is a stronger biological possibility for the relationship between coffee and longevity and found that mortality was inversely related to coffee consumption for heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.

Both studies were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Coffee is a complex mixture of compounds, some of which have been revealed in laboratories to have biological effects.

Studies have shown that certain compounds have neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce risk for illnesses like Parkinson's disease.

Both studies separated smokers from nonsmokers, since smoking is known to reduce lifespan and is linked to various deceases. However, they found that coffee had inverse effects on mortality for smokers too.

REASONABLY DOCUMENTED

The studies complement work that has been done on coffee and mortality and it has been reasonably documented that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of death.

With all observations from previous studies, however, it's difficult to exclude the possibility that coffee drinkers are just healthier to begin with.

People who avoid coffee, particularly in places like the United States and Europe where drinking the beverage is very common, may do so because they have health problems. Their higher mortality rate could be a result of them being less healthy to begin with.