Drinking coffee might do more than just help you wake up in the morning—it could also help you live longer, especially if you skip the sugar and cream.
A new study from researchers at Tufts University found that drinking one or two cups of caffeinated coffee per day is linked to a lower risk of dying from any cause, including heart disease.
But this benefit drops when you add too much sugar or saturated fat to your cup.
The study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, looked at the health records and dietary habits of more than 46,000 adults in the U.S. between 1999 and 2018.
The data came from a long-term national survey called NHANES, which tracks health and nutrition trends. The researchers also used data from the National Death Index to find out who had died and what caused their deaths.
They found that people who drank black coffee or coffee with small amounts of added sugar and fat were 14% less likely to die from any cause compared to people who didn’t drink coffee. This group also had a lower risk of dying from heart disease. But people who loaded their coffee with sugar and cream didn’t get the same benefits.
Coffee contains natural compounds that may improve health, such as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. These compounds could be the reason behind the positive effects on lifespan.
However, adding sugar and high-fat dairy can cancel out some of those benefits. In the study, “low sugar” meant less than half a teaspoon per cup, and “low fat” meant about the amount in a tablespoon of light cream or five tablespoons of 2% milk.
Overall, the study found that drinking at least one cup of coffee per day was linked to a 16% lower risk of death. Drinking two to three cups a day increased the benefit slightly, lowering the risk by 17%.
However, drinking more than three cups didn’t add any extra benefit, and in fact, the link to reduced heart disease risk became weaker with higher intake. There was no strong connection found between coffee drinking and reduced risk of dying from cancer.
The study’s senior author, Dr. Fang Fang Zhang, said it’s important to understand how common coffee is in our daily lives—almost half of all American adults drink at least one cup every day. She emphasized that while coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle, adding too much sugar or saturated fat could take away its benefits.
Lead author Bingjie Zhou added that their study is one of the first to measure exactly how much sugar and fat people are adding to their coffee. Their findings support current dietary guidelines, which recommend keeping added sugar and saturated fat to a minimum.
The researchers also noted a few limitations. Since the study relied on people reporting what they ate and drank, the data might not be perfectly accurate. Also, there wasn’t enough decaffeinated coffee drinkers in the group to clearly see if decaf had the same effects.
Still, the message is clear: if you enjoy coffee, keeping it simple may help you stay healthier in the long run.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about A guide to diet choices for healthy kidneys and findings of Scientists find why limiting calories in diet could boost healthy aging and muscles.
For more about nutrition, please read studies about This nutrient in diet can prevent inflammation in older people and findings of Diet high in protein, zinc and niacin may protect heart health during weight loss.
The study is published in The Journal of Nutrition.
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