Coffee drinkers may live longer than non-coffee drinkers, says new study

Scientists at Imperial College London have found that people who drink coffee may live longer than non-coffee drinkers, and three cups of coffee a day may reduce the risk of death from all disease. But researchers said that due to the limitations of observational research, they are not at the stage of recommending that people drink more or less coffee.

The findings come from the largest study of its kind, in which scientists analysed data from more than half a million people across 10 European countries to explore the effect of coffee consumption on the risk of mortality.

Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and Imperial College London found that higher levels of coffee consumption were associated with a reduced risk of death, particularly from circulatory diseases and diseases related to the digestive tract.

Coffee is one of the world's most commonly consumed beverages, with an estimated 2.25 billion cups drank around the world each day. It contains compounds, such as caffeine, diterpenes and antioxidants, and the ratios of these compounds can be affected by the variety of methods used to prepare coffee.

Previous studies looking for a link between coffee consumption and health outcomes have revealed conflicting results, however, large studies in both America and Japan have since revealed the potential beneficial effect of drinking coffee.

In the latest study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers carried out the largest analysis of the effects of coffee-drinking in a European population - where coffee consumption and preparation methods vary, from an espresso in Italy, to a cappuccino in the United Kingdom.

Using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, the researchers analysed data from 521,330 people over the age of 35 from 10 EU countries.

People's diets were assessed using questionnaires and interviews, with the highest level of coffee consumption (by volume) reported in Denmark (900 mL per day) and lowest in Italy (approximately 92 mL per day).

Those who drank more coffee were also more likely to be younger, to be smokers, drinkers, eat more meat and less fruit and vegetables. After 16 years of follow up, almost 42,000 people in the study had died from a range of conditions including cancer, circulatory diseases, heart failure and stroke.

Following statistical adjustments for lifestyle factors such as diet and smoking, the researchers found that the group with the highest consumption of coffee had a lower risk for all-causes of death, compared to those who did not drink coffee.

In a subset of 14,000 people, they also analysed metabolic biomarkers, and found that coffee drinkers may have healthier livers overall and better glucose control than non-coffee drinkers.

Dr Marc Gunter, of the IARC, said: "We found that drinking more coffee was associated with a more favourable liver function profile and immune response. This, along with the consistency of the results with other studies in the US and Japan gives us greater confidence that coffee may have beneficial health effects."

However, more research is needed to find out which of the compounds in coffee may be giving a protective effect or potentially benefiting health. Professor Elio Riboli, head of the School of Public Health at the Imperial College, who established the EPIC study, said: "While further research is needed, we can be confident that the results from a large European study confirm previous findings seen around the world."

Dr Gunter added: "Due to the limitations of observational research, we are not at the stage of recommending people to drink more or less coffee. That said, our results suggest that moderate coffee drinking - up to around three cups per day - is not detrimental to your health, and that incorporating coffee into your diet could have health benefits."

Even decaffeinated coffee had a similar effect, though there is a hint of caution as researchers could not exclude that decaffeinated coffee drinkers may have been consuming caffeinated coffee as well in different periods of their life.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/science/drinking-coffee-could-make-you-10768469

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).