Turns out, drinking a few cups of coffee every day can actually do more than just give you a jolt at work — it might even help you live longer.
Two to three cups of coffee a day are associated with increased longevity and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. These benefits have been found whether the coffee is caffeinated or not, ground or instant, based on an analysis of the habits of nearly 450,000 people.
“Ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee were associated with equivalent reductions in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease or any other cause,” said study author Peter Kistler. “The results suggest that light to moderate consumption of ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle.”
The study specifically looked at the link between moderate coffee consumption and cardiovascular problems, including coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and ischemic stroke. The participants were free of these conditions at baseline, and the researchers asked how much and what type of coffee they drank each day, if any.
The researchers followed the participants for a median of 12.5 years.
During this period, cardiovascular disease was diagnosed in more than 43,000 participants, or 9.6% of the total. Those who drank two to three cups of coffee a day had the lowest risk of developing the disease, the researchers found, and those who drank ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee had their odds reduced by 20%, 9% and 6%, respectively.
An additional 30,100 people were diagnosed with arrhythmias. While ground and instant coffee were associated with a lower risk of this development, decaffeinated coffee did not help, the researchers found. Unlike other regions, drinking even more coffee made a difference for this condition, those who drink four to five cups a day see the lowest reduced risk. Those who drank two to three cups also saw a significantly lower risk.
At the end of the study, 27,809 (6.2%) of the participants had died. However, all types of coffee have been found to be linked to reduced deaths from any cause, with two to three cups a day associated with the greatest benefits. Ground, decaffeinated and instant coffees were associated with a 27%, 14% and 11% lower probability of death, respectively.
Kistler said that while caffeine is the most well-known aspect of coffee, that’s probably not the reason for the drink’s life-saving abilities. Coffee contains more than 100 biologically active compounds, he said.
“It is likely that non-caffeinated compounds are responsible for the observed positive relationships between coffee consumption, cardiovascular disease, and survival,” he said. “Our results indicate that drinking small amounts of coffee of all types should not be discouraged, but can be enjoyed as a heart-healthy behavior.”
This study adds to previous research that coffee, particularly several cups per day, has several apparent health benefits.
A 2018 study found that over a 10-year study period, coffee drinkers were around 10% 15% less likely to die than those who did not drink coffee. Another, published last year, found that drinking three to four cups of coffee, whether caffeinated or not, reduces the risk of developing and dying from a chronic liver disease.
Editor’s Note: This story and title have been updated to more accurately reflect the results of the observational study.