Drinking black coffee may reduce the likelihood of early death by up to 17%. Digest
That morning cup of coffee might do more than wake you up—it could help you live longer. But if you load it up with sugar and cream, you might negate the benefits. A recent study found that people who drank black coffee or coffee with minimal sugar and saturated fat were up to 17% less likely to die early than those who didn’t drink coffee.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 46,000 U.S. adults who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2018. Participants were at least 20 years old and had completed a detailed dietary recall interview. The researchers linked coffee consumption—whether caffeinated or decaffeinated, with or without added sugar and fat—to death records in the National Death Index. They looked at overall death rates as well as those from cancer and cardiovascular disease, tracking participants for an average of 9 to 11 years.
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People who drank one to three cups of coffee daily were 14% to 17% less likely to die during the study period than those who didn’t. However, the benefits were limited to black coffee and coffee with low levels of added sugar and saturated fat. While coffee drinkers had a lower risk of dying overall, the benefit didn’t extend to cancer deaths. Drinking more than three cups a day didn’t appear to further boost longevity.
These findings suggest that coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle—but only if you skip the extra sugar and fat. Learn more about the health benefits of coffee in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.